UNIT –II
UNIT II SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION
Search Engine optimisation - Keyword Strategy- SEO Strategy - SEO
success factors -On-Page Techniques - Off-Page Techniques. Search
Engine Marketing- How Search Engine works- SEM components- PPC
advertising -Display Advertisement
Search Engine optimisation
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) encompasses various strategies and
techniques aimed at optimizing a website to improve its visibility in search engine
results. Different types of SEO focus on various aspects of a website and its online
presence. Here are some key types of SEO:
➢ On-Page SEO:
➢ Keyword Optimization: Strategically placing relevant keywords in
titles, headings, meta descriptions, and throughout the content.
➢ Content Quality: Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content
that satisfies user intent.
➢ URL Structure: Designing user-friendly and search engine-friendly URLs.
➢ Internal Linking: Linking relevant pages within your website to
improve navigation and distribute link equity.
➢ Off-Page SEO
➢ Backlink Building: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable
websites to improve the website's authority.
➢ Social Signals: Engaging in social media to promote content and
generate social signals, which may impact search rankings.
➢ Technical SEO:
➢ Website Structure: Ensuring a clean and organized website structure that
is easily crawlable by search engine bots.
➢ Page Speed Optimization: Improving website loading times for a better
user experience and search engine rankings.
➢ Mobile-Friendliness: Optimizing the website for mobile devices to
cater to the growing mobile user base.
➢ SSL and HTTPS: Securing the website with SSL certificates to enhance
security and gain a potential SEO boost.
➢ Local SEO:
➢ Google My Business Optimization: Claiming and optimizing a Google
My Business listing to improve visibility in local search results.
➢ Local Citations: Ensuring consistent business information across online
directories and local listings.
➢ Local Content: Creating content with a local focus to attract regional
audiences.
➢ E-commerce SEO:
➢ Product Page Optimization: Optimizing product pages with unique and
compelling product descriptions, images, and reviews.
➢ Structured Data Markup: Implementing schema markup to provide
search engines with additional information about products.
User Reviews and Ratings: Encouraging and showcasing user reviews and ratings
to build trust and credibility.
➢ Voice Search Optimization:
Natural Language Content: Creating content that aligns with the way people
speak, as voice searches tend to be more conversational.
Featured Snippets: Optimizing content to appear in featured snippets, as they are
often read aloud in response to voice queries.
➢ Video SEO:
Optimized Video Content: Creating video content with relevant titles,
descriptions, and tags for better visibility in video search results.
Transcriptions: Including transcriptions for videos to make the content more
accessible to search engines.
International SEO:
Hreflang Tags: Implementing hreflang tags to indicate the language and regional
targeting of different versions of a website.
Country-Specific Domain Extensions: Using country-code top-level domains
(ccTLDs) for better localization.
➢ Reputation Management:
➢ Online Reviews: Monitoring and managing online reviews to
maintain a positive online reputation.
➢ Brand Mentions: Monitoring brand mentions across the web and
addressing any negative sentiment.
➢ Penalty Recovery (Negative SEO):
➢ Identifying and Removing Bad Backlinks: Disavowing or removing
harmful backlinks that may negatively impact search rankings.
➢ Correcting On-Page Issues: Addressing any on-page issues that could
lead to search engine penalties.
SEO is a multifaceted discipline, and a comprehensive approach often involves a
combination of these types to achieve the best results. The specific strategies
employed depend on the goals, target audience, and nature of the website or
business.
Keyword strategy:
Keyword strategy is a crucial aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) and
digital marketing. It involves selecting and targeting specific keywords that are
relevant to your business, products, or services. An effective keyword strategy helps
improve your website's visibility in search engine results and attracts the right
audience. Here's a guide to developing a strong keyword strategy:
➢ Understand Your Business and Audience:
➢ Define Your Niche: Clearly identify your business's niche and what
sets it apart from competitors.
➢ Know Your Audience: Understand your target audience's preferences,
needs, and search behavior.
➢ Conduct Keyword Research:
➢ Use Keyword Tools: Utilize keyword research tools like Google
Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Uber suggest to identify
relevant keywords.
➢ Long-Tail Keywords: Consider long-tail keywords (more specific, longer
phrases) that reflect user intent and are often less competitive.
Group Keywords by Themes:
Organize Keywords: Group related keywords into themes or topics to create
content clusters.
Primary and Secondary Keywords: Identify primary target keywords and
supporting secondary keywords for each topic.
➢ Consider User Intent:
Informational, Navigational, Transactional: Understand the different types of user
intent (informational, navigational, transactional) and align keywords
accordingly.
Competitor Analysis:
Identify Competitor Keywords: Analyze competitors in your industry to discover
keywords they are targeting successfully.
➢ Identify Gaps: Look for keyword opportunities that competitors
may be overlooking. Prioritize Keywords:
Relevance and Search Volume: Prioritize keywords based on relevance to your
business and the search volume they generate.
Competitiveness: Consider the level of competition for each keyword.
➢ Create Targeted Content:
Content Optimization: Incorporate target keywords naturally into your website
content, including headings, meta titles, meta descriptions, and body text.
Create Quality Content: Develop informative and valuable content that meets
user needs and aligns with your target keywords.
➢ Optimize for Local Searches:
Local Keywords: If applicable, include location-based keywords for local
search optimization. Google My Business: Optimize your Google My
Business listing with relevant local information. Monitor and Adapt:
Regularly Review Performance: Monitor the performance of your keywords
using analytics tools.
➢ Adapt to Changes: Stay informed about industry trends, algorithm
updates, and changes in user behavior to adapt your keyword strategy
accordingly.
Track Conversions and ROI:
Set Conversion Goals: Define specific conversion goals (e.g., form submissions,
purchases) and track them using analytics tools.
Evaluate ROI: Assess the return on investment for each keyword to refine your
strategy over time.
➢ Diversify Keyword Types:
Branded Keywords: Include your brand name in keywords to capture brand-
related searches. Product or Service Keywords: Target keywords related to
specific products or services you offer. Stay Compliant with Best Practices:
Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Maintain a natural and user-friendly flow of content,
avoiding excessive use of keywords.
➢ Mobile Optimization: Optimize for mobile devices as mobile search
continues to grow in importance.
By implementing a well-researched and strategic approach to keywords, you
can enhance your website's visibility, attract relevant traffic, and improve your
overall digital marketing performance. Regularly reassess and update your
keyword strategy to align with changes in the online landscape and the evolving
needs of your audience.
Developing a comprehensive SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy
It is crucial for improving your website's visibility in search engine results and
attracting targeted organic traffic. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating an
effective SEO strategy:
1. Define Your Goals:
Business Objectives: Align your SEO goals with broader business objectives,
such as increasing sales, brand awareness, or lead generation.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify specific metrics to measure
success, such as organic traffic growth, keyword rankings, and conversion rates.
2. Conduct Website Audit:
Technical Audit: Assess the technical health of your website, checking for issues
like crawl errors, broken links, and site speed.
On-Page Audit: Review on-page elements such as meta tags, headers, and
content for optimization opportunities.
Off-Page Audit: Analyze backlink profiles and off-site factors affecting your
website's performance.
3. Keyword Research:
Identify Relevant Keywords: Use keyword research tools to identify high-
relevance and high- volume keywords related to your business.
Long-Tail Keywords: Consider long-tail keywords for more specific and
targeted content.
4. Competitor Analysis:
Identify Competitors: Analyze competitors in your industry to understand their
SEO strategies.
Keyword and Content Gap Analysis: Identify keywords and content areas where
your competitors are performing well but you are not.
5. Content Strategy:
Content Creation: Develop high-quality, valuable, and relevant content based
on your keyword research.
Content Optimization: Optimize existing and new content with target keywords,
compelling titles, and meta descriptions.
Content Calendar: Plan and schedule content creation to ensure consistency.
6. On-Page Optimization:
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling and click-worthy titles and
meta descriptions.
Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure content and
highlight key points. Internal Linking: Implement internal links to improve
navigation and distribute link equity.
7. Technical SEO:
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and provides a
positive user experience on various devices.
Site Speed Optimization: Improve loading times for better user experience and
search engine rankings.
XML Sitemap and Robots.txt: Ensure proper setup of XML sitemaps and
robots.txt files for search engine crawling.
8. Local SEO (if applicable):
Google My Business Optimization: Claim and optimize your Google My
Business listing.
Local Citations: Ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information
across online directories.
9. Link Building:
Quality Backlinks: Develop a strategy to acquire high-quality backlinks from
authoritative websites.
Internal Link Structure: Optimize internal linking for a logical and hierarchical
structure.
10. User Experience (UX):
Page Layout and Design: Ensure a clean and user-friendly design to enhance the
overall user experience.
Mobile Responsiveness: Prioritize a responsive design for mobile users.
11. Analytics and Monitoring:
Google Analytics: Set up and regularly review Google Analytics to track and
analyze website performance.
Search Console: Utilize Google Search Console for insights into search
performance, indexing issues, and more.
12. Adapt and Iterate:
Stay Informed: Keep abreast of industry trends, algorithm updates, and changes
in search engine guidelines.
Regular Audits: Conduct periodic audits and assessments to identify areas for
improvement and adjust your strategy accordingly.
13. Local and Social Integration:
Social Media Presence: Integrate SEO efforts with social media to amplify
content and engage with your audience.
Local Search Optimization: Optimize for local search if your business has a
physical location.
14. Structured Data and Schema Markup:
Implement Markup: Use schema markup to provide search engines with
additional context about your content.
15. User-Centric Approach:
User Intent: Understand and align your content with user intent to provide the
most relevant results.
User Feedback: Monitor user feedback and adjust your strategy based on user
interactions.
By incorporating these elements into your SEO strategy, you can create a
holistic approach that not only improves your website's search engine rankings
but also enhances the overall user experience and contributes to your business
goals. Keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process, and continuous monitoring
and adaptation are essential for long-term success.
SEO success factors:
Achieving success in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) requires a holistic
approach that addresses various factors impacting your website's visibility and
performance in search engine results. Here are key SEO success factors to
consider:
1. Keyword Research:
Relevance: Choose relevant keywords that align with your business, products, or
services.
User Intent: Understand and target keywords based on user intent
(informational, navigational, transactional).
2. Quality Content:
Value: Create high-quality, valuable, and informative content that satisfies user
needs. Freshness: Regularly update and add new content to keep your website
relevant.
3. On-Page Optimization:
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling titles and meta descriptions
for improved click-through rates.
Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure content and highlight
key points.
Keyword Placement: Strategically place keywords in titles, headings, and
throughout the content.
4. Technical SEO:
Site Structure: Ensure a clean and logical site structure for easy navigation.
Mobile Optimization: Prioritize mobile-friendly design and ensure a positive
mobile user experience.
Page Speed: Optimize loading times to improve user experience and search
rankings.
5. Backlinks:
Quality Backlinks: Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant
websites. Diverse Link Profile: Aim for a diverse and natural link profile to
avoid penalties.
6. User Experience (UX):
Page Layout and Design: Create a user-friendly design with a clear layout and
intuitive navigation.
Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure a seamless experience for users on various
devices.
7. Local SEO (if applicable):
Google My Business Optimization: Claim and optimize your Google My
Business listing.
Local Citations: Ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information
across online directories.
8. Content Marketing:
Diversified Content: Utilize various content formats, such as blog posts, videos,
infographics, to cater to different audience preferences.
Content Distribution: Share content across multiple channels, including social
media, to increase visibility.
9. Social Signals:
Social Media Presence: Maintain an active presence on relevant social media
platforms. Social Sharing: Encourage social sharing of your content to increase
its reach.
10. Analytics and Monitoring:
Google Analytics: Set up and regularly review analytics to track website
performance.
Search Console: Utilize Google Search Console for insights into search
performance, indexing issues, and more.
11. Adaptability:
Stay Informed: Keep abreast of industry trends, algorithm updates, and changes
in search engine guidelines.
Adapt Strategy: Adjust your strategy based on performance data and evolving
best practices.
12. User Engagement:
Dwell Time and Bounce Rate: Focus on improving dwell time (time spent on a
page) and reducing bounce rates.
User Interaction: Encourage user interaction through comments, shares, and
other engagement metrics.
13. Technical Aspects:
Canonical Tags: Use canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues.
Structured Data: Implement structured data to provide additional context to
search engines.
14. International SEO (if applicable):
Hreflang Tags: Implement hreflang tags for international targeting.
Country-Specific Considerations: Address local search nuances for international
audiences.
15. Compliance and Best Practices:
Avoid Black Hat Tactics: Steer clear of unethical or black hat SEO practices that
could lead to penalties.
Comply with Guidelines: Adhere to search engine guidelines and policies.
16. Conversion Optimization:
Clear CTAs: Use clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide users
toward desired actions.
Optimized Landing Pages: Ensure landing pages are optimized for conversions.
17. Continuous Improvement:
Regular Audits: Conduct regular SEO audits to identify and address issues.
Feedback and Analysis: Gather feedback from users and analyze performance
data for continuous improvement.
Success in SEO is an ongoing process that requires a combination of technical
expertise, content strategy, and adaptability to changes in the search landscape.
By focusing on these key factors, you can enhance your website's visibility,
attract relevant traffic, and achieve your business goals through organic search.
On page techniques:
On-page techniques in digital marketing refer to strategies and practices that are
implemented directly on a website to optimize its content, structure, and
elements for search engines and users. These techniques aim to improve the
website's visibility, relevance, and overall user experience. Here are some key
on-page techniques:
➢ Keyword Optimization:
Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords that align with your content and
target audience.
➢ Title Tags: Include your target keyword in the title tag for each page
to signal its relevance to search engines.
➢ Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling meta descriptions that
encourage clicks and include keywords.
➢ Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Use header tags to structure content and
emphasize key points.
➢ Quality Content:
➢ High-Quality Content: Create valuable, informative, and engaging
content that addresses user intent.
➢ Content-Length: Aim for an appropriate content length that
thoroughly covers the topic.
➢ Readability: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and
subheadings for easy readability.
➢ URL Structure:
➢ SEO-Friendly URLs: Create clean and descriptive URLs that include
relevant
Search Engine Marketing:
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy focused on
increasing a website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) through
paid advertising. SEM involves the use of paid search ads to target specific
keywords and reach a broader audience. The most common form of SEM is pay-
per-click (PPC) advertising, where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is
clicked.
Key components of Search Engine Marketing include:
Paid Search Advertising:
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords): The most popular platform for
paid search advertising. Advertisers bid on keywords to have their clickable
ads appear in Google's search results.
➢ Bing Ads: Similar to Google Ads but targeting the Bing search engine.
Keyword Research:
Identifying Keywords: Research and select relevant keywords that potential
customers are likely to use when searching for products or services.
➢ Negative Keywords: Exclude keywords that are not relevant to
avoid wasted ad spend.
Ad Creation:
➢ Compelling Ad Copy: Create engaging and relevant ad copy that
encourages users to click.
Ad Extensions: Use ad extensions to provide additional information and
encourage user interaction.
➢ Bidding and Budgeting:
Bidding Strategy: Set a bid amount for each keyword to determine how much
you are willing to pay for a click.
Budget Management: Set daily or monthly budgets to control overall spending
on the campaign.
➢ Landing Page Optimization:
Relevance: Ensure that the landing pages linked from your ads are relevant to the
ad content and provide a positive user experience.
➢ Call to Action (CTA): Include a clear call-to-action on the landing
page to guide users toward desired actions.
Conversion Tracking:
Set Up Goals: Define conversion goals such as form submissions, purchases, or
sign-ups.
Conversion Tracking Code: Implement conversion tracking codes to measure the
success of your campaigns.
➢ Ad Positioning:
Ad Rank: Ad position is influenced by factors like bid amount, ad quality,
and expected click-through rate (CTR).
➢ Top vs. Bottom Positioning: Ads can appear at the top or bottom of
search results, and positioning affects visibility.
Remarketing:
Targeting Past Visitors: Use remarketing to show ads to users who have
previously visited your website.
Dynamic Remarketing: Display personalized ads featuring products or services
users viewed on your site.
➢ Ad Testing:
A/B Testing: Experiment with different ad variations to identify the most
effective messaging and design.
Ad Rotation: Rotate ads to evenly display different versions and analyze
performance.
➢ Quality Score:
Relevance and Quality: Google Ads uses a Quality Score to assess the relevance
and quality of your ads, keywords, and landing pages.
Impact on Ad Rank: Higher Quality Scores can positively impact ad position and
cost-per- click (CPC).
➢ Geotargeting:
Location Targeting: Narrow down the geographic locations where your ads will
be displayed. Local Business Targeting: Ideal for businesses targeting a specific
local audience.
Ad Network Selection:
Search Network vs. Display Network: Choose between displaying ads on search
engine results pages or across a network of websites, apps, and videos.
➢ YouTube Advertising: Utilize video ads on the YouTube platform.
Ad Scheduling:
Time-of-Day Targeting: Schedule ads to appear at specific times of the day when
your target audience is most active.
➢ Competitor Analysis:
Keyword Competitiveness: Analyze competitors' keywords, ad copy, and
strategies. Differentiation: Differentiate your ads to stand out in the competitive
landscape.
SEM provides a highly targeted and measurable way to reach potential
customers, making it an essential component of many digital marketing
strategies. Regular monitoring, optimization, and analysis of SEM campaigns
are crucial to achieving the best results and return on investment (ROI).
PPC Advertising:
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising is a digital marketing model where advertisers
pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. It's a way of buying visits to a
website rather than attempting to "earn" those visits organically. PPC ads appear
on search engine results pages(SERPs) or other online platforms, and advertisers
bid on keywords relevant to their target audience.
Here's how PPC advertising generally works:
➢ Ad Auction:
When a user enters a search query on a search engine, an ad auction takes place
to determine which ads will be displayed.
The auction considers factors such as bid amount, ad quality, and relevance to
the user's search query.
➢ Keyword Selection:
Advertisers choose relevant keywords or phrases that trigger their ads to appear
when users search for those terms.
The bid amount represents how much the advertiser is willing to pay for a click
on their ad.
➢ Ad Creation:
Advertisers create compelling ad copy that includes a headline, description, and
a link to a relevant landing page.
Ad extensions, additional information like site links or phone numbers, can be
added to enhance the ad.
➢ Bid Amount and Budget:
Advertisers set a maximum bid amount for each keyword, representing the
highest amount they are willing to pay for a click.
Daily or monthly budgets control the overall spending on the campaign.
➢ Ad Placement:
Ads appear on search engine results pages (SERPs) based on the auction results,
with higher bids and better ad quality leading to more prominent placements.
➢ Targeting Options:
Advertisers can target specific demographics, locations, devices, and times of
day to reach their desired audience.
Remarketing allows advertisers to show ads to users who have previously
visited their website.
➢ Quality Score:
Search engines assign a Quality Score to ads based on factors like ad relevance,
click-through rate (CTR), and landing page experience.
A higher Quality Score can result in better ad positions and lower costs per click.
➢ Conversion Tracking:
Advertisers set up conversion tracking to measure the success of their campaigns
by tracking specific actions like form submissions or purchases.
➢ Ad Performance Monitoring:
Regularly monitor the performance of ads using analytics tools provided by the
advertising platform.
Analyze key metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, and return on ad spend
(ROAS).
➢ Adjustments and Optimization:
Based on performance data, advertisers make adjustments to bids, ad copy, and
targeting to optimize their campaigns.
A/B testing can be used to experiment with different ad variations to identify
the most effective elements.
Popular PPC platforms include:
➢ Google Ads: The largest and most widely used PPC platform,
displaying ads on Google search results, partner sites, and the
Google Display Network.
Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads): Similar to Google Ads, displaying
ads on the Bing search engine and partner sites.
Social Media PPC (e.g., Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Twitter Ads): Platforms
that allow advertisers to create highly targeted ads based on user demographics,
interests, and behaviors.
PPC advertising provides a flexible and measurable way for businesses to reach
their target audience, generate traffic, and achieve specific marketing objectives.
Successful PPC campaigns require ongoing monitoring, optimization, and
strategic decision-making based on performance data.
