Unit 1: Advanced SEO
Search Engine and Performance Marketing notes · PTU syllabus (MBA 972-26)
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Unit summary
Search engines are where buying journeys begin, and advanced SEO decides who appears first. This unit covers search engine algorithms and ranking, indexing and crawling, technical SEO and site architecture, mobile-first indexing, keyword research and competitor analysis, on-page and off-page optimisation, backlink building, local and voice SEO, and SEO audits.
After this unit you can
- Explain how search engines crawl, index and rank pages
- Apply technical SEO, site architecture and mobile-first principles
- Conduct keyword research and competitor analysis
- Apply on-page, off-page, local and voice SEO and conduct an SEO audit
PTU syllabus topics
- Search engine algorithms and ranking
- website indexing and crawling
- technical SEO and architecture
- mobile-first indexing
- keyword research and competitor analysis
- on-page and off-page optimization
- backlink building
- local and voice SEO
- SEO audits
- 1Crawl
Bots discover pages
- 2Index
Store and understand content
- 3Rank
Algorithms order results
- 4Serve
Show results for a query
Topic 1
Search engine algorithms and ranking
- 1Crawling
Bots (Googlebot) discover pages by following links and sitemaps
- 2Indexing
Pages are analysed and stored in the index
- 3Ranking
Algorithms order results by relevance and quality
- 4Serving
Results page with organic listings, ads, snippets, maps
- Ranking factors: relevance to the query and intent, content quality and helpfulness, E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness), backlinks, page experience (Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendliness, HTTPS), freshness, user location and history.
- Major Google updates: Panda (2011, thin content), Penguin (2012, spammy links), Hummingbird (2013, semantic search), RankBrain (2015, machine learning), BERT (2019, language understanding), helpful content and core updates (2022 onward); AI Overviews now summarise answers for many queries.
Topic 2
Indexing and crawling
- Crawl budget: the number of pages a search engine crawls on a site in a period — matters for large sites.
- Controls: robots.txt (which paths bots may crawl), meta robots tags (noindex, nofollow), canonical tags (preferred version of duplicate pages), XML sitemaps (list of important URLs), Google Search Console (index coverage, URL inspection).
- Common problems: blocked resources, duplicate content, broken links (404), redirect chains, orphan pages, slow servers.
Topic 3
Technical SEO and site architecture
Site architecture
Flat, logical hierarchy; every page within three clicks; breadcrumbs
URLs
Short, descriptive, hyphenated
Speed
Core Web Vitals — LCP, INP, CLS
Security
HTTPS
Structured data
Schema.org markup for products, reviews, FAQs, events
Internal linking
Pass authority to key pages
International
hreflang tags for language versions
Topic 4
Mobile-first indexing
- Google predominantly uses the mobile version of a site for indexing and ranking (fully rolled out by 2023).
- Requirements: responsive design, same content and structured data on mobile and desktop, fast mobile loading, readable text without zooming, tap-friendly buttons, no intrusive pop-ups.
Topic 5
Keyword research and competitor analysis
- 1
Seed keywords from products and customer language
- 2
Expand with tools
Google Keyword Planner, Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Trends
- 3
Classify by intent
Informational, navigational, commercial, transactional
- 4
Evaluate
Search volume, difficulty, CPC, relevance
- 5
Map keywords to pages
One primary topic per page
- 6
Track rankings
- Long-tail keywords: longer, specific phrases ("waterproof trekking shoes for women under 3000") — lower volume but higher conversion.
- Competitor analysis: find keywords competitors rank for, content gaps, their backlink sources and top pages.
Topic 6
On-page and off-page optimisation
Meaning
Optimising elements on your own pages
Building authority through signals from other sites
Elements
Title tag, meta description, headings, keyword placement, content depth, images and alt text, internal links, URL
Backlinks, brand mentions, social signals, PR, reviews, guest posts
Control
Full control by the site owner
Earned; partly outside control
Topic 7
Backlink building
- Backlinks act as votes of confidence; quality (relevant, authoritative sites) matters more than quantity.
- White-hat methods: creating linkable assets (research, tools, infographics), digital PR, guest posts on relevant sites, broken-link building, partnerships, listings in reputable directories.
- Avoid: buying links, link farms, private blog networks, excessive exact-match anchor text — these attract penalties; disavow toxic links if needed.
Topic 8
Local and voice SEO
- Local SEO: optimise the Google Business Profile (accurate name, address, phone, category, hours, photos), gather and respond to reviews, consistent NAP citations, local landing pages, local backlinks.
- Voice SEO: conversational, question-based content, FAQ schema, concise answers for featured snippets, fast mobile pages, local intent ("near me").
Example
A clinic in Ludhiana that keeps its Google Business Profile updated and replies to reviews appears in the local "map pack" for "dentist near me".
Topic 9
SEO audits
- 1
Technical audit
Crawl errors, speed, mobile, indexing, HTTPS
- 2
On-page audit
Titles, meta, headings, content quality, duplicates
- 3
Off-page audit
Backlink profile, toxic links
- 4
Competitor and keyword gap analysis
- 5
Analytics review
Organic traffic, rankings, conversions
- 6
Prioritised action plan
- Tools: Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs.
Key terms
- Crawling
- Discovery of pages by search engine bots
- Canonical tag
- Indicates the preferred version of duplicate pages
- E-E-A-T
- Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness
- Long-tail keyword
- Specific, longer search phrase
- Backlink
- Link from another website to yours
Quick revision
- Crawl → index → rank → serve; ranking factors; algorithm updates.
- Robots.txt, meta robots, canonical, sitemaps, Search Console.
- Technical SEO: architecture, speed (Core Web Vitals), HTTPS, schema; mobile-first.
- Keyword research by intent; long-tail; competitor gaps.
- On-page vs off-page; backlinks; local and voice SEO; audits.
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.Distinguish crawling and indexing.
- Q2.What is robots.txt?
- Q3.What is mobile-first indexing?
- Q4.Name four types of search intent.
- Q5.Distinguish on-page and off-page SEO.
- Q6.What is a Google Business Profile?
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain how search engines crawl, index and rank web pages.
- Q2.Discuss technical SEO and site architecture.
- Q3.Explain keyword research and competitor analysis for SEO.
- Q4.Discuss backlink building, local SEO and the SEO audit process.
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