DMBS-02 Digital Marketing Tools & Techniques

What is SEO?

• SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization
• It is a systematic process of improving a website so that it appears naturally (organically) in search engine results when users search for something.
• SEO is NOT: Advertising, One-time work, Magic ranking trick.

Simple Student Example

• When you search on Google: “best hostel near college”
• You trust results on:
  • Page 1
  • Top 5 links
• You rarely go to:
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
• SEO helps websites reach page 1

Why SEO Exists?

From User Side:

Users want:

• Fast answers
• Trustworthy websites
• Relevant results

From Google Side:

Google wants:

• Happy users
• Correct answers
• Quality websites

SEO is alignment between user needs and Google rules.

Real-Time Example

• Search: “How to apply for PAN card online”
• Top websites:
  • Government site
  • Trusted blogs
• Why?
  • Accurate information
  • Structured content
  • High trust

How Search Engines Work

STEP 1: Crawling

• Google uses bots (spiders)
• How bots find pages:
  • Through links
  • Through sitemap
  • Through URL submission
• If a page:
  • Has no links
  • Is blocked
• Google may never see it

STEP 2: Indexing

• After crawling, Google:
  • Reads text
  • Reads images
  • Understands topic
  • Stores page in database
• Example:
  • If your page talks about laptops
  • Google stores it under “Technology → Laptops”

STEP 3: Ranking

Google decides position using 200+ factors, including:

• Keyword relevance
• Content depth
• Page speed
• Mobile friendliness
• Backlinks
• User behavior

Types of SEO

On-Page SEO

• Everything done inside website:
  • Content
  • Keywords
  • Headings
  • Images

Off-Page SEO

• Everything done outside website:
  • Backlinks
  • Mentions
  • Reviews

Technical SEO

• Website performance:
  • Speed
  • Mobile
  • Security

Real Industry SEO Flow

Example: Education Website

1. Identify what students search (“digital marketing course syllabus”)
2. Create detailed page
3. Optimize content
4. Promote content
5. Track ranking

SEO is continuous improvement

Student Activity

Google Observation Task

• Students search one keyword
• Identify:
  • Ads
  • Organic results
  • Why top result is ranking

ON-PAGE SEO TECHNIQUES

Keyword Research

What is Keyword Research?

• It is the process of identifying:
• What users search
• How frequently
• With what intention

Types of Keywords

• Informational – “What is SEO”
• Navigational – “Facebook login”
• Transactional – “Buy laptop online”

Real-Time Example

• Keyword: “best phone under 20000”
• User intent:
  • Comparison
  • Buying decision

How to Do Keyword Research

1. Think like user
2. Use Google suggestions
3. Use tools
4. Analyze competition

Example Comparison:

• Phone List : Best Smartphones Under 20000 in India (2026)

Title Tag Optimization

What is Title Tag?

• Main heading shown on Google
• First impression for users

Rules

• Max 60 characters
• Keyword at beginning
• Clear meaning

Meta Description

Purpose

• Not ranking factor
• Click-through factor

Real-Time Example:

• User sees 2 results: One explains clearly → user clicks

Writing Process

1. Understand user need
2. Highlight benefit
3. Add CTA

URL Optimization

• Why clean URLs help
• User trust
• Easy sharing

Content Optimization

• What Google Likes:
• Detailed answers
• Structured content
• Updated info

Content Structure

• Introduction
• Subtopics
• Examples
• Summary

Image SEO

• Google can’t see images
• ALT text helps Google understand

Real-Time Example:

• Laptop review blog with : Table, Images, FAQs.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) & Pay-Pre-Click (PPC)

Meaning of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

• Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a paid digital marketing technique used to increase the visibility of a website on search engine result pages (SERPs) by displaying advertisements.
• In SEM, businesses pay search engines, mainly Google, to show their ads when users search for specific keywords. SEM is mainly used when businesses want immediate results, unlike SEO which takes time.
• SEM is widely used by:
  • E-commerce companies
  • Service providers
  • New startups
  • Educational institutes

Why SEM is Required in Digital Marketing

SEM is required because:

• New websites do not rank immediately on Google through SEO
• Businesses want instant traffic and sales
• Competitive keywords are difficult to rank organically
• Time-based offers need quick visibility
• For example, during festival sales or admission seasons, companies cannot wait for SEO results. They use SEM to appear instantly on Google.

Difference Between SEO and SEM

• SEO focuses on organic (free) ranking, whereas SEM focuses on paid ranking.
• SEO takes time but gives long-term results.
• SEM gives instant visibility but stops once the budget is over.
• In real business practice, companies use SEO + SEM together for better digital presence.

What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC)?

• In real business practice, companies use SEO + SEM together for better digital presence.
• In PPC, advertisers pay only when a user clicks on their ad, not when the ad is shown
• This makes PPC cost-effective because:
  • No click means no cost
  • Advertisers can control budget
  • Performance is measurable

Real-Time Example of SEM & PPC

• When a user searches: “buy running shoes online”
• The top results marked as Sponsored are SEM ads.
• If the user clicks on one ad, the advertiser pays Google a certain amount.
• If the user does not click, no money is charged.
• This is the real-time working of PPC.

Google Ads Platform Overview

Google Ads is Google’s advertising 21 platform used for SEM. Using Google Ads, businesses can:

• Create advertisements
• Select keywords
• Set budgets
• Target specific audiences
• Track ad performance

Google Ads allows advertisers to show ads on:

• Google Search results
• YouTube
• Partner websites

For SEM, Search Ads are most important.

Complete SEM Implementation Flow

Step 1: Business Goal Identification

• First, the advertiser decides the goal: Website traffic, Sales, Leads, App downloads
• Example: An online shoe store wants more sales.

Step 2: Keyword Selection

• Keywords are words or phrases that users type into Google.
• Example: buy sports shoes online, running shoes for men

Correct keyword selection is important because ads appear only when keywords match user searches.

Step 3: Keyword Match Types

• Google allows different keyword match types to control who sees ads: Broad match (wide reach), Phrase match (moderate control), Exact match (high control)
• This helps advertisers avoid unnecessary clicks.

Step 4: Ad Copy Creation

• An ad consists of: Headline, Description, Display URL, Call-to-Action (CTA)
• Example:
  • Headline: Buy Sports Shoes Online
  • Description: Flat 30% Discount I Free Delivery
  • CT A: Shop Now
  • Good ad copy increases clicks.

Step 5: Landing Page Design

• A landing page is the page where users land after clicking the ad.
• A good landing page should:
  • Match the ad content
  • Load fast
  • Be mobile friendly
  • Have clear action (Buy / Register Enquire)
• Poor landing pages increase cost and reduce results.

Step 6: Budget and Bidding

• Advertisers decide:
  • Daily budget
  • Maximum cost per click (CPC)
• Example:
  •  ₹500 per day budget
  •  ₹10 per click -> 50 clicks per day
  • This helps control spending.

Quality Score Concept

Quality Score is a rating given by Google based on:

• Keyword relevance
• Ad relevance
• Landing page experience

A high Quality Score:

• Reduces cost per click
• Improves ad position

This means better ads pay less money.

Performance Measurement in SEM

SEM performance is measured using:

• Impressions (how many times ad is shown)
• Clicks (how many users clicked)
• CTR (click-through rate)
• CPC (cost per click)
• Conversions (sales or leads)

These metrics help businesses decide whether the campaign is successful or not.

Common Mistakes in SEM

Students should understand that wrong SEM practices cause money loss:

• Selecting wrong keywords
• Ignoring negative keywords
• Poor landing pages
• No performance tracking

SEM requires continuous monitoring and optimization.

Difference Between SEO & SEM

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLATFORMS

Meaning of Social Media Marketing (SMM)

• Social Media Marketing is the process of using social media platforms to promote a brand, product, or service and to build a relationship with customers.
• Unlike traditional marketing, social media marketing allows two-way communication, where customers can respond, comment, share, and interact with brands.

Social media marketing focuses on:

• Creating content
• Sharing content
• Engaging users
• Building brand presence

Why Social Media Platforms are Important for Businesses

People spend a large amount of time daily on social media platforms. Businesses use these platforms because:

• Customers are already active there
• Brand communication becomes easier
• Marketing cost is lower than traditional media
• Feedback is immediate
• For example, a local café can promote offers on Instagram instead of spending money on newspapers.

Major Social Media Marketing Platforms and Their Use

Facebook

Facebook is useful for:

• Business pages
• Community building
• Paid advertisements
• Lead generation
• Real-time example: Local coaching institutes run Facebook lead ads to collect student enquiry forms.

Instagram

Instagram focuses on:

• Visual content
• Reels and stories
• Influencer marketing
• Real-time example: Fashion brands promote
• new collections through Instagram reels.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is mainly used for:

• Professional networking
• B2B marketing
• Job and recruitment marketing
• Real-time example: IT companies promote corporate services on LinkedIn.

YouTube

YouTube is a video-based platform used for:

• Brand storytelling
• Tutorials
• Product reviews
• Real-time example: Educational channels upload lecture videos to attract students.

How to Implement Social Media Marketing Real-Time

• Identify target audience
• Select suitable platform
• Create business profile
• Plan content type
• Post consistently
• Monitor performance

Social Media Strategies & Engagement

Meaning of Social Media Strategy

• A social media strategy is a planned approach to:
• What to post
• When to post
• Where to post
• How to engage users
• Without strategy, social media marketing becomes random and ineffective.

Types of Social Media Content

Businesses use different content types:

• Educational (tips, tutorials)
• Promotional (offers, ads)
• Entertaining (memes, reels)
• Interactive (polls, quizzes)
• Real-time example: Instagram polls increase audience interaction.

Engagement and Its Importance

• Engagement refers to how users interact with content: Likes, Comments, Shares, Saves.
• Higher engagement means: Better visibility, Strong brand connection, Improved algorithm reach.

Hashtag Strategy

• Hashtags help content reach a wider audience.
• Types: Trending hashtags, Niche hashtags, Brand hashtags
• Example: #DigitalMarketing #StudentLife #SEO

Social Media Strategy Implementation Flow

• Set goals (reach, engagement, leads)
• Create content calendar
• Decide posting frequency
• Engage with audience
• Analyze engagement metrics

CONTENT MARKETING

Meaning of Content Marketing

• Content marketing is the process of creating and sharing valuable content to attract, engage, and convert customers instead of directly selling products.
• Content builds: Trust, Authority, Long-term relationship

Types of Content

• Blogs
• Videos
• Infographics
• Podcasts
• Case studies
• Real-time example: Educational blogs attract students searching for career guidance

Content Marketing Funnel

Content marketing works in stages:

1. Awareness — Inform users
2. Consideration — Compare solutions
3. Conversion — Take action

• Example: Blog → Video → Course registration

How to Implement Content Marketing

• Identify target audience
• Identify user problems
• Create helpful content
• Optimize content with SEO
• Promote content on social media

Measuring Content Performance

Content success is measured by:

• Page views
• Time spent
• Shares
• Conversions

Benefits of email Marketing for Affiliates

Email Marketing, Affiliate marketing & Web Analytics

PART A: EMAIL MARKETING

Meaning of Email Marketing

• Email marketing is sending emails to customers to: Inform, Promote, Retain customers
• Emails are used for: Offers, Updates, Follow-ups
• Real-time example: Amazon sends order confirmation and discount emails.

Email Marketing Implementation Flow

1. Collect email IDs
2. Segment audience
3. Create email content
4. Send campaign
5. Track results

PART B: AFFILIATE MARKETING

Meaning of Affiliate Marketing

• Affiliate marketing is a model where a person earns commission by promoting someone else’s product.
• Example: YouTuber promotes Amazon products → earns commission per sale.

Affiliate Marketing Flow

1. Join affiliate program
2. Select product
3. Promote using content
4. Earn commission

PART C: WEB ANALYTICS

Meaning of Web Analytics

• Web analytics is the process of measuring and analyzing website data to improve marketing decisions.
• Google Analytics Metrics: Users, Sessions, Bounce rate, Conversion rate.

Importance of Analytics Analytics helps businesses:

• Understand user behavior
• Improve weak pages
• Increase conversions