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.
Our most recent MozTalk back in September was a smashing success. Rand and his wife Geraldine, widely known as The Everywhereist, were our featured speakers, and the event focused on blogging, driving traffic to your site, and finding your online personality.
Wouldn't it be amazing if driving traffic and building your blog's brand were easy? You launch your blog, you publish awesome content, your metrics go through the roof and everyone just absolutely loves you. Bada bing, bada boom! We all know, however, that the Web is a crazy beast, and the number of individuals constantly sharing their thoughts, stories, expertise, and experiences can be overwhelming. Not to mention that search engine optimization itself has become considerably more advanced and challenging over the years.
So how do you stand out from the millions of personalities, blogs, tweets, and other search results? In the presentations below, Rand and Geraldine dive in and offer tips and tricks on how to drive traffic to your site and get your readers to fall in love with you.
Rand: What Bloggers Need to Know About SEO in 2014
Geraldine: How to Make Your Audience Fall in Love with Your Blog
Top three takeaways
As someone who's in the midst of launching my own personal blog, these particular takeaways really resonated with me:
Give SEO some love. For many marketers, SEO is a no-brainer, but often times it's harder to convince bloggers that SEO is important. The fact is, search continues to grow massively. There are more than 6 billion searches performed every day, and guess what? 80% of clicks go to organic results. That's where SEO comes in. Here's a little secret: You actually don't have to be an SEO expert to be effective; you just have to be kinda good at it.
Be authentic. Connect with your audience through familiarity and by being genuine. This will not only help you grow a loyal and dedicated following, but create a bond between you and the readers. There's no better voice for you than your own.
Be patient. If something's not working, don't panic. Traffic doesn't happen overnight but if you stick to your guns and stay true to your efforts then the results will be rewarding. Also, don't be afraid to switch it up and try new things if you have to.
Next in the MozTalk series
Rand and Dr. Pete spoke at the second MozTalk in mid-November of 2014. Keep an eye on the blog; we'll be posting the videos from that talk soon!
Thanks Charlene for this videos! For me that I live in Spain and I can't go to the conferences is perfect. I'm very grateful. Thanks again!
they should make a conference in Spain, right?
Yes! It would be great! :-)
Thanks for posting, Charlene. I was lucky enough to attend and highly recommend MozTalks to anyone that can make it. Lots of great information (and food too). I'm looking forward to the next one!
Woo hoo! We'll be seeing you no Tuesday, right? :)
Indeed. I'll be there with bells on!
Just one thing: Geraldine for Mozcon!
Isn't she fantastic? I'm sure she's on Erica's radar. :)
YES!!! I was so bummed I couldn't attend this... one of only a few times I've been sad about living in SD. ;) Thanks for sharing! #powercouple
Thanks for posting these! The advice is much appreciated. Personally, I'm excited to do some experimenting with Geraldine's advice from an agency standpoint.
I think this could become a new marketing channel for Moz. Kind of like TedTalks for the inbound marketing crowd.
I think you're absolutely right. ;)
These are all motivational and actionable MozTalks. Bloggers should have lots of things to learn from these frankly speaking of Rand Fishkin.
Great addition Moz! I love when video have the split screen (so you can see the speaker and slides). It is much more interesting than looking at a powerpoint slide with audio over it.
Thanks, Kevin. We're really diggin' the new style, too. :)
Thank you so much for sharing this exceptional Informacion.
Both presentations... terrific!
Not sure I agree that you don't have to be an "expert" at SEO to be effective. If you don't understand every small angle and point, you are leaving money on the table for a client. The difference between amateur SEO's and experts, is that experts see where amateurs are working and can quickly improve on it. That makes being an amateur dangerous, especially with the propensity of the SEO community to "out" each other over trivial things. Just sayin' ...
Lovely! Geraldine is destined to be a noted public speaker--by popular demand! I'm rethinking my blogging strategy. Great stuff here.
Thank you for the videos! I live in France and it's always a pleasure to look at them :)
Thanks for uploading the videos, both are really interesting. Patience is something you definetly need to have if you want to be a successfuly blogger :-)
hey good for me, as i am a new and should know eye catcher stuffs.
Hi Charlene, I would love to attend this events. Unfortunately, I live in Germany. :-( Thank you, that you share this great stuff with us. Really appreciate it. :-)
You're very welcome! I'm really excited to start sharing these with our community.
Hi Charlene, thanks for this. Not sure if that's my machine or connection, but the videos won't load...
working fine here
thx a lot
Hi Anthony, are you still having issues with the videos?
Hi! I can watch the videos , just take a while to load :)
People other than SEO and content folks should watch this. Politicians should watch this. Notice how those two people move around, wave their arms, act excited, are animated? Body language is 70% of communication - use it.
Are the live MozTalks open to non-Moz subscribers?
Yes, they are open to non-Moz subscribers (the actual event and the videos).
Awesome! I'd love to see these talks evolve into something like Creative Mornings and come to more cities than just Seattle. I'm voting for Sydney ;)
Oooh, those look so fun! I'd love to visit Sydney someday. Maybe in the future we'll expand in other cities! :)
Nice post !!!