This is part of the say something nice about an SEO/SEM series - feel free to nominate someone over here.
Wil Reynolds, 41 years old, lives with wife and two children lives mostly in Philadelphia, but also in San Diego and does travel a lot for speaking engagements and work. Wil Reynolds, his name, makes you think of the word selfless. I have heard so many stories of how this man has helped individual after individual - both on a professional level, as well as a personal level. And he wants nothing in return.
He has built a strong marketing firm named Seer Interactive, which now employs over 100 people. He is always on the go, speaking at marketing and SEO events. His company is constantly producing content to help the industry get smarter and better.
He personally has not just spoken about SEO topics but also spoke about topics around building a business that lasts and balancing money and personal goals. He is big into donating not just money to important charities but also his personal time, and doing that when you run a company, have a family with young kids and travel as much as he does, is really not easy.
Wil is a person most of us aspire to be like and he does it with grace, care and the deepest respect for his colleagues and the industry.
He had an anonymous nomination who really summed up Wil in a very short and concise manner saying "Genuinely good person. Honest, down to earth, accessible."
Wil Reynolds Bio: Wil likes helping people and businesses grow. A former teacher with a knack for advising, he’s been helping Fortune 500 companies develop SEO strategies since 1999. Seeing the need for an agency that does good by its team, clients and community, Wil started Seer Interactive in 2002 as a one-man operation out of his living room. Today, Seer is home to over 100 employees across Philadelphia and San Diego.
As Seer's Director of Digital Strategy, Wil develops strategies and innovations to help clients build traffic and make money. His methods have shaped the search industry worldwide, and he speaks regularly at marketing conferences across the globe. In his free time, Wil hangs out with his wife Nora, son Rio and pup Coltrane. He also serves Philadelphia’s homeless and runaway youth at Covenant House, where he participates in a yearly sleep out.
Favorite thing about the SEO community? We came from a place of sharing "secrets" we needed one another to get better, so we all had to share with one another to learn, I feel like those roots make us collaborators even though we are competitors, I LOVE that about SEO.
One piece of advice to the SEOs out there? Spend more time watching people go through the SERPs, watch what people click on and don't click on, watch them go through competitor sites. Understanding people is going to be critical in the future.
Favorite things in general? Anything spicy.
What you want to be known for in the SEO space? Bringing a focus to helping people find what they want over JUST getting high rankings.
I asked Wil what he wants to share with everyone and he recommended his presentation on Real Company Stuff... It's a Struggle, becoming a better speaker and his post on why he didn't sell his company. You can learn more about Wil on his company blog and on LinkedIn or Twitter.
This is part of the say something nice about an SEO/SEM series - feel free to nominate someone over here.
