I would not be the same SEO I am today if it was not for Bill.

I worked with Bill on a digital strategy team for about a year at my first agency gig about 8 years ago. Bill was a "household" SEO name when I started in the industry, and I was already a big fan of his work in the community.

While I hope Bill knows how much I value his opinion, I don't know if he realizes how much of an impact he has had on my personal outlook and capabilities.

Bill sets a high bar for excellence in his work. When you're relatively new to the field, and working on the same team as an industry expert like Bill, just his presence makes you want to do better. For lack of a less Hallmark phrase, he truly does inspire those around him through his thoroughness, thirst for knowledge, and ability to distill down complex concepts. I've tried to carry through this same outlook in my career since.

Beyond example, Bill was always willing to field my frequent and in-depth questions. These conversations over the years have truly been guideposts to me, as I know whenever I get an answer from him, it is just about as close to the "truth" about what Google is doing as anyone is going to get. There are core parts of my skillset that directly ladder back to my time working with Bill, and continued fandom of his work.

Thank you for all you have done, do, and will do. Speedy recovery my friend.