And his name is Bill.
It’s kinda funny, my missus calls it a “man crush”. I don’t think of it quite that way. But it’s a truly amazing thing because one relationship can change a life. Completely.
Yea yea… I know. I’m 2nd gen SEO because I started around 1998. There’s lots of folks that look to me as one of the “originals” but it really chaffs me cause I wasn’t there at the actual beginning. Oh well. Where was I?
So, I dunno, somewhere around 2004 or so I ran into a gaggle of these oddballs that were talking about weird shit like patents and papers. WTF? I am pretty sure the answer to everything is “throw some more links at it”. No?
Anyway, there was always some fun convos, if not a bit heated, from folks like Dr. E Garcia, Rand ‘something-or-other” and this one guy… named Bill.
A different level
When I started to follow that path I realized this SEO thing wasn’t just another up-sell service add-on for me anymore. This was more. It was organizing the world’s information, for better or worse. There was more than TITLE tags and KW spamming. There was a science behind it all.
Huh. Who knew?
Little did I know that this path would become the journey of my life… You see, SEO isn’t what I do. It’s what I am. A student of all things search.
A family Affair
So yea… thanks Bill. The door you opened. The light you shone on it not only became the core of not only who I am, but what enabled me to raise two awesome kids and give my family a lifestyle (time, not money) that’d I’d embrace.
But it all started there.
It’s amazing what a few fortunate steps along the path can do for the larger painting. Not only do I have a passion for all things search, but I also get to make a living and raise a family with that passion. Totally. Awesome.
Live an SEO lifestyle
And sure, I could go on and on… and on… and on… and… well, U get the deal. There’s been so many folks that have been so important to me navigating this “thing of ours”. Jeez. I shit you not, I could go on for hours (seriously, ask anyone that knows me…). But I was just sitting here thinking about when it went from a job to a passion. Yea bro.. that was you.
So, to you newer SEO folks, find a voice. Find a passion. If you’re just here to make a few bucks, you’ve missed the point. What we do is very much an artform. None of us do things exactly the same way, even if we manage the same results. Develop your craft and become an SEO. It’s not a job.. it’s a passion
Anyway… that’s it. Was just thinking about my journey and wanted to put a small taste of my experience. Hoping that it might help someone else.