Matt Cutts Cuts Ties With Google

Matt Cutts officially resigns from search engine and media behemoth

The Pentagon, Matt Cutts' new workplace. Image by David B. Gleason (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Share Alike).
The Pentagon, Matt Cutts’ new workplace. Image by David B. Gleason (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Share Alike).

An end of an era for Google was marked this week by a high profile departure. That of Matt Cutts, one time head of Google’s Webspam team. Today, he is now the Director of Engineering at USDS (US Digital Service). Before taking on his new role, he joined Google in 2000 where he became part of the furniture.

On the 31 December 2016, Matt Cutts handed in his resignation to the search engine and media behemoth in Stanford. A few months before then, he took a leave of absence to work for the US Digital Service. He enjoyed his brief stint and has decided to stay there. On his blog, he said:

“When I joined the US Digital Service, I only planned to stay for three months. That quickly turned into six months after I saw the impact of the USDS. In the last month, I made a big decision. On December 31, 2016, I resigned from Google.”

In 16 years, Google has changed beyond recognition. Back in 2000, its clutter free interface won new friends among internet users. With the average PC user having dial-up internet at the time, this was a Godsend. Today, the company that Matt Cutts has left is in better shape than ever. Not only in the field of search engines but also with its Android operating system and the Google Pixel smartphone.

With Matt Cutts announcing his departure days before the inauguration of Donald Trump’s presidency, the challenge he has will be a departure from his previous employer. Instead of Mountain View, his offices will be the Pentagon Building in Washington D.C. Rather than fighting spam on Google’s terms, his role will affect the USA’s 318.9 million people: from war veterans to IRS payment details.

We at Net Sixty Six SEO wish Matt Cutts well in his latest endeavours. We think he is more than capable for his role as Director of Engineering. If you’re reading this, Mr. Cutts, you are more than welcome to pop into Net Sixty Six HQ for a brew.

Net Sixty Six SEO, 20 January 2017.