Superhero fans know every hero has an origin story (and every villain too). Knowledge about their history and how they rose to power can explain who they are now. Today, Silicon Valley is a bustling metropolis of giants who rule the tech arena. As an expert witness in SEO, I’ve been around to see the rise and fall of many digital media and tech companies. This includes the wild times during the dot.com bubble (which lasted only two years from 1998 to 2000).
I remember the hopeful entrepreneurs and engineers ready to make their fortune. The lavish Bay Area parties and venture capitalists tossing money around to invest in the new digital frontier. There was innovation and success, but there were also mistakes. A few businesses started off strong and had memorable marketing (anyone remember that cute and cheeky Pets.com sock puppet?). Then they ran into trouble, grew too fast, and burned out. Some companies barely got off the ground before they were gobbled up by the competition. Then there are the tech companies who survived and grew into what they are today: digital media leaders.
I was fascinated by the industry and the speed of change. My own story in tech began in the Bay Area too. I started by experimenting with online media in the mid-1990s and wrote about tech evolution as it was happening. I created my web portal for embedded systems, which grew to 25,000 monthly users and over 35,000 registered eLetter subscribers. Since then, I continue to follow the social media marketing industry and teach it to others at Stanford University Continuing Studies. California is still considered the epicenter of technology. And when an attorney needs help with a digital media lawsuit, they want to find a California expert witness in SEO.
The Bay Area was Ahead of Its Time for Home Office Workers
Although the “work from home” model became more prevalent during the pandemic, it was considered normal for folks employed in the Bay Area. Some managed hybrid employment by working from home and visiting the office a few days a week. Others had to move out of state, where their employers allowed them to work from home full-time. Recruiting a good tech professional can be difficult, so this made sense.
Once again, California is experiencing an exodus of sorts. People are leaving for many reasons. And some of them are valued by their employers enough to be kept on no matter where they move. With excellent Wi-Fi and a strong work ethic, a digital media expert can live anywhere!
Although I lived and worked in Silicon Valley for several decades, my family recently moved to another state. My new home office is just as busy too. Everything I did in the Bay Area happens at home base now. I’m teaching social media marketing classes, speaking to clients about their SEO strategies, and authoring books. My travel schedule sends me back to California often where I attend digital media forums and conferences. I also travel to show up in courtrooms as an SEO expert witness.
Today, it Doesn’t Matter Where You Live; it Matters What You Know
Geography used to be a problem for professionals. You had to live near where you worked. That limited choices and quality of life for many. And today, in some cases, that’s still true. A heart surgeon must be close enough to an operating room when it’s time to save a life. A lawyer can only practice in the states they are licensed in. But in the tech field, there’s a lot more flexibility! And the best SEO expert witness can be contacted wherever they decide to live.
The bottom line is an attorney is searching for the most knowledgeable expert to be a witness for SEO cases. And that knowledge is something that stays with me wherever I live. I’ve been testifying on digital forensics at a state and federal level for several years. My experience includes topics such as the following: technical analysis, online reputation and defamation, SEO intellectual property, Google Adwords and PPC advertising, consumer confusion and SEO investigation and analytics.
An attorney may want to understand the origin story of a specific digital platform. And explain to a jury how it’s connected to their case.
