On a bittersweet note, Vanessa Fox announced in her official blog that she was leaving Google, the brand that has made her one of the most popular names among webmasters, for Zillow, a Real estate-based search engine.

This is an excerpt from her blog:
“For the last two years, I have had a fantastic time helping to build Google Webmaster Central. I have loved working with the (ever-expanding!) team, writing about search on the blog and for the help center, and designing features for the webmaster community. And speaking of the webmaster community, I have been lucky enough to have been able to meet them, get to know their challenges, and well, then there’s the drinking. There may have been a little of that too. Search is a fascinating industry and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to create such exciting things in the space.

Now I have an all-new opportunity to work on the unique challenges of the vertical and local search space at Zillow. I’m moving on from webmaster central knowing that there’s a great team who care as much about this audience as I do and they’ve got exciting plans in store for the coming year. I’ll really miss working with my team, but I’m happy they’ve been getting out and meeting more of you and I know they’ve had a great time drinking with you too. I mean talking. Did I say drinking”

About leaving Google and moving to Zillow, she said:
“Making the move was a very difficult decision, but the challenge of creating something new in a space that’s so young and evolving was too great to pass up. And I have great confidence in the webmaster central team and know this project that feels so much like my baby is in very capable hands and will continue to grow and thrive .”

Bidding her farewell are many of her colleagues like Matt Cutts, friends and well-wishers. No more at Google but we hope to hear more of and from her.

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