It is difficult to pinpoint one individual as the “father of SEO” as the field of search engine optimization has evolved over time with contributions from many people and companies. However, one of the early pioneers of SEO is considered to be Bruce Clay, who founded Bruce Clay, Inc. in 1996, one of the first SEO companies. He authored the book “Search Engine Optimization All-in-One for Dummies” which is considered as a reference in SEO industry. He also created the SEO Code of Ethics, which was one of the first sets of guidelines for ethical SEO practices. He is considered as one of the leading experts in the field of SEO and has been instrumental in shaping the industry.
Another early pioneer in the field of SEO is Danny Sullivan, who is considered as the founding father of SEO as he started covering search engines in 1996. He founded Search Engine Watch which provided coverage and analysis of the search industry, and later on founded Search Engine Land, which is still a leading source of information and news about the search industry.
In summary, there are many people who have contributed to the field of SEO and its development over time. Bruce Clay and Danny Sullivan are considered as some of the early pioneers of SEO and have had a significant impact on shaping the industry.