optimize tables for search using LIKE clause in MySQL

Question

I am building a search feature for the messages part of my site, and have a messages database with a little over 9,000,000 rows, and and index on the sender,

Answer 1

'%EXAMPLE_QUERY%'; is a very very bad idea .. am going to give you some

A. Avoid wildcards at the start of LIKE queries use 'EXAMPLE_QUERY%'; instead

B. Create Keywords where you can easily use MATCH