We enjoy you, Russ. There are so many ways to bear in mind you, limitless facets to who you were and your effect on SEO. Where do I even start?
You were the funniest person in the space. You would get ready for a joke with that wry smile and sparkle in your eye, and we always understood what was coming. Your sense of humor was keen and clever and ever-present.
I keep in mind being ill and jetlagged on the way to put on a mini-MozCon for a valued, strategic client– you made the 2.5-hour winter automobile ride go by in a breeze with your entertaining and hilarious stories. You could make lovely conversation about anything and with anybody. Listening and chuckling with pleasure to your stories about growing up as an identical twin, existing occasions, memories from previous MozCons, and ideas about what we could build at Moz next, you transformed my tired and irritable state of mind into pleased and creative energy. Your spirit and laughter was infectious.
You were dazzling. Our longtime good friend, links API power user, and partner on the blog site, it was just a matter of time prior to you became a full-fledged Mozzer. When we officially welcomed you to Moz in 2015, it resembled getting home. From the start, you appeared eager and ready to innovate. For many years you were relentless in your mission for much better information, holding tech giants and the SEO industry liable. You’ve left an indelible mark on Moz: our link index and keyword corpus attest to your passion for trusted, quality data and significant metrics. Keyword Explorer wouldn’t be here without you. Your work on the new Domain Authority score was transformative. And your dedication to the SEO community, to communicating intricate concepts plainly and with conviction, were 2nd to none. You were constantly there when we required you.
You were vibrant and brave. You stuck up for your beliefs and staunchly defended them, be they professional or political. You were a loyal and unfaltering supporter, always happy to wade into the fray for your buddies and coworkers, the best sort of good friend to have. I learned a lot from watching you argument and explain with style, class, and compassion in all the SEO corners of the internet. Discussions that I didn’t have the stomach for, you would participate in with a smile, guided by the flame of your convictions.
I enjoyed your dedication to your family and how you valued time with them above all else. You would believe deeply about whether you were being the very best dad, spouse, sibling you might be. The very same interest and drive for greatness that you applied to work, you also used to your personal relationships. You wished to be good at caring your household because you believed they deserved that from you. I felt it when you brought them to MozCon and you spoke about watching your children grow and learn. You were constantly asking yourself, “How could I be a much better daddy in this moment?” Your passion for service and making the world much better was driven, in part, because you wanted a better world for your women.
There’s so much we still wish we might state to you. There are words left unspoken, projects unfinished, concepts latent. However beyond all else, I simply want to say thank you, Russ, for the incredible impact you have actually had: on Moz and Mozzers, on the SEO neighborhood, on whatever and everyone you touched. On me.
To the SEO community, I invite you to revisit the large legacy Russ talented us with his blog posts, Whiteboard Fridays, and MozCon discussions, linked below. Remember him for all he gave us. We’re fortunate to have these memories of a dazzling soul gone prematurely.
Whiteboard Fridays:
MozCon discussions:
Blog posts:
A memorial site has actually been set up in his honor at rememberingrussjones.com. There you can find out more about Russ and his great likes in life, share a memory, and make a donation to a fund for his family.
Our grief is deep. Our love is deeper. Today, I’ll be raising a glass (Scotch, neat) and I ask you to join me in this toast: To Russ, who pushed for excellence, who constantly aim to make life a little much easier for others, and who constantly had a sparkle in his eyes and a joke ready. Bye-bye, my friend.