SEO Superstars, Where Are They Now?
By: Chris "Silver" Smith
2010-04-09
Theres been a lot of buzz lately criticizing TopSEOs, a business which purports to rate Search Engine Optimization experts, though ratings are influenced by payments. Both Aaron Wall and Edward Lewis skewered the service with pretty convincing points. The rating service and talk about it reminded me that I actually did a sort...
 | | Past And Present Of SEO Superstars |
...of rating via a blog post here back in 2007 entitled "Some Top In-House SEOs". In that post I sought to list out the cream-of-the-crop of search engine optimization experts working within major companies.
The main difficulty of attempting to rate SEOs is that it's quite hard to know precisely what they've recommended or done to optimize a company's websites. For instance, you could be an absolute genius at SEO, but if the company is lethargic or incompetent programmers oversee their sites, none of the SEO expert's talent might be reflected in the actual site. That's an extreme example, and in most cases some degree of the expert's recommendations will be properly implemented. But the point is that site configuration may not really be used to reflect an expert's actual ability, particularly if compared with other colleagues.
Back when I wrote "Some Top In-House SEOs", I wasn't really prepared for the large amount of attention it received. I was immediately pressured by a lot of people who wanted to be added to the list, but didn't meet the criteria I was using. Quite a few people asked me to update the list over time as well, and I quickly saw that it would be necessary if this was done ongoing to be open about the rating criteria I was using " else people would question why so-and-so was listed while so-and-so was not.
The criteria I used back then was very basic. I wanted to list only people who were employees of top companies that performed organic search optimization of one sort or another for those company's websites. I wanted companies which were readily-identifiable by a majority of people in the U.S., so they had to be MAJOR brand names: top-50 websites, Fortune 500 companies, and Internet Retailer 500 companies. Finally, I had to be able to find/identify the SEOs who worked for those companies, which usually meant that they'd have to self-disclose what they did (many SEOs operated somewhat anonymously behind corporate walls). So, the SEO needed to blog or speak at conferences, and disclose who they worked for. In one or two cases, I discovered individual's names through news interviews or press releases. I also mined the list of top-linked SEOs from LinkedIn (apparently no longer in operation? formerly: http://www.linkedseo.com/).
I made a number of mistakes, of course. I didn't feel I had time to write to and receive confirmation from each person. In some cases I just "outed" people from behind the corporate curtain for the first time!
For the most part, people loved the attention and recognition! I felt a bit stressed from those who clamored to get in, and I pretty much stated that I wouldn't add any until I updated a year down the road. In quite a lot of cases, I think that headhunters mined the list in order to lure people away to other companies, so many benefited from the exposure.
Here it is, about three years after the fact, and I thought it'd be interesting to see where are they all now? So, here's the list once again, with individual's former companies listed from back then, and who they work for now. Nothing scientific - I merely base this on what their LinkedIn resume or website states. It's been neat for me to revisit this list! So many of these folks became friends and close acquaintances since I wrote this up! It's also fascinating to see how many of them have moved on to advanced titles and to owning their own companies.
Some Top In-House SEOs - Where They Are Now:Amr Awadallah:
Then: Director Product/Business Intelligence at Yahoo! Inc.
Now: Founder, CTO, VP Engineering. at Cloudera, Inc.
Aidan Beanland:
Then: Regional SEO Manager at Yahoo
Now: Regional SEO Manager at Yahoo
Jennifer Blamy:
Then: SEO Manager at LendingTree.com
Now: VP - Digital Marketing at Bank of America
Jessica Bowman:
Then: Director of SEO for Business.com
Now: Principal at SEMinhouse.com SEO Consulting
Michael Brito:
Then: Search Marketing Manager at HP
Now: Vice President at Edelman Digital
David Carberry:
Then: Director of Search Marketing for Advertising.com
Now: Director of Digital Sales Baltimore-Washington at Radio One, Co-Founder at Local Roll Call
Steve Carrod:
Then: Search Marketing Manager (EMEA) at Hewlett-Packard
Now: Website Marketing Manager at Snapfish
Gene Chan:
Then: Search Marketing Manager at Imaging & Printing Group - HP
Now: Senior Account Executive at MySpace
Michael Cheung:
Then: Search Marketing Lead at Marchex
Now: AVP of Business Development at PT Kreatip Komunikacitra
Kathleen Coughlan:
Then: Strategic Alliances & Search Marketing at Lexis Nexis
Now: Director, Global Brand Marketing at LexisNexis
Terry Cox:
Then: SEO/SEM Manager for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Online
Now: Search Engine Marketing Director at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Online
Christopher Curtis:
Then: Associate Manager, Search Engine Marketing at Shopzilla.com
Now: Senior Director, Traffic Operations at Shopzilla.com
Darren Dalasta:
Then: Search Marketing Manager at WhitePages.com
Now: Search Engine Marketing Manager at WhitePages.com
Rudy DeDominicis:
Then: Search Marketing Specialist at Time Inc Interactive
Now: Associate Director Audience Development- Search Marketing Specialist @ Time Inc
John Ellis :
Then: Online Marketing Manager, Search for ResortQuest / Gaylord Entertainment
Now: Independent Search Engine Marketing Consultant (SEO & PPC)
Matt Evans:
Then: SEO Manager at Monster.com
Now: SEO Manager at Monster.com
Duane Forrester:
Then: Manager, Search Marketing at Sports Direct Inc.
Now: Senior Program Manager of SEO at Microsoft
Derek Fulford:
Then: Search Marketing Manager at The Weather Channel Interactive
Now: Search Marketing Manager at The Weather Channel Interactive
Jason Hall:
Then: Director, Search Engine Marketing at Shopzilla.com
Now: Search expert w/ international experience, currently exploring Brazilian Internet market
Seth Hammac:
Then: Search Engine Marketing Media Manager at CNET Networks
Now: Sales Engineer at Microsoft
Julie Handleman-Baerwald:
Then: SEO/SEM Manager at Citysearch
Now: SEO & SEM Director, Citysearch
Liz Keller:
Then: Manager of SEO Strategy at iVillage, Inc.
Now: Head of Search Engine Optimisation (UK) at Razorfish
Mia Kemp:
Then: SEO and Sr. Project Manger - Marketing at Kaplan University
Now: Manager, Marketing Analytics & Strategy at Sapient
Imran Khan:
Then: Chief Marketing Officer at E-Loan
Now: VP, Worldwide eCommerce Marketing at Symantec
Vic Kuzmovich:
Then: Director Online Marketing at Expert Realty<
Now: Senior VP of Technology at Expert Realty
Rob Lenderman:
Then: SEO Architect at LendingTree.com
Now: AVP Interactive Product Development at Interval International - IAC
Jeff Leong:
Then: Sr. Online Marketing Specialist at Symantec Corporation.
Now: Web Consultant
Laura Lippay:
Then: SEO for Yahoo!
Now: Online Visibility (Social Media & Search/SEO) Consultant
Paul Low:
Then: Search Marketing Manager at JCPenney.com
Now: Account Director at Camelot Communications
Bill Macaitis:
Then: VP of Traffic Generation and SEM / SEO for Fox Interactive Medi
Now: VP of Online Marketing at Salesforce.com
Philip Maher:
Then: Director of SEO at LocalLaunch
Now: Founder at Intuitive Investments
Matt McGee:
Then: SEO for Marchex
Now: Self-employed Marketing Consultant
Sean McGinnis:
Then: Manager, Search Engine Marketing at Findlaw
Now: Director, Online Bar Review at Micromash
Andy Mihalop:
Then: Head of Search Marketing at Reed Business Information
Now: Search & Performance Media Director - Global Clients at Aegis Media
Melanie Mitchell:
Then: Director, SEO/SEM at AOL
Now: SVP, Search Marketing Strategy at Digitas
Mike Moran:
Then: Distinguished Engineer / Product Manager of IBM's OmniFind Search Product
Now: Chief Strategist at Converseon
Iestyn Mullins:
Then: SEM Manager at SHOP.COM
Now: Director Managed Services at Logic361.com
Michael Nguyen:
Then: SEO Strategist at Shopzilla
Now: SEO Strategist at Shopzilla
Paul O'Brien:
Then: SEO for HP
Now: VP Marketing at Outright
Giovanna O'Grady:
Then: SEM/SEO Manager at Intuit
Now: Consultant, Customer Acquisition & Retention at AboutAirportParking.com
Paul Pedersen:
Then: Manager Search Engine Marketing at E W Scripps
Now: Manager Search Engine Marketing at E W Scripps
Dan Perry:
Then: SEO Producer, Cars.com
Now: SEO Director at Turner Broadcasting
David Perez:
Then: SEO/PPC Manager for eHarmony
Now: Cofounder at Convertro
Robert Pettee:
Then: Search Marketing Manager at LendingTree, LLC
Now: Director, Search Marketing at LendingTree, LLC
Amy Pickwick:
Then: Web Communications Manager at USinternetworking, an AT&T company
Now: Senior Project Manager, Go Forward Media
Antonella Pisani Vernier:
Then: Director of Search Engine Marketing & Optimization at ProFlowers
Now: VP, Acquisition Marketing at Provide Commerce (ProFlowers / RedEnvelope)
Roni Raulwing:
Then: International Program Manager - Mobile & Devices at Adobe, Inc.
Now: Web Project and Globalization Manager & Int'l SEO/SEM at a Silicon Valley Company
Greg Reitman:
Then: Manager, Search Marketing at Barnes & Noble .com
Now: Director of Marketing at -x+1-
Jennifer Wood (Rodriguez):
Then: Online Marketing Manager at The Seattle Times
Now: Online Marketing Manager at The Seattle Times
Thomas Shaffer:
Then: Sr. Search Media Analyst at Microsoft
Now: Sr. Vertical Search Manager - Retail at Microsoft
Aaron Shear:
Then: Global Director of SEO for Shopping.com
Now: Partner at Boost Search Marketing
Marshall D. Simmonds:
Then: Chief Search Strategist for New York Times
Now: Chief Search Strategist for New York Times
Scott Skurnick:
Then: Director SEO (Search Engine Optimization) at Edmunds.com
Now: Executive Director of Search Engine Optimization & User Insight at Edmunds.com
Chris Silver Smith: (Huh! I listed myself in this list! Narcissistic much?!?) 
Then: Head of the Technology & Development Department, Idearc Superpages.com
Now: Director of Optimization Strategies, KeyRelevance
Jenn Mathews:
Then: SEO Manager at Classmates.com
Now: VP of Interactive Marketing at Obvio.us
Julie Sun:
Then: Senior Manager, SEO at MTV Networks
Now: Director, Digital Marketing at MTV Networks
David Temple:
Then: Search Marketing Consultant at FindLaw
Now: Regional Digital Director at OgilvyOne Worldwide/Soho Square
Patrick Terrell:
Then: Affiliate and Search Marketing Manager at PETCO
Now: Director, Marketing at SurfStitch
Mike Banks Valentine:
Then: Senior SEO Manager at Fox Interactive Media
Now: Director of SEO at Demand Media
Julie Kosbab:
Then: Team Lead, Search Marketing at FindLaw
Now: Online Marketing/Strategy at Plaudit Design
Tanya Vaughan:
Then: Search Engine Marketing & Optimization, Web Marketing Hewlett-Packard (HP)
Now: VP Internet Marketing at Bodybuilding.com
Alfonso Veggetti:
Then: Senior Marketing Analyst at Washington Mutual
Now: Senior Marketing Analyst - Washington Mutual
Meg Walker:
Then: Online Marketing Manager at Network Solutions
Now: Online Marketing - PRWeb at Vocus
Frank Watson:
Then: SEM Manager at FXCM (Forex Capital Markets)
Now: CEO Kangamurra Media
Anthony Ziehmke:
Then: Search Marketing Strategist at Microsoft
Now: Manager - ASG Search at Microsoft
Sandra Zoratti:
Then: Director, Marketing and Strategy at IBM
Now: Vice President, Global Solutions Marketing at Ricoh IBM InfoPrint Solutions
Comments
About
the Author:
Chris formerly headed up the Advanced Technology Department for Verizon Superpages.com (later spun off under Idearc Media), where he worked for ten years, specializing in patent-pending work in mapping, local search, analytics, and SEO. As the natural search optimization expert for Idearc, he founded and chaired the company's SEO Council. Chris is currently a Lead Search Strategist for Netconcepts, a search optimization firm. Chris is a regular columnist for Search Engine Land, covering the 'local search' beat. He also blogs for Natural Search Blog, and speaks at industry conferences such as Search Engine Strategies.
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