Unit 3: Digital marketing process
E-Commerce and Digital Markets notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 942-18)
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Unit summary
Digital marketing reaches customers where they search, scroll and watch. This unit covers digital vs traditional marketing, website planning and domain names, search engine optimisation — on-page, off-page and local — social media marketing paradigms, Google Analytics and Google Ads, and online display advertising.
After this unit you can
- Compare digital and traditional marketing
- Plan a website and choose a domain name
- Apply on-page, off-page and local SEO
- Use social media marketing, Google Analytics, Google Ads and display advertising
PTU syllabus topics
- Digital marketing vs traditional marketing
- website planning and domain names
- SEO (on-page, off-page, local)
- social media marketing paradigms
- Google Analytics and Google AdWords
- online display advertising
Reach
Mass, local
Global, targeted
Measurement
Hard
Precise analytics
Cost
High fixed cost
Flexible budgets
Interaction
One-way
Two-way, real time
Topic 1
Digital vs traditional marketing
Media
TV, print, radio, outdoor
Search, social, email, websites, apps
Communication
One-way broadcast
Two-way, interactive
Targeting
Broad
Precise — demographics, interests, behaviour
Measurement
Hard, delayed
Real-time analytics
Cost
High minimum spend
Scalable, pay-per-result
Reach
Mostly local or national
Local to global
Topic 2
Website planning and domain names
- 1
Define purpose and audience
- 2
Plan content and site map
- 3
Choose domain name and hosting
- 4
Design for mobile and speed
- 5
Build with a CMS or code
- 6
Test, launch and track with analytics
- Domain names: short, memorable, brand-related, easy to spell; choose the right extension (.com, .in, .co.in); register through an accredited registrar; protect against cybersquatting.
- Domain name system (DNS): translates names into IP addresses.
Topic 3
Search engine optimisation
SEO improves a website's visibility in organic (unpaid) search results.
On-page
Keywords in titles, headings and content; meta descriptions; URL structure; internal links; image alt text; page speed; mobile-friendliness
Off-page
Backlinks from reputable sites, social signals, guest posts, brand mentions
Technical
Crawlability, sitemaps, robots.txt, HTTPS, structured data
Local
Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, location pages
- Keyword research: search volume, competition, intent (informational, navigational, transactional); tools — Google Keyword Planner, Search Console.
- Avoid black-hat SEO: keyword stuffing, cloaking, buying links — search engines penalise these.
Topic 4
Social media marketing paradigms
- Paradigm shift: from broadcasting to conversation; from brand-controlled to user-generated content; from reach to engagement and community.
Facebook and Instagram
Brand awareness, community, ads, shopping
YouTube
Video content, tutorials, ads
LinkedIn
B2B marketing, employer branding
X (Twitter)
Real-time updates, customer service
WhatsApp Business
Customer conversations, catalogues
- Strategy: objectives, audience personas, content calendar, engagement and response, influencer collaboration, paid promotion, measurement (reach, engagement rate, followers, conversions).
Topic 5
Google Analytics and Google Ads
- Google Analytics (GA4): tracks users, sessions, traffic sources, engagement, events and conversions; reports on acquisition, engagement, monetisation and retention.
- Google Ads (formerly AdWords): pay-per-click advertising on search, display, YouTube, shopping and apps.
- 1
Set the goal
- 2
Choose keywords and match types
- 3
Write ads and extensions
- 4
Set budget and bidding strategy
- 5
Target location, language, audience
- 6
Track conversions and optimise
- Ad Rank depends on bid, quality score (expected CTR, ad relevance, landing page experience) and ad extensions.
Topic 6
Online display advertising
- Display ads: banners, rich media, video and native ads shown on websites and apps through networks (Google Display Network) and programmatic exchanges.
- Pricing models: CPM (cost per thousand impressions), CPC (cost per click), CPA (cost per acquisition).
- Targeting: contextual, demographic, interest, remarketing (showing ads to past visitors).
- Issues: banner blindness, ad blockers, ad fraud, viewability.
Key terms
- SEO
- Improving organic search visibility
- Backlink
- Link from another site to yours
- Quality score
- Google's rating of ad and landing page relevance
- Remarketing
- Advertising to people who visited before
- CPM
- Cost per thousand impressions
Quick revision
- Digital vs traditional marketing.
- Website planning; domain names; DNS.
- SEO: on-page, off-page, technical, local; keyword research.
- Social media paradigms and platforms.
- GA4 metrics; Google Ads (Ad Rank, quality score); display ads (CPM, CPC, CPA).
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.State three differences between digital and traditional marketing.
- Q2.What makes a good domain name?
- Q3.Distinguish on-page and off-page SEO.
- Q4.What is local SEO?
- Q5.What determines Ad Rank in Google Ads?
- Q6.What is remarketing?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Compare digital and traditional marketing.
- Q2.Explain the types of SEO with examples.
- Q3.Discuss social media marketing paradigms and strategy.
- Q4.Explain Google Analytics, Google Ads and online display advertising.
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