Google Has New Head Of Web Spam But Won’t Be The “New Matt Cutts”

Google's outreach to publishers and SEOs will continue to be split among a variety of people rather than being tied to the web spam fighting chief.

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Matt Cutts remains on leave, but Search Engine Land can report that Google does have someone new in his position of head of web spam fighting. This person is unlikely, however, to become the all-around spokesperson on publisher and webmaster issues that Cutts had been.

Cutts headed Google’s web spam team that fights spam in its search listings for 10 years, until taking leave last July. He extended that leave last October and still remains on it. That doesn’t mean, however, that no one is minding the spam fighting team.

Google declined to name the person who has taken over Cutts’s role. The reason is simple. That person isn’t also assuming the other role that Cutts had played, that of being a general spokesperson about listing issues.

In his time at Google, Cutts was an incredibly popular figure with many SEOs and publishers who looked to him for advice on how to be better found within Google. He also became a lightning rod for others who were unhappy with Google’s policies relating to listings.

It was never the case that the head of web spam should also be a general spokesperson on listing issues. That was just a natural synergy between Cutts being both knowledgeable about Google’s listing processes in general and his personal interest in taking that role.

Going forward, Google says to continue to expect what’s already been happening while Cutts has been away. Various individual Googlers will keep splitting the role of providing advice and answers to SEOs and publishers in online forums, conferences and other places.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Danny Sullivan
Contributor
Danny Sullivan was a journalist and analyst who covered the digital and search marketing space from 1996 through 2017. He was also a cofounder of Third Door Media, which publishes Search Engine Land and MarTech, and produces the SMX: Search Marketing Expo and MarTech events. He retired from journalism and Third Door Media in June 2017. You can learn more about him on his personal site & blog He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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