Untitled Flashcards Set

1. SEO, UX & Customer Journey

• Google’s Core Web Vitals (2020 Update):

  • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading performance.

  • First Input Delay (FID): Measures interactivity.

  • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability.

• User Experience (UX) in Web Design:

  • Enhances engagement, satisfaction, and conversions.

  • Impact on Customer Journey: 

    1. Awareness: First impressions, navigation.

    2. Consideration: Clear content layout, usability.

    3. Decision: Frictionless purchase process.

    4. Retention: Support, repeat purchases.

• Key UX Design Principles:

  • Simplicity, Consistency, Navigation, Accessibility, Multi-Device Compatibility.

  • Responsive Design: Improves SEO rankings, mobile-friendliness.

2. Google’s E-E-A-T (Ranking Factor)

• Experience: First-hand use of a product/service.

• Expertise: Subject-matter authority.

• Authoritativeness: Recognized as a trusted source (backlinks, citations).

• Trustworthiness: Secure site, transparency, privacy policies.

• Why E-E-A-T Matters:

  • Used in ranking content, especially in health, finance, and law.

  • Google prioritizes authentic, well-researched, and trustworthy content.

3. SEO & AI

• AI is transforming SEO by automating tasks such as: 

  • Content Creation: AI tools generate blogs but require human refinement.

  • Keyword Research: AI discovers long-tail keywords and search trends.

  • Technical SEO: AI automates tasks like schema markup, image optimization.

  • Ethical Considerations: AI must be used responsibly to maintain content originality.

4. SEO Basics

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Enhances website visibility in search engines.

• Organic Traffic: Visitors arriving via unpaid search results.

• Three Pillars of SEO: 

  1. On-Page SEO: Content, keywords, meta tags, headings, internal links.

  2. Off-Page SEO: Backlinks, social signals.

  3. Technical SEO: Site structure, page speed, mobile-friendliness.

5. Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

• Components of SERPs:

  • Organic Results (unpaid)

  • Paid Ads (PPC)

  • Featured Snippets (answers displayed at the top)

  • Knowledge Panels (Google info boxes)

• Search Intent (Why Users Search):

1. Informational – "What is SEO?"

2. Navigational – "LinkedIn login"

3. Transactional – "Buy Nike shoes online"

4. Commercial – "Best laptops for gaming"

6. Google’s Search Process

1. Crawling: Googlebot finds new pages.

2. Indexing: Pages are analyzed and stored in Google's database.

3. Ranking: Google prioritizes relevant, authoritative pages.

• Key Ranking Factors: 

  • Relevance: Does content match search intent?

  • Authority: Backlinks from reputable sources.

  • User Experience (UX): Mobile-friendliness, page speed.

  • Technical SEO: Sitemaps, structured data, clean code.

7. On-Page SEO Optimization

• Content must be: 

  • Original, fresh, and structured.

  • Optimized for search intent (avoid keyword stuffing).

  • Meta descriptions (160 characters max, action-oriented).

  • Header tags (H1-H6 for structured content).

  • Alt text for images (descriptive, avoids stuffing).

  • Canonical tags (to prevent duplicate content issues).

8. Off-Page SEO & Backlinks

• Quality backlinks improve site authority.

• How to Get Good Backlinks: 

  • Guest blogging.

  • Content outreach.

  • Citations in industry sources.

9. Keyword Optimization

• Keyword Research Strategies: 

  • Competitor Analysis: Identifying high-ranking competitor keywords.

  • Keyword Prioritization: 

    • High-volume, low-difficulty keywords are best.

    • Long-tail keywords offer better conversions.

  • Search Intent Alignment: Match keywords to the user’s intent.

SEO Basics

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Process of improving a website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) to attract more organic traffic.

• Organic Traffic: Visitors who land on a website through unpaid search results.

• SERPs: Pages displayed by search engines in response to a search query, including organic results, paid ads, featured snippets, and knowledge panels.

Key Components of SEO

1. On-Page SEO: Content, keywords, meta tags, internal links.

2. Off-Page SEO: Backlinks, social signals.

3. Technical SEO: Site structure, page speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing.

Search Intent & Types

• Search Intent: The reason behind a user’s search query. 

  • Informational: Looking for knowledge (e.g., "How to bake a cake").

  • Navigational: Searching for a specific website (e.g., "Facebook login").

  • Transactional: Ready to make a purchase (e.g., "Buy Nike shoes").

  • Commercial: Considering a purchase, still researching (e.g., "Best laptops for students").

Google Search Algorithm

• Crawling: Google bots scan the web for new content.

• Indexing: Content is stored in Google's database.

• Ranking: Google determines the most relevant content for a search.

Google’s Key Ranking Factors

• Content quality (originality, freshness, length, structure).

• Backlinks from authoritative sources.

• Mobile-friendliness and page speed.

• Search intent alignment.

• User experience (bounce rate, time on site).

On-Page SEO Essentials

• Title Tags & Meta Descriptions: Optimized for keywords and compelling for clicks.

• Header Tags (H1-H6): Structure content logically.

• Alt Text: Helps search engines understand images.

• Internal Linking: Improves site navigation and SEO.

Off-Page SEO & Backlinks

• Backlinks: Links from reputable sites signal authority.

• Ways to Get Backlinks: Guest blogging, news mentions, content outreach.

Keyword Optimization & Research

• Keywords: Words users type into search engines.

• Long-Tail Keywords: More specific, lower competition, higher conversion.

• Keyword Research Strategies: By competitor, region, season.

• Keyword Prioritization: Balance between search volume, competition, and CPC.

Competitor Analysis & Content Gaps

• Competitor Analysis: Identifies keywords competitors rank for.

• Content Gap Analysis: Finds topics competitors cover but you don’t.

• SEO Tools for Analysis: SEMrush, Ahrefs, AnswerThePublic.

1. Understanding Digital Consumers

• Research-Oriented: Compare products before purchasing.

• Social Influence: Reviews & recommendations impact decisions.

• Preference for Convenience: Smooth browsing-to-checkout experience.

• Mobile-First Approach: Mobile devices are the primary tool for interactions.

2. Market Segmentation (STP)

• Segmentation: Dividing the market into groups.

• Targeting: Selecting a group to focus on.

• Positioning: Developing strategies to appeal to the target group.

• Types of Segmentation: 

  • Demographic (age, gender)

  • Geographic (location)

  • Psychographic (lifestyle)

  • Behavioral (usage, loyalty)

3. Website Basics & Types

• Building Blocks of a Website: 

  • Domain Name (.com, .ie)

  • Hosting Package (GoDaddy, Blacknight)

  • CMS (Content Management System) (WordPress, Shopify)

  • Custom Web Development

Website Types:

• B2B (Keelvar, HubSpot)

• B2C (Amazon, ASOS)

• C2C (Craigslist, Donedeal)

• B2B2C (Travel agents)

• G2C (Revenue.ie)

4. Common Website Goals

1. Build Brand (Coca-Cola)

2. Generate Leads (Hootsuite)

3. Online Sales (Tesco, ASOS)

4. Online Marketplace (Etsy, eBay)

5. Sell Ads (Facebook, LinkedIn)

6. Impart Information (Wikipedia, HSE.ie)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) depend on the goal:

• Traffic (sessions, new visitors)

• Engagement (clicks, social shares)

• Conversions (sales, leads, signups)

5. SEO Basics

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Improving website visibility on search engines.

• Organic Traffic: Visitors from unpaid search results.

• Three Key Types of SEO: 

  1. On-Page SEO (content, keywords, meta tags)

  2. Off-Page SEO (backlinks, social signals)

  3. Technical SEO (site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing)

6. Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

• Components of SERPs: 

  • Organic Results (unpaid listings)

  • Paid Ads (PPC)

  • Featured Snippets (direct answers)

  • Knowledge Panels (Google info boxes)

SERPs are influenced by:

• Search Intent: The reason behind a search query.

• Search Type: Text, voice, image, video, local.

7. Search Intent & Types

1. Informational: Looking for knowledge (e.g., “What is SEO?”)

2. Navigational: Searching for a specific site (e.g., "LinkedIn login”)

3. Transactional: Ready to buy (e.g., "Buy iPhone 15 online”)

4. Commercial: Considering a purchase, still researching (e.g., "Best running shoes”)

8. Google Search Process

1. Crawling: Google discovers new pages using bots.

2. Indexing: Google stores content in its database.

3. Ranking: Google ranks the most relevant and high-quality pages.

9. Ranking Factors in Google’s Algorithm

• Relevance: Does content match search intent?

• Authority: Backlinks from reputable sites.

• User Experience (UX): Page speed, mobile-friendliness.

• Search Intent: Aligning content with user needs.

1. What is the purpose of internal linking in SEO?

• A) To decrease page speed

• B) To help users and search engines navigate the site ✅

• C) To generate backlinks from other websites

• D) To improve social media engagement

Explanation:
Internal links connect different pages within a website, helping users navigate easily and allowing search engines to understand the site structure. This improves indexing and enhances SEO.

2. What does the term “SERP” stand for?

• A) Social Engagement Ranking Page

• B) Site Efficiency and Relevance Platform

• C) Search Engine Results Page ✅

• D) Structured Enterprise Ranking Protocol

Explanation:
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page, which is the page displayed by search engines when a user searches for something. It contains organic results, paid ads, and sometimes featured snippets.

3. What is a meta title?

• A) The title displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) ✅

• B) A hidden tag only visible to search engines

• C) A subtitle used in blog posts

• D) A ranking factor for social media

Explanation:
A meta title is the clickable headline shown in search engine results. It helps users and search engines understand the page’s topic and influences click-through rates (CTR).

4. Which of these helps improve local SEO?

• A) Optimising a Google My Business profile ✅

• B) Posting more frequently on Twitter

• C) Using as many keywords as possible in a blog post

• D) Avoiding backlinks from other websites

Explanation:
Local SEO focuses on improving search visibility for local businesses. A well-optimized Google My Business profile helps businesses appear in local search results and Google Maps.

5. What does the term “long-tail keyword” mean?

• A) A keyword with many letters in it

• B) A keyword that ranks for multiple search engines

• C) A highly specific search phrase with lower competition ✅

• D) A trending keyword with high monthly searches

Explanation:
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search queries that usually have lower search volume but higher conversion rates due to their specificity.

6. What does Google’s RankBrain algorithm focus on?

• A) Understanding search intent and user behaviour ✅

• B) Increasing domain authority

• C) Ranking websites based on paid advertisements

• D) Identifying broken links on a website

Explanation:
RankBrain is Google’s AI-driven algorithm that helps interpret search queries by analyzing user intent and behavior to deliver the most relevant results.

7. Which of these is NOT a Google ranking factor?

• A) Number of times a site is shared on Facebook ✅

• B) Mobile-friendliness

• C) Page speed

• D) Content relevance

Explanation:
While social media can indirectly influence SEO, Google does not use social shares as a direct ranking factor. Factors like mobile-friendliness, page speed, and content relevance do impact rankings.

8. What is a featured snippet?

• A) A paid advertisement

• B) A type of backlink

• C) A direct answer box at the top of Google search results ✅

• D) A ranking penalty for spammy content

Explanation:
Featured snippets are highlighted search results shown at the top of Google SERPs, providing direct answers to user queries without requiring them to click a link.

9. What is duplicate content in SEO?

• A) When similar or identical content appears on multiple pages ✅

• B) When two pages target the same keyword

• C) A website with multiple categories

• D) A page with excessive internal links

Explanation:
Duplicate content occurs when the same or very similar content appears on multiple web pages, leading to potential ranking issues as Google struggles to determine which version to show.

10. How does Google treat mobile-first indexing?

• A) It ranks desktop versions first

• B) It prioritises mobile-optimised websites for indexing and ranking ✅

• C) It only applies to social media websites

• D) It decreases organic traffic

Explanation:
Mobile-first indexing means Google primarily uses the mobile version of a site for ranking and indexing. If a website isn’t mobile-friendly, it may rank lower.

11. What is an orphan page?

• A) A page with too many backlinks

• B) A broken link that redirects to another page

• C) A webpage without internal links pointing to it ✅

• D) A page that only ranks in Google’s paid search results

Explanation:
An orphan page has no internal links pointing to it, making it difficult for search engines and users to discover. This can negatively impact SEO.

12. Which search engine is the most widely used globally?

• A) Bing

• B) Yahoo

• C) Google ✅

• D) DuckDuckGo

Explanation:
Google dominates the global search engine market, handling over 90% of search queries worldwide, making it the most widely used search engine.

13. What is the purpose of an SEO-friendly URL?

• A) To make the website load slower

• B) To help search engines and users understand the page’s content ✅

• C) To make the URL as long as possible

• D) To hide keywords from competitors

Explanation:
SEO-friendly URLs are short, descriptive, and relevant to the page’s content, making it easier for search engines and users to understand and rank the page.

14. What happens when a website is not mobile-friendly?

• A) It may rank lower in search engine results ✅

• B) It will receive more backlinks

• C) Google will increase its ranking

• D) It has no impact on SEO

Explanation:
Mobile-friendliness is a key ranking factor. Websites that aren’t optimized for mobile may experience lower rankings in search results and decreased traffic.

15. What is an H1 tag used for?

• A) To indicate the main heading of a webpage ✅

• B) To create a backlink

• C) To add a meta description

• D) To speed up website loading

Explanation:
The H1 tag is the primary heading on a webpage, helping search engines and users understand the page’s topic. It’s an important SEO element for structuring content.