In the early days of search engine optimization there was little academic literature on the subject and much of the information that did exist was not substantiated. Matt Cutts shined a light on the world of SEO and focused on how to improve the user experience. Matt Cutts’ name became the herald for our industry. His honesty, openness, and transparency influenced a new generation of search marketers to share, collaborate, and improve the web for all. His expertise and influence helped me learn and with this I am extremely grateful for all that he has given to the search community.