Head of Google web spam Matt Cutts said that he is taking a break and going on leave. Matt certainly does take a lot of abuse defending the Panda and the Penguin and while I am sure he has made a lot of money at Google, it must be a stressful job. Maybe Sergey and Larry could make it easier on him by allowing Google to be a little more transparent and accountable for their actions.
Danny Sullivan wrote on Search Engine Land:
It will be the longest break Cutts has ever taken from Google since he started with the company back in 2000 and since he began overseeing the web spam team in 2004. It’s also one that he writes is overdue. From his post:
When I joined Google, my wife and I agreed that I would work for 4-5 years, and then she’d get to see more of me. I talked about this as recently as last month and as early as 2006. And now, almost fifteen years later I’d like to be there for my wife more. I know she’d like me to be around more too, and not just physically present while my mind is still on work.Cutts says he’ll be off work through October of this year. He notes he won’t be checking any work email. He also stressed that there’s no specific event behind him taking the time off, other than fulfilling this long-standing promise to his wife.
Tom Foremski wrote on Silicon Valley Watcher that he thinks this move may foreshadow Cutts leaving Google, a move that Foremski says he would not blame Cutts for making.
After 15 years as head of the webspam team at Google, Matt Cutts says he is taking a long break, to spend more time with his wife and family.
It’s the same language that senior executives often use when suddenly departing their employer. I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t come back because he is often the target of much vitriol and anger from the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) communities every time Google changes its algorithm every few months.
Cutts has one of the toughest jobs at Google he has to explain Google’s mysterious search algorithm and why some sites rank high or low. It’s a highly charged arena because the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people depend on Google ranking their business as a trusted online entity.
