Module 1

Search
Engine
Optimizatio
n
Dr. Sonal Manik Gursahani
Asst. Professor- School of
Management
Presidency University, Bangalore
Outline
Digital
Introduction to Inbound Vs.
Marketing Vs. Importance of
Digital Outbound
Traditional Search Engine
Marketing Marketer
Advertising

Search Engine Search Engine

How Search Web Crawler /
Algorithm (Page Results Page
Engine works Spider
Rank Algorithm) Analysis

Organic Search Keywords -

Search Choosing the
Results and Keyword Theory
Behaviour Right Keywords
SEO and Research

SEO Process, Technical

Offline and
Keyword On-Page and aspects of SEO
Online Keyword
Research Tools Off-Page and Link
research
Optimization building
Digital Marketing Fundamentals

WHAT WHY HOW

What is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing is a form of direct marketing that uses electronic
technologies and interactive channels, such as email, websites, and social
media, to connect with consumers and promote products or services.

‘Kotler and Armstrong (2009)’

Digital marketing as the use of digital channels to promote a brand or reach

consumers, including the internet, social media, search engines, mobile devices,
and other channels.

‘The American Marketing Association’

Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Advertisement
Parameters/ Digital Traditional
Basis
Description/ Uses Omni Channel approach to Uses Multi Channel- IMC (Integrated
Approach Engage & Interact in Real time. Marketing Communication tools) to create
and influence AIDA (awareness, interest,
desire & action).
Objectives Reach, Engage, Influence, Attention, Interest, Desire,
Conversion, Real Time Feedback Action( Purchase), WOM, Satisfaction,
(UGC), Customer Lifetime Value Loyalty
Cost Cost Effective Expensive
Impact Real time Mass Reach, Real time Mass Reach, No Interaction, Limited
Interaction & Engagement, High Engagement, Low Conversion Rate,
Conversion Rate, Credible UGC. Limited WOM.
Measurability Real Time Results & Updates Static Results

Key Components SEO, SEM, Social Media, Mobile, Advertisement, Sales Promotion, Direct
Analytics, Cloud Marketing, Personal Selling, Public Relation
Digital Marketing- Core Concepts
POEM Framework
POEM Framework
 Digital Marketing Framework

Source: Sunil Gupta and Joseph Davin, Core Reading: Digital Marketing, HBP No. 8224 (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2019 ).
Digital Marketing- Core Concepts
Outbound Marketing
 Company to Consumer
 Push Strategy- Message initiated by the company
 Objective- Create Awareness, Mass Reach
 Approach- SEM (Search Engine Marketing- Display Ads, Search Ads, Paid Social
Media Ads etc)
 Inorganic- Paid Promotions
Digital Marketing- Core Concepts
Inbound Marketing
 Company/ Product , Getting found by the Customers
 Pull Strategy- Search initiated by the Customer
 Objective- Getting Found using Owned Media, Engage, Influence, Convert.
 Approach- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
 Organic- Keyword & Content Optimization
Digital Marketing- Core Concepts
Interactive Marketing
 Customer to Customer
 Social Media Marketing & Mobile Marketing
 Application of Social Media Platforms & Mobile Applications –to Interact ,Engage &
Understand
 UGC- High Credibility & Influence
 Earned Media
Inbound Marketing- Getting Found
• Inbound Marketing is way to Engage with customers by Creating Content
(Blogs, Podcast, Articles, White Papers, Customer Testimony)
&
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure that your Products/Services are
Found Organically when consumers Search.
• SEO Strategy must focus on 3 Questions
1. How do Customers Find Me?
2. What Content should I create to Attract Potential Customers?
3. How do I optimize my Website for Engagement?
 WHY?
Inbound Marketing
SEO- Smell Nice for Google!
How Search Engines Work?
• Indexing/ Listing of the Webpages/ Websites (Creating a Catalogue)
• Ranking of Webpages based on it Relevance & Quality
The Process of gaining Rank(organically) in Search Results is
called as Search Engine Optimization.
• Search Engine Ranking depends on –
1. Relevance- How closely search engine can match Customer’s Query
with Your Webpage Content?
2. Authority- Quality in terms of its Importance, Credibility & authority
of other web pages linked to it.
Page Rank Algorithm
• PageRank (PR) is an algorithm used by
Google Search to rank web pages in
their search engine results. It is named
after both the term "web page" and
co-founder Larry Page.
• PageRank is a way of measuring the
importance of website pages.
• According to Google: PageRank works
by counting the number and quality
of links to a page to determine a
rough estimate of how important the
website is.
• The underlying assumption is that
more important websites are likely
to receive more links from other
websites
The PageRank Algorithm
• The PageRank algorithm gives each page a rating of its importance, which is
a recursively defined measure whereby a page becomes important if important
pages link to it.
• This definition is recursive because the importance of a page refers back to
the importance of other pages that link to it.
• One way to think about PageRank is to imagine a random surfer on the web,
following links from page to page. The page rank of any page is roughly the
probability that the random surfer will land on a particular page. Since more links
go to the important pages, the surfer is more likely to end up there.
• The behaviour of the random surfer is an example of a Markov process, which is
any random evolutionary process that depends only of the current state of a
system and not on its history.
Page Rank Algorithm
• The PageRank of a page is determined by the number and quality of incoming links from
other pages. A page is considered important if many important pages link to it.
• Let’s say:
 PR(u) = PageRank of page u
 PR(v) = PageRank of pages v which link to page
 N(v) = Number of outbound links on page v
 d = damping factor (usually set to 0.85)
Then the PageRank of u is calculated as:
SEO- Key Actions- Optimize the
Landing Page
• To Ensure that company Website contains- Content, Keywords &
Meta Tags that matches (Relevant) with Consumer’s Search Query.
• To ensure Organic High Search Ranking (Preferably First Page)
with Relevant, Recent and Engaging content.
• Embedding external but relevant links to your website to
establish Authority.
• To link other company owned media (LinkedIn, Facebook,
YouTube, Instagram, mobile app etc) with the website for better
Engagement & Credibility.
SERP- Search Engine Result Page-
Position
SERP- Search Engine Result Page-
•Position
A SERP is the web page that a search engine, such as Google or Yahoo!,
returns that lists the results of a user's search.
• Listings that are displayed on the first page of search engine results yield
the highest search traffic—the higher the listing, the more clicks it
will receive.
• Generally, Paid listings will garner a 30 percent click-through rate
(CTR), with Organic Listings making up the remaining 70 percent CTR.
• It is important to note that as Listing Positions get lower , Click-
through Rate drastically decrease.
• Approximately 67 percent of clickthrough on page one of a SERP occur
in the first five results.
How to Optimize SERP?
1. Location Based Search- Search engines take into
account the location of the person searching to
deliver the most applicable search results.
2. Knowledge Graph Listing-Google's Knowledge
Graph tries to understand searchers' intent while
anticipating their end goals. It tries to help people
discover key information about a particular business
that they may not have been able to discover
through an organic listing.
3. Data Highlighter- Data Highlighter is a Google
Search Console (GSC) tool that is very valuable
when it comes to refining your SERP listing. Simply
highlight the various data fields (title, description,
image, etc.) on your page. This in turn allows Google
to display your website data in new, more attractive
ways both in SERPs and on the Knowledge Graph.
SEO Process
1. Goals-
SMART Goals. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic, Timebound)
2. On-Page Optimization-
Technical Optimization of the Webpages,
Ensuring that Content is Relevant, Easy to Read ,
Understand, Easy Crawl & Navigate, Correct Indexing.
3. Off-Page Optimization-
Technique to influence Organic Search Ranking Results.
Building Digital Footprint & Credibility to build
Authority.
Linking customer reviews, others mentioning you.
4. Analyse- Corrective Measures
Example: Footwear Retailer

• Business pain: A decline in online orders

• Goal: Conversions
• Strategy: Increase website visitors through
on-page optimization(keywords, blog, etc.)
• KPIs: Sales, online inquiries
 Types of Goals Types of KPI

• Engagement • Organic traffic

• Conversions • Visitor numbers

• Visibility • Click-through rates

• Reputation • Downloads

• Credibility and status • Online inquiries

• Market leadership • Sales

• Competitive advantage • Website engagement and the like

On-Page Optimization
Keyword Optimization
Keyword?
• A keyword in SEO is a word or phrase that you include in your
writing (content) to help your target audience find your content
when they conduct an online search.
• These keywords are what your audience types into search
engines.
• You can often find examples of these when you search for a certain
term (which in itself could be considered a keyword).
• Once results come up, you’ll see related searches or questions in
your results that you might be interested in.
Keywords by Length

• Short-tail Keywords: These broad keywords are usually one to

two words long, such as “running shoes." They generate high
search volumes but face intense competition.
• Medium-tail Keywords: Generally three words in length, like
"best-running shoes," these offer a balance between search
volume and specificity.
• Long-tail Keywords: Comprising four or more words, such as
"best running shoes for flat feet," these highly specific keywords
face less competition and often lead to higher conversion
rates.
Keywords by Role
• Primary Keywords: These are the are the core terms you want to
target., like ""Coffee"."
• Secondary Keywords: These related terms support the primary
keyword, provide more context and specificity such as "Coffee
beans“, "Espresso“, "Caffeine“, "Brewing methods“, "Coffee shops"
• LSI Keywords: Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are
semantically related terms that provide context and help search
engines understand your content’s relevance such as "Brewing"
(Related to the process), "Coffee beans" (Specific type of coffee),
"Espresso machine" (Related to equipment), "Barista" (Related to
profession), and "Coffee shop near me" (Related to location).
Keywords by Target
• Branded Keywords: Include specific brand names, such as "Nike
shoes," to attract brand-aware customers.
• Non-branded Keywords: These are generic terms like "running
shoes" that target potential new customers.
• Competitor Keywords: Target competitors' brand names to
attract their customers.
• Geo-targeted Keywords: Include specific locations, like "car
repair in Los Angeles," which are vital for local SEO.
Keywords by Search Intent

• Informational Keywords: Used by those seeking information,

such as "how to train a puppy."
• Navigational Keywords: Help users find specific websites or
pages, like "Facebook login."
• Transactional Keywords: Indicate users ready to make a
purchase, such as "buy iPhone 14 online."
• Commercial Investigation Keywords: Reflect users' research on
products before purchasing, such as "best laptops under $1000."
Keyword Research
• Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing the search terms
(keywords) that people use when searching for information, products, or services
online.
• It's a crucial part of SEO and online marketing, helping businesses understand what
their target audience is looking for and how to optimize their content to rank
higher in search results.
• To perform keyword research, you need to discover popular search queries,
evaluate their relevance to your content or business, and assess the competition
for ranking with those keywords.
• By incorporating relevant and valuable keywords and terms into your content, you’re
providing better answers and a better user experience for your target audience.
• When it comes to ranking well on search engines, creating helpful and valuable
content is the name of the game, so keyword research, when done properly, can lead to
superior content and improved rankings and traffic on SERPs.
Significance/ Importance of
Keyword Research
• Understanding user intent: Keyword research reveals what people are
actually searching for, helping businesses understand their needs and create
content that resonates with them.
• Improving SEO: By targeting relevant keywords, businesses can increase their
chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Driving targeted traffic: Keyword research helps identify the right keywords
to attract the right audience to a website or online store.
• Optimizing ad campaigns: It helps determine which keywords are worth
investing in for paid advertising, ensuring that ads reach the right audience.
• Content strategy: Understanding what people are searching for allows businesses
to create content that answers their questions, solves their problems, and provides
Keyword Attractiveness-
Measures
• Keyword search volume (MSV- Monthly
Search Volume). A good keyword tool
provides precise monthly search volumes for
each search term entered.
• Competitiveness/Difficulty. Learn how
difficult it is to rank on a certain keyword
based on the competitive landscape.
• Bidding cost. Keyword research tools should
provide a range or average cost-per-click for
brands to effectively budget for PPC
campaigns.
Keyword Research Process
• Identify seed keywords: Start with the core keywords that relate to your
business or topic.
• Use keyword research tools: Utilize tools like Google Keyword Planner,
SEMrush, Ahrefs, and others to discover related keywords and phrases.
• Analyze search results: Examine the top search results for your keywords to
understand what kind of content and format are performing well.
• Evaluate keyword relevance and difficulty: Assess how relevant a keyword is
to your business and how competitive it is.
• Prioritize and select keywords: Choose the keywords that offer the best
balance of search volume, relevance, and difficulty.
• Track rankings: Monitor how your website is performing for the chosen keywords
over time.
Keyword Research
Keyword Ideas in Google AdWords
Keyword Planner
Offline & Online Keyword
Research
Online Keyword Research
Offline Keyword Research
• Using search engines (Google
• Customer surveys, interviews,
Auto-suggest, "People Also Ask"
and feedback. section).
• Analysing brochures, • Analysing competitors' websites
magazines, or industry and blogs.
reports. • Checking social media trends and
• Observing competitor offline discussions.
marketing (TV ads, billboards, • Reviewing Q&A sites like Quora
etc.). and Reddit.
Style and Site Structure
Optimizing the Technical
Mechanics of Your Page/ Technical
Optimization
1. URLs-
• Insert your chosen keywords into the URLs of each web page on your site. This is an
indicator that search engines look for.
• Making sure your URLs are optimized in this way is extremely important. That means
eliminating the string of numbers and the &=%? symbols from the URLs and
replacing them with easily readable keywords, to assist both your users and search
engines.
• Hyphens or dashes are the only symbols that should be used as word separators.
• Take these two URLs:
1. digitalmarketinginstitute.ie/courses/type/postgraduate-diploma-indigital-marketing/
2. http://www.abcdefhgj.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=43
Technical Optimization
2. Page Names: Page names act as labels that help us
distinguish content and create meaning. They usually
have one or two words, and for that reason it's not
always possible to optimize them in terms of keywords.
Ensure the relevant of the Page.
3. Meta Tags- A web page is made up of hypertext
markup language (HTML). Within the HTML are special
tags, known as meta tags. Meta tags don't affect the web
page layout, but rather provide important information
about the page’s content, which is used by search engines
to index your site.
4. Breadcrumb Navigation- This allows the user to
return to previous sections on the website without having
to use the main navigation bar to do so. As users go
through each page, they leave a breadcrumb that is
displayed on the top of each page—as shown
Technical Optimization
5. On Page Headings-
• Your pages should be divided into
headings to facilitate structure and
guide both the users and search
engines reading your content.
• Headings range from H1 to H6 and
indicate the most important parts of
your page's content and how the
content is interconnected.
• Your primary heading should be an
H1 heading; its subheading will be
classified as H2; the subheading of H2
will be classified as H3, and so on and
so forth.
Technical Optimization
6. Text Body
• First Paragraph - Under H1 lies your first paragraph, and ideally your chosen keywords should be
within the first line of text.
• Anchor Text- Interlinked content should be present throughout your site, allowing users and search
engines to advance to the next page of your site with ease.
• Images and Alt Text- Alt text stands for alternative text, and it acts as an alternative to the image it
describes. Its purpose is to describe the image both for users with accessibility difficulties and search
engines.
• Social Sharing- Build your page to be easily shareable by your website visitors. This helps with
building a digital footprint.
• Site Map- A site map is a page on a website that provides a map of the website's structure. The site
map is in the form of text links to all the other pages on the site. It allows search engines to crawl
through, index, and rank your website.
7 Customized Error Page
Off-Page Optimization
• The purpose of off-page SEO is to improve your
website ranking, based on the amount and
quality of links coming into your site
• Off Page Optimization techniques are-
a) Link Formats
b) Link Building
c) Content Marketing
d) Social Linking/Sharing
Link Formats
• The first thing you need to understand
about links is that they have two
elements:
1. Link text refers to the text that
appears on the page.
2. The link URL is the destination to
which that link text will take the user.
• Internal links define linking within your
own website content from one page to
another. Consider them a vital element
of the SEO process.
Link Formats
Inbound Links
• An inbound link is one that comes from another website and directs a user to your website.
• It is considered a determining factor in your site's ranking.
• Search engines believe more in what others say about you than what you say about yourself,
and they measure this through inbound links.
• Think of them as votes of confidence and popularity—the more a site has, the more
authority and credibility it will gain.
Outbound Links
Number of outgoing Links.
Link Building
1. Backlink Building (Link Building)- High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites signal
credibility to search engines. Types: Guest posting on relevant blogs. Earning editorial links
through high-quality content. Broken link building. Resource page link building.
2. Social Media Engagement- Promoting your content on platforms like Facebook, X
(Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram. Encouraging shares and engagement increases visibility and
can indirectly help SEO.
3. Local SEO (for Local Businesses)- Creating and optimizing a Google Business Profile
(formerly Google My Business).Earning reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and industry-
specific directories. Local citations (consistent NAP – Name, Address, Phone Number) across
directories.
4. Influencer Outreach - Collaborating with industry influencers or bloggers to get mentions
or backlinks. Helps build brand authority and increase reach.
Link Building
• Content Marketing (Off-Site)-Publishing content on third-party platforms like Medium,
LinkedIn Articles, or Quora. Participating in forums (e.g., Reddit, niche communities) and
Q&A platforms (like Quora or Stack Exchange) with valuable insights and backlinks.
• Brand Mentions- Even unlinked brand mentions can be a positive ranking factor. Building
brand awareness through PR, media coverage, and online buzz.
• Directory Submissions (Selective)- Summitting to relevant, high-quality business
directories. Avoid spammy or low-authority directories as they can hurt SEO.
• Podcast and Interview - Appearances Being featured in podcasts or interviews often
includes backlinks and brand exposure.9. Press Releases. When done correctly (and not
spammy), PRs can generate media attention and backlinks.10. Content Syndication.
Republishing your blog posts on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn (with canonical tags or
links back to the original content).
Topic: Website Creation and SEO
Implementation
• Objective:
The purpose of this assignment is to provide hands-on experience in website development and
search engine optimization (SEO). Students will create their own websites, implement SEO strategies
(on-page, off-page, and technical SEO), and document their process through an instructional video.
• Assignment Tasks:
1. Website Creation:
• Create a website using any platform of your choice.
• The website should have at least five pages, including Home, About, Blog, Contact, and one
additional page relevant to your chosen topic.
• Ensure the website is visually appealing, mobile-responsive, and user-friendly.
2. SEO Implementation: C. Technical SEO:
A. On-Page SEO: • Ensure the website has a fast loading
• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions. speed (use tools like Google Page Speed
Insights).
• Use appropriate keyword placement within
content. • Fix broken links and errors (use Google
• Add alt text for images. Search Console).

• Improve website navigation and internal • Implement schema markup for better
linking. visibility.
• Ensure proper URL structuring. • Make sure the website is mobile-friendly.
B. Off-Page SEO: • Submit an XML sitemap to search
• Create backlinks through guest blogging, engines.
directory submissions, and social media.
• Share content on social media platforms.
• Engage in influencer outreach or
collaborations.
3. Video Documentation: Submission Guidelines:

• Record a step-by-step video explaining 1.Submit a document containing:

how you implemented On-Page, Off- • The URL of your website.
Page, and Technical SEO.
• The link to your SEO implementation
• The video should be clear, well- video.
structured, and should include screen
• A brief write-up (200-300 words)
recordings demonstrating each step.
summarizing your learnings from
• Upload the video to YouTube or any this assignment.
other video-sharing platform.
2.Ensure that all links are accessible
before submission.
3. Deadline for submission:
25/05/2025.