Improving SEO with web analytics

My workmate Brian Katz asked me to present at his Vancouver Web Analytics Meetup Group.

The idea for the topic came from the premise that many SEO consultants do their stuff first. Then some of those, the ones showing some more quality as professionals, verify results taking a look at stats stream and finally a smallest group, even more qualified, do a more in depth analysis regularly for a serious ongoing SEO.

In this third step is where things get electrifying and hot so that was set as the topic of the presentation I did past November 1st including basic concepts and some examples of how to use these measurement tools to improve SEO strategies.
Here it is.

Available also here Improving SEO with analytics.

Moving further from a basic study could take you along two different approaches:

• Get to know the tool looking for a more advanced use beyond out of the box options without searching for any particular way to get a set of data to corroborate a hypothesis.
• Think first what you need to analyze and figure it out later how you will manage to get it from the tool (if possible).

The second one seems more rational, I know what I'm looking for and I investigate to get it but the first one is a must too.

Having a good idea of how to squeeze the analytics tool to the max has to benefits:

• Helping you discover ways you didn't know you could dissect and correlate data. Tool modifies results.
• The other way round, once you know the objective of your analysis guess pretty quick if process it is going to be doable or you will have to make use of workarounds to reach the objective if not completely impossible. Results need the proper tools.

Thanks Brian for the invitation.
What's your approach to web analytics for SEO?