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Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand how Google search works
- Conduct basic keyword research
- Identify search intent (informational vs. transactional)
- Optimize on-page elements (title, meta, headers)
- Use AI for keyword clustering and content gap analysis
1. How Google Search Works
The Three Pillars
- Crawling: Google’s bots discover pages by following links
- Indexing: Google stores and organizes the content
- Ranking: Google determines which pages best answer a query
What Google Evaluates
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Relevance | Does the page match the search query? |
| Authority | Is this a trusted source? (backlinks, brand signals) |
| User Experience | Is the page fast, mobile-friendly, easy to use? |
| Content Quality | Is it comprehensive, accurate, original? |
E-E-A-T (Google’s Quality Guidelines)
- Experience: Does the author have first-hand experience?
- Expertise: Is the author knowledgeable in the field?
- Authoritativeness: Is this a go-to source for this topic?
- Trustworthiness: Is the content and site trustworthy?
2. Keyword Research Fundamentals
What is a Keyword?
A keyword is any word or phrase people type into Google to find information.
Keyword Types
| Type | Volume | Competition | Intent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head | High | High | Broad | “coffee” |
| Body | Medium | Medium | Moderate | “best coffee Kathmandu” |
| Long-tail | Low | Low | Specific | “organic fair trade coffee near Thamel” |
The Keyword Research Process
1. Brainstorm seed keywords
↓
2. Expand with tools
↓
3. Analyze search volume & difficulty
↓
4. Check search intent
↓
5. Prioritize & organize
Free Keyword Research Tools
| Tool | Best For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Google Keyword Planner | Volume estimates | ads.google.com |
| Ubersuggest | Free keyword ideas | neilpatel.com/ubersuggest |
| AnswerThePublic | Question keywords | answerthepublic.com |
| Google Trends | Trend analysis | trends.google.com |
| Google Autocomplete | Related searches | google.com |
🤖 AI Integration: Keyword Brainstorming
Prompt Template:
I run a [business type] in [location].
My target customers are [description].
Generate 30 keyword ideas organized by:
1. Informational keywords (people researching)
2. Commercial keywords (people comparing options)
3. Transactional keywords (people ready to buy)
For each keyword, estimate:
- Search intent
- Difficulty (low/medium/high)
- Relevance to my business
3. Understanding Search Intent
The Four Types of Search Intent
| Intent | Description | Example | Content Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | Learning/researching | “what is SEO” | Blog posts, guides |
| Navigational | Finding specific site | “Facebook login” | Homepage, login page |
| Commercial | Comparing options | “best SEO tools Nepal” | Comparison posts, reviews |
| Transactional | Ready to buy | “buy SEO services Kathmandu” | Service pages, pricing |
How to Identify Intent
- Google it: See what type of content ranks
- Look at SERP features: Ads = transactional, Knowledge panel = informational
- Analyze the keywords: “buy,” “price,” “best,” “how to,” “what is”
Matching Content to Intent
| If intent is… | Create… |
|---|---|
| Informational | Blog posts, guides, tutorials |
| Commercial | Comparison posts, reviews, lists |
| Transactional | Product/service pages, landing pages |
4. On-Page SEO Elements
The On-Page SEO Checklist
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TITLE TAG (50-60 characters) │
│ Primary keyword + Brand │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ META DESCRIPTION (150-160 characters) │
│ Compelling summary with keyword │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ URL STRUCTURE │
│ Short, descriptive, keyword-included │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ H1 TAG (one per page) │
│ Main headline, includes primary keyword│
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ H2-H6 SUBHEADINGS │
│ Organize content, include variations │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BODY CONTENT │
│ Comprehensive, natural keyword usage │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ IMAGES │
│ Alt text, compressed, descriptive names│
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ INTERNAL LINKS │
│ Link to related content on your site │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Title Tag Best Practices
Format: Primary Keyword | Secondary Keyword - Brand Name
Examples:
-
✅ “SEO Services in Nepal Digital Marketing - Gurkha Tech” - ✅ “Best Coffee Shops in Kathmandu 2025 - Local Guide”
- ❌ “Home - My Website” (too generic)
- ❌ “Best SEO Services Nepal SEO Company Nepal SEO” (keyword stuffing)
Meta Description Best Practices
Include:
- Primary keyword (naturally)
- Value proposition
- Call-to-action
- Compelling reason to click
Example:
Looking for SEO services in Nepal? Get a free website audit and
discover how to rank higher on Google. 100+ businesses served.
Contact us today!
URL Structure
| Bad URL | Good URL |
|---|---|
/page123 |
/seo-services-nepal |
/services/service-1 |
/services/seo |
/blog/post?id=456 |
/blog/seo-tips-beginners |
5. AI-Assisted SEO Analysis
Keyword Clustering with AI
Prompt Template:
I have these keywords for my [business type]:
[List your keywords]
Group these keywords into clusters based on:
1. Topic similarity
2. Search intent
3. Funnel stage (awareness/consideration/decision)
Suggest which keywords should be:
- Targeted on the same page
- Given their own dedicated page
- Used as secondary keywords
Content Gap Analysis
Prompt Template:
I'm a [business type] in [location].
My main competitors are: [list competitors]
My current content covers: [list topics]
Analyze potential content gaps:
1. What topics are my competitors covering that I'm not?
2. What questions does my target audience have that no one is answering well?
3. What keywords might I be missing?
Provide specific content ideas with target keywords.
6. Technical SEO Basics
Core Web Vitals
| Metric | What it Measures | Target |
|---|---|---|
| LCP | Loading (Largest Contentful Paint) | < 2.5s |
| FID | Interactivity (First Input Delay) | < 100ms |
| CLS | Visual Stability (Cumulative Layout Shift) | < 0.1 |
Quick Technical Wins
- Enable compression - Gzip/Brotli
- Optimize images - WebP format, lazy loading
- Use a CDN - Cloudflare (free tier)
- Enable caching - Browser and server caching
- Minimize CSS/JS - Remove unused code
Tools to Test
- PageSpeed Insights - Google’s official tool
- GTmetrix - Detailed performance analysis
- Mobile-Friendly Test - Mobile optimization
Hands-on Activity: “Green Light SEO”
Duration: 45 minutes
Objective: Optimize one web page to meet SEO standards
Part 1: Keyword Selection (10 min)
- Choose a page from your project
- Research 1 primary keyword + 3 secondary keywords
- Confirm search intent matches your page type
Part 2: On-Page Optimization (25 min)
- Write/rewrite the title tag (50-60 chars)
- Write a compelling meta description (150-160 chars)
- Ensure URL is clean and includes keyword
- Add/optimize H1 and H2 tags
- Add alt text to images
- Add 2-3 internal links
Part 3: Technical Check (10 min)
- Test page speed with PageSpeed Insights
- Run mobile-friendly test
- Document issues to fix
SEO Audit Template
PAGE URL: _______________
PRIMARY KEYWORD: _______________
SEARCH INTENT: □ Informational □ Commercial □ Transactional
TITLE TAG
- Current: _______________
- Optimized: _______________
- Characters: ____
META DESCRIPTION
- Current: _______________
- Optimized: _______________
- Characters: ____
URL
- Current: _______________
- Optimized: _______________
HEADINGS
- H1: _______________
- H2s: _______________
IMAGES
- Alt text added: □ Yes □ No
INTERNAL LINKS
- Added: _______________
PAGE SPEED
- Score: ____
- Key issues: _______________
Deliverables
- Completed keyword research for your project (10+ keywords)
- SEO audit of one page using the template
- Optimized title tag and meta description
- PageSpeed Insights screenshot with score
Key Takeaways
- Keywords are questions: Match your content to what people search
- Intent matters more than volume: Right traffic > More traffic
- On-page basics are powerful: Title, meta, headers make a difference
- Technical SEO is foundational: Fast, mobile-friendly sites rank better
- AI accelerates research: Use it for clustering and gap analysis
Additional Resources
- Google Search Central - Official documentation
- Moz Beginner’s Guide to SEO - Comprehensive guide
- Ahrefs Blog - Advanced SEO tactics
- Search Engine Journal - Industry news
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