--- title: Is Matt Cutts the Most Powerful Man in PR? description: Matt Cutts, who has long been known as head of Google's Webspam team to the world of webmasters and online marketers, is emerging as a public relations force. image: https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/file-1729948228-png/Blog_Post_Images/Cutts-Trends.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.readynorth.com/blog/is-matt-cutts-the-most-powerful-man-in-pr#main-content) Close - Industries - [Manufacturing](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/manufacturing) - [Professional Services](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/professional-services) - [Associations](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/associations) - [Other](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/other) - HubSpot - [Our Approach](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/our-hubspot-approach) - [Marketing Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/marketing-hub/) - [Sales Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/sales-hub) - [Service Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/service-hub) - [CMS Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/cms-hub) - [Integrations](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/integrations) - Digital Marketing - [Foundational Strategy](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/foundational-strategy/) - [Content Marketing](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/content-marketing) - [Lead Generation](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/lead-generation) - [Website Optimization](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/website-optimization) - [Reporting](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/reporting) - [Pricing](https://www.readynorth.com/point-pricing) - Resources - [Guides](https://www.readynorth.com/resources/guides) - [Blog](https://www.readynorth.com/blog) SEARCH CONTACT E-MAIL: [info@readynorth.com](mailto:info@readynorth.com) [GET STARTED](https://www.readynorth.com/contact-us) [![Ready North (RN) Logo_BlueOrange_Trademark](https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ready%20North%20(RN)%20Logo_BlueOrange_Trademark.png?width=800&height=269&name=Ready%20North%20(RN)%20Logo_BlueOrange_Trademark.png)![Ready North Logo_AllWhite-1](https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ready%20North%20Logo_AllWhite-1.png?width=1078&height=363&name=Ready%20North%20Logo_AllWhite-1.png)](https://www.readynorth.com/) - Industries - [Manufacturing](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/manufacturing) - [Professional Services](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/professional-services) - [Associations](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/associations) - [Other](https://www.readynorth.com/industries/other) - HubSpot - [Our Approach](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/our-hubspot-approach) - [Marketing Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/marketing-hub/) - [Sales Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/sales-hub) - [Service Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/service-hub) - [CMS Hub](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/cms-hub) - [Integrations](https://www.readynorth.com/hubspot/integrations) - Digital Marketing - [Foundational Strategy](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/foundational-strategy/) - [Content Marketing](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/content-marketing) - [Lead Generation](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/lead-generation) - [Website Optimization](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/website-optimization) - [Reporting](https://www.readynorth.com/digital-marketing/reporting) - [Pricing](https://www.readynorth.com/point-pricing) - Resources - [Guides](https://www.readynorth.com/resources/guides) - [Blog](https://www.readynorth.com/blog) E-MAIL: [info@readynorth.com](mailto:info@readynorth.com) [GET STARTED](https://www.readynorth.com/contact-us) Quick results for "{search\_term}" ![Ready North Who We Serve](https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2023%20Website%20Redesign/Ready%20North%20Who%20We%20Serve.png?width=300&name=Ready%20North%20Who%20We%20Serve.png) #### We Love Clients with High Growth Goals We primarily work with clients in the manufacturing / industrial, professional services, and association industries.  Don't fit in the industries listed above? 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[VIEW BLOG](https://www.readynorth.com/blog) #### [Digital Marketing Resources](https://www.readynorth.com/resources/guides) We are committed to advancing the industry through collaboration. Check out our resource center filled with templates, tools, ebooks, and more. [GET RESOURCES](https://www.readynorth.com/resources/guides) ![](https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/file-1729948228-png/Blog_Post_Images/Cutts-Trends.png?width=300&name=Cutts-Trends.png) [Paul Roetzer](https://www.readynorth.com/blog/author/paul-roetzer)February 28, 20113 min read # Is Matt Cutts the Most Powerful Man in PR? [Previous](https://www.readynorth.com/blog/roetzer-presents-social-media-for-real-estate-agents) [Next](https://www.readynorth.com/blog/rise-of-the-inbound-marketing-agency) Google is valued at $196 billion dollars. They control 65 percent of the U.S. search market, plan to hire more than 6,000 employees in 2011, and their tightly guarded algorithm determines the fate of millions of businesses online. But **Google has a complex and nagging problem** — Web spam — which challenges the integrity of its search results, and is creating reputation concerns for a brand that once could do no wrong. In the middle of the **battle for search supremacy** is a man who strikes fear into the hearts of black-hat SEO pros, Web spammers and content farmers around the globe — **[Matt Cutts](http://twitter.com/mattcutts).** ![Matt Cutts Google Trends Report](https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/file-1729948228-png/Blog_Post_Images/Cutts-Trends.png?width=425&height=246&name=Cutts-Trends.png "Matt Cutts Google Trends Report")While co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, along with outgoing CEO Eric Schmidt, remain the most recognizable (and most searched) Googlers to the general public, **Cutts, who has long been known to the world of webmasters and online marketers, is emerging as a public-relations force**. He is leading the engineering charge to [fix search-quality issues](http://searchengineland.com/key-takeaways-from-googles-matt-cutts-talk-at-pubcon-55457) caused by Web spam. But, equally as important is his expanding role in elevating the public perception of Google and its search results through his **powerful personal brand**. *Note: The Google Trends snapshot above compares U.S. search frequency in the last 12 months for Cutts, Schmidt, Page and Brin.* ## **Matt Cutts . . . The PR Pro?** According to [his blog](http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/), Cutts joined Google in January 2000. He wrote the first version of SafeSearch, Google’s family filter, prior to assuming his current role of head of the Webspam team. By all accounts, Cutts is a brilliant engineer, and one of the most respected minds in the search industry. **But is it possible that his most valuable role at Google today is as a PR person?** Consider the following: - Cutts has more than 95,000 Twitter Followers (@[mattcutts](http://twitter.com/mattcutts)), and is actively engaged with the community. - He regularly [appears at industry events](http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/traveling-for-next-few-weeks/) on behalf of Google. - His [Gadgets, Google & SEO blog](http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/) has an Alexa rank of 4,153. - The [Google Webmaster Help](http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleWebmasterHelp) YouTube Channel, which features Cutts answering user questions, has 24,000+ subscribers and more than 2.3 million channel views. - He is frequently featured in mainstream and online media channels. Run a Google News search for “Matt Cutts” and you will find hundreds of articles and blog posts quoting Matt on the issues most important to Google, such as competition, search quality, content farms and link spamming.  And recently, Cutts’ influence seems to be extending more into the mainstream with quotes in articles such as, “[The Dirty Little Secrets of Search](http://nyti.ms/hCC91A),” in which the *NY Times* uncovered [an elaborate link-building scam by JCPenney](https://www.pr2020.com/page/resist-the-dark-side-of-seo-a-cautionary-tale-for-marketers). ## **What Can PR Pros Learn from Matt Cutts?** So while Cutts continues to battle the spammers by day, he is twilighting as the model for the new [prototype PR person](https://www.pr2020.com/page/10-traits-of-an-emerging-pr-pro). Here’s a snapshot of what makes Cutts so effective: - ![Cutts-Webmaster-Channel](http://files.pr2020.gethifi.com/Cutts-Webmaster-Channel.png "Matt Cutts Google Webmaster Channel")Maintains a **strong [personal brand](https://www.pr2020.com/page/the-business-of-personal-branding)** that aligns with the corporate brand and gives it an authentic human voice. - Creates tremendous value online through **multi-media content** (i.e. blog posts, videos), and presents information with a high degree of transparency. This positions him as a thought leader and industry expert. - Uses **social media** to reach, influence and engage with key audiences. - Serves as a **trusted resource** to journalists and bloggers, and builds relationships with influentials online and offline. Cutts may not fit the traditional definition of a PR pro, but I’d argue that **he is one of the most effective and powerful I’ve seen**. Maybe it’s time we start considering that the profession has changed, and open our eyes to what can be learned from the **new breed of social-media savvy publishers** like Cutts. ## Related Posts - [10 Traits of an Emerging PR Pro](https://www.pr2020.com/page/10-traits-of-an-emerging-pr-pro) - [9 Content-Driven Link Building Tips](https://www.pr2020.com/page/9-content-driven-link-building-tips) (featuring Matt Cutts) - [The Business of Personal Branding](https://www.pr2020.com/page/the-business-of-personal-branding)  ## About the Author Paul Roetzer is founder and president of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. He can be found on Twitter @[PaulRoetzer](https://twitter.com/paulroetzer). ## Connect with PR 20/20  Stay updated: [Subscribe to the PR 20/20 blog](http://feeds.feedburner.com/Pr2020_blog), [check us out on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/pr2020) or [follow the team on Twitter](http://twitter.com/pr2020/team). ![avatar](https://www.readynorth.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Paul%20Roetzer%20MAII%20Author.jpg?width=290&name=Paul%20Roetzer%20MAII%20Author.jpg) [Paul Roetzer](https://www.readynorth.com/blog/author/paul-roetzer)Paul Roetzer is Ready North's (formerly PR 20/20) founder and senior advisor, as well as the founder and CEO of Marketing AI Institute. He is the author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence (Matt Holt Books, 2022) The Marketing Performance Blueprint (Wiley, 2014), and The Marketing Agency Blueprint (Wiley, 2012); and the creator of the Marketing AI Conference (MAICON). [Full bio.](https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/marketing-ai-book) [mailto:paul@readynorth.com](mailto:paul@readynorth.com) COMMENTS ## RELATED ARTICLES [![power theme logo](//883.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/883/raw_assets/public/@marketplace/maka_Agency/POWER%20THEME/images/logos/power/pwr-img_logo_power-white.svg)](https://www.readynorth.com/) An inexpensive, quick and easy way to build beautiful responsive website pages without coding knowledge All rights reserved ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "United States", "addressLocality" : "Cleveland", "addressRegion" : "Ohio", "postalCode" : "44115", "streetAddress" : "812 Huron Road" }, "email" : "info@readynorth.com", "knowsLanguage" : "en-us", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.readynorth.com/hubfs/BF.com/Brightfind_Primary_Logo.png" }, "name" : "Ready North", "url" : "https://www.readynorth.com/blog/is-matt-cutts-the-most-powerful-man-in-pr" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "abstract" : "Matt Cutts, who has long been known as head of Google's Webspam team to the world of webmasters and online marketers, is emerging as a public relations force.", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Paul Roetzer" }, "dateModified" : "November 17, 2014 2 AM", "datePublished" : "March 1, 2011 1 AM", "headline" : "Is Matt Cutts the Most Powerful Man in PR?", "image" : "http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/883/file-1729948228-png/Blog_Post_Images/Cutts-Trends.png", "inLanguage" : "en-us", "keywords" : "[PR / Media Relations, Search]", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@type" : "WebPage" }, "name" : "Is Matt Cutts the Most Powerful Man in PR?", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.readynorth.com/hubfs/Ready%20North%20(RN)%20Logo_BlueOrange_Trademark.png" }, "name" : "Ready North" }, "text" : "Google is valued at $196 billion dollars. They control 65 percent of the U.S. search market, plan to hire more than 6,000 employees in 2011, and their tightly guarded algorithm determines the fate of millions of businesses online. But Google has a complex and nagging problem — Web spam — which challenges the integrity of its search results, and is creating reputation concerns for a brand that once could do no wrong. In the middle of the battle for search supremacy is a man who strikes fear into the hearts of black-hat SEO pros, Web spammers and content farmers around the globe — Matt Cutts. While co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, along with outgoing CEO Eric Schmidt, remain the most recognizable (and most searched) Googlers to the general public, Cutts, who has long been known to the world of webmasters and online marketers, is emerging as a public-relations force. He is leading the engineering charge to fix search-quality issues caused by Web spam. But, equally as important is his expanding role in elevating the public perception of Google and its search results through his powerful personal brand. Note: The Google Trends snapshot above compares U.S. search frequency in the last 12 months for Cutts, Schmidt, Page and Brin. Matt Cutts . . . The PR Pro? According to his blog, Cutts joined Google in January 2000. He wrote the first version of SafeSearch, Google’s family filter, prior to assuming his current role of head of the Webspam team. By all accounts, Cutts is a brilliant engineer, and one of the most respected minds in the search industry. But is it possible that his most valuable role at Google today is as a PR person? Consider the following: Cutts has more than 95,000 Twitter Followers (@mattcutts), and is actively engaged with the community. He regularly appears at industry events on behalf of Google. His Gadgets, Google & SEO blog has an Alexa rank of 4,153. The Google Webmaster Help YouTube Channel, which features Cutts answering user questions, has 24,000+ subscribers and more than 2.3 million channel views. He is frequently featured in mainstream and online media channels. Run a Google News search for “Matt Cutts” and you will find hundreds of articles and blog posts quoting Matt on the issues most important to Google, such as competition, search quality, content farms and link spamming. And recently, Cutts’ influence seems to be extending more into the mainstream with quotes in articles such as, “The Dirty Little Secrets of Search,” in which the NY Times uncovered an elaborate link-building scam by JCPenney. What Can PR Pros Learn from Matt Cutts? So while Cutts continues to battle the spammers by day, he is twilighting as the model for the new prototype PR person. Here’s a snapshot of what makes Cutts so effective: Maintains a strong personal brand that aligns with the corporate brand and gives it an authentic human voice. Creates tremendous value online through multi-media content (i.e. blog posts, videos), and presents information with a high degree of transparency. This positions him as a thought leader and industry expert. Uses social media to reach, influence and engage with key audiences. Serves as a trusted resource to journalists and bloggers, and builds relationships with influentials online and offline. Cutts may not fit the traditional definition of a PR pro, but I’d argue that he is one of the most effective and powerful I’ve seen. Maybe it’s time we start considering that the profession has changed, and open our eyes to what can be learned from the new breed of social-media savvy publishers like Cutts. Related Posts 10 Traits of an Emerging PR Pro 9 Content-Driven Link Building Tips (featuring Matt Cutts) The Business of Personal Branding About the Author Paul Roetzer is founder and president of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. He can be found on Twitter @PaulRoetzer. Connect with PR 20/20 Stay updated: Subscribe to the PR 20/20 blog, check us out on Facebook or follow the team on Twitter.", "url" : "https://www.readynorth.com/blog/is-matt-cutts-the-most-powerful-man-in-pr", "wordCount" : "1334" } ```