Danny Sullivan - the man moves on

I reported Danny Sullivan leaving SearchEngineWatch on Platinax News when the story broke, and over the past couple of its it’s been enlightening to see the responses online.

The marketing industry that has developed around search engines is often a small and intimate one. Open and friendly to new faces, there are no real cliques and the most established names are usually happy to talk to everybody else.

Danny Sullivan is no exception - for the past 10 years he has been the effective shepherd of the industry, via the unparalled reporting on Search Engine Watch (SEW) itself, along with the Search Engine Strategies (SES) conferences.

He’s also an incredibly friendly, cool-headed, and engaging person, happy to speak and listen with everyone in the industry, no matter how small.

And his leaving SEW is a major shift within the industry.

You wouldn’t think it was big news - after all, a search on Google News for Danny Sullivan only shows 12 published stories covering his leaving.

The intimacy of the SEO/SEM industry shows itself in the huge number of communities - blogs and forums - that are talking about it.

Barry Schartz covers the whole story in depth and additionally covers major areas where it’s being covered:

1. Blogs talking about Danny Sullivan leaving SEW

• ResourceShelf
• Google Blogoscoped
• Frank Barnako
• Niall Kennedy’s Weblog
• John Furrier
• Search Engine Watch Blog
• Jim Boykin’s Internet
• Online Marketing Blog
• Search Engine Guide Blog
• InsideGoogle
• Performancing.com
• Screenwerk
• Traffick
• SEOMoz Blog
• WebProNews
• Scobleizer
• Cre8PC
• SiteProNews
• Search Rank
• PPC Blog
• Spam Whackers Blog
• The Agency Blog
• Search Trends
• 5 Star Affiliate
• Beyond the Paid
• David Dalka
• Cartoon Barry
• John Battelle
• Stone Temple
• Black Rimglasses
• Joseph Morin
• I Need Hits
• SM Guru 2
• Kichus
• SEO Idiot
• Gray Hat News
• Nic ‘n’ Cher
• pratheeba
• Shoe Money
• Marketing Pilgrim
• Search Engine Lowdown
• The Karcher Group
• KoMarketing
• Threadwatch
• Search Engine Guide
• Unofficial SEO Blog
• Lyndsay
• Macalua.com
• Search Marketing Gurus
• SEO Buzz Box
• Duct Tape Marketing
• inter:digital strategies
• Somewhat Frank
• inlogicalbearer
• ReveNews
• Mikkel deMib Svendsen
• E Gain Media
• Oaseo Blog
• Home Biz Fan
• Stepforth
• Bloggers Blog
• MarketingVox
• BPWrap
• All Business
• Web Guerrilla
• Web Musings
• Paul’s Blog
• Britopian
• Chris Hooley
• Men of SEO
• Valleywag
• Beanstalk
• Search Engine College
• SEO Book
• V7N Blog
• Alturawmc
• Cue Blocks
• Spot Back
• SEO SNAFU
• Engine Blog
• manuelhp42
• TenGoldenRules
• Hey Norton
• Smart Keywords
• Jason Paterson
• SEO Focus
• Bruce Clay
• Oilman
• Phil Bradley
• Comparison Engines
• Gord Hotchkiss
• Matt Cutts
• DWworld
• US Web
• Cameron Olthuis
• DistinctSEO
• iPrash
• Paul J. Bruemmer
• Paid Content
• Jason Calacanis
• Pronet
• The NeO Blog
• DFWsem
• Small Business SEM
• Insureme Blog
• Search RoundUp
• SEO Home
• Platinax
• WebMetricsGuru
• SEO by the Sea
• Promocharger
• Aaron Shear
• The Link Spiel
• Enquisite
• Christian Cadeo
• johnon.com
• Publishing 2.0
• TME Solutions
• Fortune Interactive
• DM News
• Search Lounge
• Jim Skelton
• Internet Marketing Advice
• Alan Meckler
• AGoToGuy
• Metamend
• Aaron Rosenthal
• BtoB Online

2. Forums talking about Danny Sullivan leaving SEW

• Danny’s Yahoo! Group
• Search Engine Watch Forums
• WebmasterWorld (subscription required)
• Cre8asite Forums
• High Rankings Forums
• Web Work Shop Forums
• WebProWorld Forums
• Google Blogoscoped Forums
• IHelpYou Forums
• Search Engine Guide Forums
• Jim World
• DigitalPoint Forums
• SEO Chat Forums
• A Best Web Forums

Overall, it’s almost exciting to think of the opportunities that Danny can exploit from the situation.

On the one hand, he could move away quietly and either offer top level corporate consultancy.

Danny’s journalistic spirit and desire to keep in touch with the latest news suggests that we’ll more likely see him establish a new search marketing news portal, which can only be an exciting development.

Considering the number of people he knows, I’m sure he’ll get plenty of offers to help from some of the most experienced people in the industry.

And when he finally shows us what he has planned, that should be very interesting indeed.

ADDED: Joe Morin makes a very interesting suggestion indeed:

the most logical thing that Danny could do if he were to compete head to head with Incisive - is to compete head to head with Incisive by coordinating a competing conference on the exact same dates that SES shows are scheduled and force the speakers, attendees and sponsors and exhibitors choose which venue to align themselves with.

Its gutsy, but who do you think all of the aforementioned would go with? I know where I would go and judging by all of the outcries in the blogosphere by the search community, I’m guessing thats where they would too.

Would indeed be gutsy, and I don’t see people flocking to support Incisive over Danny. :)