III B.

com(CA) DIGITAL MARKETING UNIT-V

UNIT-V
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION(SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Understanding SEO, Search Engine

Optimization Process – Goals, On-Page Optimization, Off-Page Optimization, and
Analyze, Search Engine Result Process (SERP), SEO Tools.

1. Explain SEO and its process?

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is the key to opening a portal of opportunities for
your business (website). But have you? ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes
for SEO to work? I am sure you might have a basic idea, but thanks to the ever-
changing game of SEO, it is always important to stay on top of how SEO works.
How Does SEO Work: Explained
Search engines can respond to user searches with appropriate results due to the indexing
work of web crawlers. Search engines use complex algorithms that take a variety of
ranking variables into account to do this. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the
procedure used to increase a website's exposure in search results. It includes techniques
like content optimisation and site structure. By coordinating a website with these
algorithms, SEO tries to increase organic traffic, eventually improving its search engine
ranking.
Workflow diagram of SEO

For a better understanding of the working of SEO, we'll divide the whole mechanism
into 4 phases, namely:
1. Preprocessing Phase
2. Query Submission Phase
3. Improvement Phase
4. Feedback Phase

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1. Preprocessing Phase

• This is the preparation stage before SEO actually starts.

• Search engines first crawl websites using bots (also called spiders).
• Crawlers analyze the website structure, content, links, and metadata.
• The crawled pages are then indexed and stored in the search engine database.
• SEO activities at this stage focus on:
o Creating keyword-rich content
o Adding proper meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags
o Ensuring website speed, mobile-friendliness, and security (HTTPS).
• In short, this phase ensures the site is ready and visible for search engines.

2. Query Submission Phase

• In this phase, the user submits a query to the search engine.

• Example: A user searches “best laptops under ₹50,000.”
• The search engine checks its index and matches the query with relevant pages.
• Algorithms analyze multiple factors like:
o Keyword relevance
o Page quality
o Backlinks
o User experience signals (CTR, bounce rate).
• Based on these factors, the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) is displayed with
the most relevant results.

3. Improvement Phase

• Once a website is indexed and ranked, SEO specialists continuously work to improve
rankings.
• This involves on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.
• Key improvement activities:

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o Updating and optimizing content regularly

o Building backlinks from trusted websites
o Enhancing site speed and user experience
o Adding structured data (schema markup) for better visibility.
• The goal here is to climb higher in search results and increase organic traffic.

4. Feedback Phase

• Search engines use user behavior data as feedback to refine rankings.

• Factors like:
o Click-through rate (CTR)
o Dwell time (how long a user stays on a page)
o Bounce rate (users leaving quickly).
• If a site gets more clicks and users stay longer, search engines assume it provides
better value.
• This feedback loop helps the algorithm continuously adjust rankings.
• For SEO experts, this phase shows whether their strategies are working or need
improvement.

Summary

• Preprocessing Phase → Crawling, indexing, preparing website.

• Query Submission Phase → User enters query, SERP shows results.
• Improvement Phase → Ongoing optimization for better ranking.
• Feedback Phase → User behavior helps search engines refine results.

2. List out the Goals of SEO.

• Increase Website Visibility – Make the website appear on search engines so more
people can find it.
• Improve Organic Ranking – Achieve higher positions on Google/Bing without paid
ads.
• Drive Quality Traffic – Attract visitors who are genuinely interested in the
products/services.
• Enhance User Experience (UX) – Provide a faster, mobile-friendly, and easy-to-
navigate website.
• Build Brand Awareness – Familiarize users with the brand by appearing in multiple
searches.
• Generate Leads – Convert visitors into potential customers.
• Boost Sales and Conversions – Encourage purchases, subscriptions, or sign-ups.
• Increase Website Authority – Build credibility with backlinks and trusted content.
• Cost-Effective Marketing – Gain visibility without spending heavily on ads.
• Target Local Customers – Use local SEO to attract nearby customers (maps, local
searches).
• Reach Global Audience – Expand business by targeting international markets.

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• Improve Click-Through Rate (CTR) – Encourage users to click search results with
engaging titles and meta descriptions.
• Stay Ahead of Competitors – Outrank competitors and capture more traffic.
• Enhance Content Quality – Create informative, keyword-rich, and engaging content.
• Increase Dwell Time – Keep visitors engaged on the site for longer.
• Reduce Bounce Rate – Ensure visitors don’t leave immediately by providing relevant
answers.
• Build Customer Trust & Credibility – Rank higher to show reliability in the eyes of
users.
• Support Other Marketing Channels – Improve email, social media, and paid
campaigns with strong SEO.
• Adapt to Algorithm Updates – Continuously optimize as search engines evolve.
• Ensure Long-Term Growth – Create sustainable traffic and business growth over
time.
3. Explain on-page Optimization.
Definition:
On-Page SEO (also called On-Site SEO) refers to all the techniques and practices that are
applied directly within a website to improve its visibility, ranking, and relevance in search
engine results. Unlike off-page SEO (backlinks, social media, etc.), on-page SEO focuses on
optimizing content, structure, and technical factors of a website.
Key Elements:
Title Tags
• The clickable headline in search results.
• Must include the primary keyword and be 50–60 characters long.
Meta Description
• Short summary of the page (150–160 characters).
• Encourages users to click (improves CTR).
URL Structure
• Clean, short, and keyword-rich URLs.
• Example: www.example.com/seo-tips instead of www.example.com/page?id=123.
Heading Tags (H1, H2, H3…)
• Organize content hierarchically.
• H1 = Main Title, H2/H3 = Subheadings with keywords.
Keyword Optimization
• Use keywords naturally in titles, headings, and content.

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• Avoid keyword stuffing.

Content Quality
• Original, relevant, and valuable information.
• Use images, videos, statistics, and examples.
Internal Linking
• Linking to other pages on the same website.
• Improves navigation and distributes link authority.
Image Optimization
• Use descriptive file names and ALT text.
• Compress images for faster loading.
Mobile Friendliness
• Responsive design for smartphones and tablets.
• Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.
Page Load Speed
• Faster websites rank higher.
• Optimize images, enable caching, use lightweight code.
User Engagement Signals
• Improve dwell time, reduce bounce rate with interactive and readable content.
Schema Markup (Structured Data)
• Add special tags so Google can understand content better.
• Helps with rich snippets like ratings, FAQs, events.
Optimization Techniques:
• Use unique, keyword-rich titles for every page.
• Write compelling meta descriptions for higher CTR.
• Ensure URLs are short, clean, and descriptive.
• Structure content with H1, H2, H3 headings.
• Place primary keywords in first 100 words of the page.
• Write minimum 1000+ words for in-depth content.
• Add internal and external links to boost authority.
• Use optimized images and videos to enhance engagement.
• Test mobile responsiveness and page speed (Google PageSpeed Insights).

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• Implement schema markup for rich results.

Advantages of On-Page SEO:

• Improves Search Engine Ranking – Well-optimized pages are more likely to appear
higher in search results.
• Drives Targeted Traffic – Brings visitors actively searching for relevant
content/products.
• Enhances User Experience – Easy navigation, fast loading, and clear structure make
the site user-friendly.
• Increases Conversion Rate – Better visibility and engaging content encourage more
sign-ups, leads, or sales.
• Cost-Effective Marketing – Once optimized, the page continues to attract organic
traffic without ongoing ad spend.
• Supports Long-Term Growth – Quality on-page SEO ensures stable ranking even
with algorithm changes.
• Improves Website Credibility – Well-structured, fast, and informative sites build user
trust.
• Better ROI – Higher visibility and conversions lead to maximum return on investment.

4. Explain off-page Optimization.

Definition:

Off-Page SEO is the process of enhancing a website’s reputation, authority, and visibility
through activities performed outside the website. It includes link building, social media
marketing, influencer outreach, guest posting, and brand mentions.

Importance of Off-Page SEO:

• Helps build domain authority and trustworthiness.
• Improves search engine ranking by signaling website credibility.
• Drives referral traffic from external sources.
• Expands brand visibility and online presence.
• Enhances competitiveness in highly crowded niches.

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Key Elements of Off-Page SEO:

1. Backlink Building

• Obtaining quality backlinks from high-authority websites.

• Types: natural links, guest posting links, directory links, and profile links.
• Quality matters more than quantity.

2. Social Media Engagement

• Sharing content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

• Improves visibility and brand recognition.
• Social signals indirectly impact search rankings.

3. Content Marketing

• Publishing blogs, infographics, case studies, and videos on third-party platforms.

• Engages users and encourages backlinks.

4. Influencer Outreach

• Collaborating with industry influencers.

• Improves credibility and generates high-quality mentions and links.

5. Forum Posting & Community Engagement

• Participating in online forums like Quora, Reddit, and niche communities.

• Builds authority and drives referral traffic.

6. Local SEO & Business Listings

• Registering business on Google My Business, Yelp, Justdial, etc.

• Helps local customers discover the business.

7. Brand Mentions

• Even without direct links, brand mentions increase awareness.

• Google considers them as trust signals.

8. Guest Blogging

• Writing articles on high-domain authority websites.

• Gains backlinks and introduces your brand to new audiences.

Optimization Techniques for Off-Page SEO:

• Acquire backlinks from relevant and authoritative sites.

• Focus on anchor text optimization for natural linking.

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• Build diverse backlinks (blogs, social media, directories, forums).

• Create shareable content that naturally attracts links.
• Use social bookmarking sites like Medium, Mix, and Pinterest.
• Submit press releases and case studies to PR websites.
• Participate in interviews, podcasts, and webinars for exposure.

Advantages of Off-Page SEO:

• Higher Search Engine Ranking – Quality backlinks push websites up in SERPs.

• Increased Domain Authority – Builds trust and credibility.
• Referral Traffic – External links bring direct visitors to the site.
• Brand Awareness – Improves recognition through social and influencer marketing.
• Long-Term Results – Backlinks and mentions continue to benefit rankings over time.
• Competitive Edge – Helps outrank competitors with stronger backlink profiles.

5. Explain Search Engine Result Process(SERP).

A search engine results page or SERP is a page that shows up when a user enters a
search query. An Search Engine Results Page (SERP) contains multiple links that are
relevant to the user query. It shows paid searches that appear at the top of the SERP.
Google is constantly improving its algorithm to provide the best results, so it's
necessary to stay updated with the Google algorithm updates.

There are two types of Searches that appears in Search Engine Results Page
(SERP):

• Paid Searches: Paid Searches generally appears to the top of SERPs. Paid searches
are advertisements. Search engines will show ads close to organic search results.
This is the primary way search engines make a profit.

• Organic Searches: Organic Searches are the unpaid sections in the search engine
results page (SERP) that are determined based on the content’s relevance to the
keyword query rather than because of Search Engine Marketing.

For example, if you visit a search engine like Google, you enter a search query, "Google
Careers". The first page that appears on your screen as soon as you submit your search
query to Google, that page is the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

Types of Search Queries in Search Engine Results Page (SERP)?

There are majorly 3 types of Search Queries on Search Engine Results Pages
(SERP):

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1) Informational Queries:

Information queries in SERP (Search Engine Results Page) refer to search queries made
by users with the intent of seeking information or knowledge on a particular topic. When
individuals perform informational queries, they are usually looking for answers,
explanations, or details about a specific subject.
• Example: "How does photosynthesis work?"
• Purpose: To get information or learn about a specific topic.
• Explanation: When you have a question or want to learn about something, you use
informational queries. In this case, you're looking for information about
photosynthesis, maybe for a school project or just out of curiosity.
2) Navigational Queries:

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Navigational queries in the context of a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) refer to
search queries made by users with the specific intent of finding a particular website or
web page.
• Example: "geeksforgeeks login"
• Purpose: To find a specific website or webpage.
• Explanation: Navigational queries are used when you want to go to a specific
website or page. In this example, you're trying to find the login page for Facebook.
You already know the website you want to visit.

3) Transactional Queries:

Transactional queries in the context of a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) refer to
search queries made by users with the intent of completing a specific transaction or
online activity. Unlike informational queries that seek knowledge or navigational queries
aimed at finding a particular website, transactional queries involve user actions such as
making a purchase, signing up for a service, or engaging in some form of online
transaction.
• Example: "Buy geeksforgeeks courses"
• Purpose: To perform an online transaction, like making a purchase.
• Explanation: Transactional queries are used when you want to do something
specific online, like making a purchase. In this case, you're looking to buy sneakers,
and you want to find websites where you can make that transaction.

How to Optimize Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs):

1. Optimize Titles & Meta Descriptions
• Use clear, keyword-rich titles that reflect the page content.
• Write compelling meta descriptions to increase click-through rates.
• Keep them within the character limits (title ~60 chars, description ~160).

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2. Improve Content Quality

• Provide in-depth, original, and valuable content.
• Use structured headings (H1, H2, H3) with keywords.
• Add multimedia (images, videos, infographics) to boost engagement.

3. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

• Add schema to highlight reviews, FAQs, events, or products.
• Helps Google display rich snippets in SERPs.
• Increases visibility and click-through rates.

4. Enhance Page Speed & Mobile-Friendliness

• Optimize images and use caching to speed up pages.
• Ensure responsive design for mobile users.
• Reduce unnecessary code and scripts.

5. Optimize URL Structure

• Keep URLs short, clean, and keyword-focused.
• Use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_).
• Avoid unnecessary parameters and numbers.

6. Explain SEO Tools.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools are essential for improving website ranking,
analyzing performance, and driving organic traffic. They help in keyword research,
backlink analysis, on-page optimization, and competitor tracking. Below are ten widely
used SEO tools along with their features.
1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks and reports website traffic, giving deep insights
into user behavior.
Features:
1. Traffic Analysis – Shows how many users visit your site, their location, and
the devices used.

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2. Behavior Flow – Visualizes the path users take through your website.
3. Conversion Tracking – Monitors goals like purchases, form submissions, or
downloads.
4. Audience Insights – Provides demographic and interest data for targeting.
5. Real-Time Reports – Displays current user activity, helping track
campaigns instantly.

2. Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free service that helps monitor and troubleshoot
website performance in search results.
Features:
1. Performance Reports – Tracks impressions, clicks, CTR, and position for
keywords.
2. Index Coverage – Identifies which pages are indexed or excluded.
3. Mobile Usability – Reports mobile-friendliness issues.
4. URL Inspection Tool – Checks individual URLs for crawling/indexing.
5. Security Issues – Alerts for malware or hacked content.

3. SEMrush
SEMrush is a powerful paid SEO suite for keyword research, competitor analysis, and
campaign management.
Features:
1. Keyword Research – Identifies profitable keywords with search volume and
difficulty.
2. Competitor Analysis – Tracks competitor rankings, ads, and backlinks.
3. Site Audit – Detects on-page SEO and technical issues.
4. Backlink Analytics – Monitors referring domains and link quality.
5. Position Tracking – Tracks keyword rankings over time.

4. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is widely used for backlink analysis, keyword research, and content optimization.

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Features:
1. Site Explorer – Analyzes traffic, backlinks, and organic keywords of any site.
2. Backlink Checker – Identifies quality and quantity of backlinks.
3. Keyword Explorer – Suggests keyword opportunities with difficulty scores.
4. Content Explorer – Finds trending content in your niche.
5. Rank Tracker – Monitors keyword positions in SERPs.

5. Moz Pro
Moz Pro is a complete SEO software for site optimization and link-building strategies.
Features:
1. Keyword Explorer – Provides keyword suggestions with search intent.
2. Link Explorer – Analyzes domain authority and backlinks.
3. Site Crawl – Detects broken links, duplicate content, and crawl issues.
4. Page Optimization – Gives actionable suggestions to improve on-page SEO.
5. Rank Tracking – Tracks keyword rankings across regions and devices.

6. Yoast SEO (WordPress Plugin)

Yoast SEO is one of the most popular WordPress plugins for on-page SEO.
Features:
1. SEO Analysis – Evaluates keyword usage and readability.
2. Meta Tags Control – Easily set titles and meta descriptions.
3. XML Sitemaps – Automatically generates and updates sitemaps.
4. Breadcrumbs – Improves navigation and internal linking.
5. Readability Score – Ensures content is easy to read for users.

7. Screaming Frog SEO Spider

A desktop tool for technical SEO audits by crawling websites like a search engine.
Features:
1. Site Crawling – Scans URLs, links, and metadata.
2. Broken Link Checker – Detects 404 and server errors.

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3. Duplicate Content Detection – Identifies repeated titles, descriptions, and

content.
4. XML Sitemap Generation – Creates structured sitemaps for indexing.
5. Integration with GA & GSC – Pulls traffic and search data for deeper
analysis.

8. Ubersuggest
A keyword research and SEO analysis tool created by Neil Patel.
Features:
1. Keyword Suggestions – Provides long-tail keyword ideas.
2. Domain Overview – Shows traffic, backlinks, and top pages of competitors.
3. Content Ideas – Suggests blog topics based on keyword trends.
4. Backlink Data – Lists domains linking to competitors.
5. SEO Audit – Finds site errors and optimization opportunities.

9. Majestic SEO
Majestic specializes in backlink analysis and link intelligence data.
Features:
1. Backlink Database – One of the largest backlink indexes.
2. Trust Flow – Measures link quality based on trustworthiness.
3. Citation Flow – Indicates the quantity of links to a site.
4. Site Explorer – Detailed backlink reports for any URL.
5. Topical Trust Flow – Shows link authority in specific niches.
10. SpyFu
SpyFu is used for competitor keyword and advertising research.
Features:
1. Competitor Keyword Analysis – Reveals keywords competitors rank for.
2. PPC Research – Tracks competitor paid ad campaigns.
3. SEO Keyword Ranking – Monitors performance of selected keywords.
4. Backlink Research – Shows domains linking to competitors.
5. Historical Data – Provides insights into past keyword/ad trends.

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