The Day The Search Industry Shook

Change, like death and taxes is inevitable. As humans, we tend to love our comfortable spots and fight to resist change, a fruitless effort, but still we try, until we embrace the fact the life’s changes can be sweet rewards if we allow them to be. 

So waking up this morning, I go through my usual (comfortable) routine – put on my glasses, slip on my sandals, take my greyhound “King” Reilley for a walk, then settle in on my laptop and get all the news from overnight – all before 6:30 a.m. EST. This morning was no different, and one where I’m very thankful I am not a coffee drinker, had I been, I think my laptop would have been fried. I went through my Google Desktop RSS Feed listing and came across "Stepping Down From Search Engine Watch", that’s when I swear I felt the very ground of the Search Industry shake, change is inevitable I was reminded again. 

I rubbed my eyes, just to make sure my eyes nor my glasses were failing me, but they weren’t – Danny Sullivan was leaving the two stalwarts of the search industry – two things he was the very founder of, the two things which had become synonymous with his very name.  I then had a flashback to SES San Jose 2005, when it was announced that Incisive had bought SES and SEW from Jupiter. I fleetingly wondered how it would affect Danny, but hearing that it was Incisive’s top priority to keep him around, I somehow felt “comforted”. 

Change – its all around, the very basis of our industry (Search) is fundamentally built upon it. The internet is constantly changing, at one point experts claimed and “internet year” was 3 months – talk about change in the fast lane! But here we all are as Search Professionals – white hat, grey hat and black hat alike, stunned by this sudden change, this shift in the “tectonic plates” of our own little world. 

There is no doubt that Danny Sullivan is likely the most respected individual in the Search Industry. His personality is one that is very accepting and that endears him onto the masses of all us who make our living and look to him as a guide. Plain and simple - Danny Sullivan “IS” Search. 

So it isn’t a wonder how this has reverberated around the “Search-o-Sphere”, from small bloggers (like us here at SMG) to search engine bloggers like Matt Cutts to the respected well known bloggers like Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable – everyone’s got an opinion, and everyone’s “feeling” it. That definitely says a lot about Danny, doesn’t it? 

It leaves me to wonder about the survival of Search Engine Strategies after Chicago SES in December. Search Engine Watch isn’t as closely associated with Danny as its face – Black Knight (Ammon) over at Cre8asite Forums, definitely defined that point – over the years, it’s been less “Danny-dependent”. However, it is different with SES; Danny is “The Face” of SES.  

Attendees, speakers and press alike, all feel a loyalty to Danny, he’s like our “father”. I really am not wondering or worried about what is going to happen to Danny. He’s going to do wondrous things wherever he goes or attempts, and he’s still going to be “guiding” us.  

What I am wondering and somewhat “worried about” is the Search Engine Strategies conferences when he leaves. Incisive has some big shoes to fill, and some very high expectations to fulfill. If Incisive doesn’t keep with the same structure of the conference that Danny set up, and allows corporate mouth pieces to use it as a platform for selling like other conferences do, it’ll ring the death bell for the conference.  

Regardless of it all, Change is good isn’t it? :)

Congrats Danny!!

I wanted to add a link to Joe Morin's blog - since he doesn't post that often is close friends with Danny, he's got a great perspective.  Read -Joseph Morin - Travels: Danny Sullivan's Departure from SES/SEW

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