Have you ever noticed how Rand is often speaking at conferences all around the world? Well, we realized that those of us here in Seattle rarely get to see them. So we started MozTalks, a free event here at the MozPlex.

It normally runs 2-3 hours with multiple speakers, one of whom is Rand. The event is hosted at the Moz HQ and offers time for mingling, appetizers, refreshments and of course, swag. The series is still evolving as we continue to test out new ideas (maybe taking the show on the road), so be on the lookout for any updates.

The world of marketing and SEO continues to change, but are you changing with it? Staying on the cutting edge should always be a priority, especially since early adoption has proven more beneficial than ever. Sticking with what works isn't enough anymore, and marketing isn't just about analyzing our successes and failures or understanding our returns and losses. It's about what we do next.

In the presentations below, Rand and Dr. Pete will dive deep into where metrics serve us best, as well as what really works to drive traffic and what's better left behind.

Rand: What Changed? A Brief Look at How SEO has Evolved over the Last 5 Years

Dr. Pete: From Lag to Lead: Actionable Analytics

Top takeaways

We asked both presenters for a few of their top takeaways from their talks, and they've got some gems. Here's what they had to say:

From Rand

• Keyword matching has become intent matching, which doesn't mean we should avoid using keywords, but it does mean we need to change the way we determine which pages to build, which to canonicalize, and how to structure our sites and content.
• The job title "SEO" may be limiting the influence we have, and we may need broader authority to impact SEO in the modern era. The onus is on marketers to make teams, clients, and execs aware of these new requirements, so they understand what we need to do in order to grow search traffic.
• Webspam has gone from Google's problem to our problem. The onus is on marketers to stay wary and up-to-date with how Google is seeing their links and their site.

From Dr. Pete

• As content marketers, we can't afford to see only the forest or the trees. We have to understand a wide variety of metrics, and combine them in new and insightful ways.
• We have to stop looking backward using lag goals like "Get 100,000 Likes in Q4." They aren't actionable, and succeed or fail, we have no way to repeat success. We have to focus on objectives that drive specific, measurable actions.

Missed the previous talk?

The first MozTalk featured Rand and his wife Geraldine, known in the blogosphere as The Everywhereist. Rand covered what bloggers need to know about SEO, and Geraldine talked about how to make your blog audience fall in love with you. Check them both out here:

Need-to-Know SEO and Making Your Blog Audience Fall in Love - Videos from MozTalk 1

Join us for the next one

Our next free MozTalk is set for  Thursday, April 2nd, and we're still finalizing plans. We'll be sure to post the videos on this blog for those of you who can't make it, but if you're in town, keep your eyes open for more details. We hope to see you there!