The SEO industry is forever changed with the loss of Bill Slawski, owner of SEO By The Sea, Director of Search at Go Fish Digital, educator, mentor and friend.
Bill was a lot of things to a lot of people. He has been writing here at Search Engine Journal since 2019 and has been a friend and mentor to many of us for decades.
It’s not often that one can say that someone has influenced and shaped an entire industry. But this is one of those times.
On May 19, 2022, the SEO industry learned that Bill Slawski had passed away.
The loss and sadness in our community was palpable.
We are devastated to announce the passing of our colleague and dear friend @bill_slawski. Words just cannot express our sadness. We are forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Bill. We will share much more information and arrangements as it becomes available to us. pic.twitter.com/5mD6jqw7XR
— Go Fish Digital (@GoFishDigital) May 19, 2022
As a search patent expert, colleague and mentor to many, and friend to many more, Bill impacted the lives of everyone in the search industry.
If you haven’t read the thousands of articles he’s written or contributed to, seen one of his interviews, attended one of his talks, or listened to a podcast he’s been a guest on – I guarantee that someone, with who you work, learn from or have work for.
This was in no small part due to Bill’s extensive knowledge and expertise combined with an unparalleled passion for the nuances and technological advances that make search engines tick.
I spoke to Bill a few weeks ago as we were planning an editorial on the patents he thinks are most effective for search marketers.
In this interview he declared his love for patents.
“One thing I always say about patents is that they are the best place to find assumptions about searchers, about search, and about the web. These are search engineers who share their opinions and solve problems,” he said.
He loved seeing what engineers thought and what they had to say when it came to various problems on the internet.
“One of my favorite types of patents to look up is when they repeat a patent and file a continuation,” Bill explained. “I like looking at these continuation patents and seeing how they’ve changed because they don’t tell you, ‘This is what we’re doing.'”
This innate curiosity and true passion for unraveling the complexities of the search algorithms we work with every day made talking to Bill and reading his work a real pleasure.
I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve gone to Bill or referred to his work in mine like so many have.
He had a real talent for making complex concepts more accessible to readers and marketers of all stripes. As a result, his contributions to our collective understanding of how search works are unrivaled.
Bill Slawski’s work and knowledge is fundamental to the practice of SEO as we know it today.
I speak for all of us at SEJ when I say that we are incredibly grateful for what he has generously shared with each of us.
He was also a close friend and respected colleague of our founder, Loren Baker.
“Bill Slawski was a true friend of mine in more ways than one. First of all, he was a surprising mentor who helped me quite early in my career, even before the days of social media or Search Engine Journal. He was my buddy and co-worker,” Loren said.
Bill and Loren worked together for a few years and spent a lot of time outside in the parking lot in Havre de Grace, Maryland, smoking cigarettes and talking about Google patents.
“If anything, I would say that Bill taught me that SEO is a lot more than just ranking alone,” Loren explained, adding that Bill taught him the importance of adding a narrative to all of his work integrate.
“He taught me the ethics and artistry behind creating a digital work of art that people want to read and share, and ultimately search for and click on – and touch their lives,” he said. “I will miss Bill very much. It’s very hard to lose friends.”
Beginning in 1996 and launching SEO By The Sea in 2005, Bill has been the go-to resource for anyone wanting to understand how search engines work or how they are changing the way we search or live our lives.
But it was so much more than that.
Bill was generous with his time and eager to share his knowledge of search, information retrieval, NLP and other information technologies with everyone.
He had a gift for taking complex patents, algorithms, concepts, real world behavior and search engines and explaining how the world of search and information retrieval works in a way that anyone can understand.
Bill seemed to have an instinct for understanding what you knew and didn’t know or where you were confused. He could fill in the blanks without making you feel silly for asking. Even if he had answered this question for the millionth time.
You didn’t have to be an SEO rock star or a seasoned pro, either.
If you didn’t understand something or had questions, he was happy to spend hours explaining the concepts and offering (or creating) resources to help. And as many in the industry who have met Braggadocio can attest, even just “met” him via text message always made you feel like a long-lost friend.
“It’s like going to a conference and being one of the first there. And all the seats are still empty and there is not much discussion. Such was the SEO world back then… I remember stumbled across an SEO forum and was just a sneak. I just look at what everyone was talking about and I thought, ‘This is a weird career. I’m not sure I can do it.” In the end, I made it.
I started working and promoting a website for a couple of friends who were starting a business. And so helping them thrive in business was pretty good motivation.” Bill Slawski, SEO Talks cognitive interview, April 5, 2018
Bill’s wealth of knowledge also extended far beyond the search.
With a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law, Bill spent 14 years as a court clerk, administrator, technologist and management analyst in the Superior Court of Deleware.
He loved nature and plants and the sea. He loved traveling and sought out conferences, but eventually found peace in nature and used it often. And he shared it with all of us.
Bill urged everyone to look beyond the headlines and keywords.
He was quick to add words of support and congratulations when someone shared an achievement. He encouraged everyone to explore what’s possible, not be intimidated by new things, and better understand the search ecosystem, not just technology, so we can better serve our families, communities, colleagues, and clients.
His kindness, generosity, loyalty and love for the industry knew no bounds.
I’m very sorry to hear that @bill_slawski has passed away 😔 One of the first SEOs I started following and reading. He and his always insightful contributions to patent analysis in research are sorely missed. Rest in peace Bill and thanks for everything! 🙏 https://t.co/8dwhaGbWX6
— Aleyda Solis 🇺🇦 (@aleyda) May 19, 2022
Here at Search Engine Journal, Bill was a familiar face on social media and a VIP contributor, but he was much more than that.
One of the things I will miss the most about Bill Slawski is the outdoor photography he shared on Twitter.
As entrenched as he was in SEO and online marketing, he always made time to step away from the keyboard and admire the beauty of life.
I think that’s something we could all benefit from if we did more.
I’ve known Bill Slawski from forums and search engine marketing conferences for almost 20 years. He caused a stir with all the things he discovered in the patents that went a long way toward demystifying what search engines were doing.
What impressed me the most was his generosity with his time and how encouraging he was to me and everyone. I feel privileged and honored to call him a friend.
Brent Csutoras, Advisor and Owner
A lot of our marketing journey has been understanding not just how something works with Google, but also what they’re trying to accomplish in the years to come so we’re prepared and ready to pivot when the need arises.
Bill’s work with patents produced valuable insights that very few people could distill, yet everyone benefited.
He has been instrumental in getting us to where we are today as SEOs and digital marketers.
Bill Slawski Was A Man Of Quiet Impact
“My first interaction with Bill Slawski was on Kim Krause Berg’s Cre8asite forum. I was trying to learn what SEO was all about, so I just lurked and soaked up knowledge from Bragadocchio, Black Knight, Grumpus, Barry Welford, and more. I know that Bill started more than 10,000 threads there during his time as one of the admins, and one of the first things that struck me was his willingness to patiently share his knowledge. At the time, I had no idea who he was, but it quickly became apparent that he was someone to listen to. ”
Atul Gawande once wrote that life makes sense because it has a story – a story driven by a deep need to see goals outside of ourselves and a transcendent desire to see and help others to reach their potential.
That was the essence of Bill’s life.
Not only in the wealth of unparalleled knowledge and resources he bestowed on us, but also in the inspiration, guidance and encouragement he infused in all of us. That is his legacy and one that will live on.
It was difficult to click publish on this article as I believe nothing we share could live up to that legacy.
Search Engine Journal will leave Bill’s content library untouched here in perpetuity, and we’ve left comments open below for everyone to share your contributions to this memorial service for Bill.
Thank you Bill for sharing your intelligence, passion and knowledge with the SEO community.
Written in collaboration with Angie Nikoleychuk.
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