A Sad Loss in the SEO Community

Dear SEO Community,

We’re devastated to share that Bill Slawski has passed away.

Bill was a pioneer, mentor, and visionary of the SEO community. His work in search started before Google existed. Bill would help business owners improve their visibility in search engines such as Alta Vista. His immense understanding of law gave him the ability to interpret Google patents which gave him a vision of what direction the search engines were headed.

Bill was an incredibly giving individual who dedicated much of his time to sharing his knowledge with the community. His blog, SEO By The Sea, was one of the first of its kind and helped educate and empower search marketers worldwide. In an early industry that lacked information, Bill’s blog served as a guiding light that marketers knew they could rely on. He was also incredibly generous with his time on social media and made it a mission to personally share his knowledge with those hungry to learn SEO best practices.

After meeting Bill at the Northern Virginia SEO Meetup, there was no question that our company would be a much better place with someone of his character on the team. In 2013, Bill joined Go Fish Digital as our Director of SEO Research, where he was vital in setting the tone for innovation and culture in those early days. In his nine years with us, Bill’s work was able to help everyone, from large companies to hundreds of small businesses. Bill was not only a leader and innovator but was passionate about teaching and helping others grow in their search careers.

Words will never be enough to express how deeply saddened we are at Bill’s passing. We are forever grateful to get the opportunity to work with such a brilliant, kind, and compassionate person.

We hope that everyone will carry on his legacy, kind spirit, and the quest for a better SEO community.

If you have a memory of Bill that you would like to share, Barry Schwartz created the “How Has Bill Slawski Helped You” website.

June 22nd, 2022 Update: Bill’s obituary can be found here. You may donate to charity or plant a memorial tree in his memory.