Search Marketing
Overview
This unit aims to develop students’ conceptual understanding and competency in search engine marketing as a core component of digital marketing strategy. Students will examine how search engines function and how organisations use search engine optimisation (SEO) and paid search (Search Engine Marketing / Pay-Per-Click Advertising) to attract, acquire, and convert customers. The unit emphasises keyword strategy, search intent, content optimisation, paid search campaign design, and performance measurement. Through applied activities and real‑world scenarios, students will design, implement, and optimise search marketing initiatives using data‑driven insights, while considering ethical, privacy, and platform governance issues in contemporary search marketing practice.
Requisites
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Evaluate the role of search marketing as a strategic capability, and its relevance to professional development
- Design an integrated search engine marketing strategy, incorporating SEO and SEM, to support organisational goals, while considering ethical and legal issues
- Evaluate search intent, behaviour, and interaction using keyword research, competitive analysis, and search analytics tools
- Implement and optimise search marketing campaigns by interpreting performance data and recommending evidence‑based improvements
- Demonstrate certifications and competence in using industry best-practice search marketing technology platforms
Teaching methods
All applicable locations
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
On-campus Class |
2 | 12 weeks | 24 |
Online Lecture (Asyncronous) |
1 | 12 weeks | 12 |
Online Learning Activities |
0.25 | 12 weeks | 3 |
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
9.25 | 12 weeks | 111 |
| Total | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULOs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1 | Individual | 0% | 1 |
| Assignment 2 | Individual | 0% | 1,5 |
| Assignment 3 | Individual | 0 % | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Content
- Search marketing ecosystem and the role of search in digital strategy
- SEO fundamentals and on‑page / off-page optimisation
- Technical SEO, site structure, and search accessibility
- Keyword research, search intent, and content optimisation
- SEM and PPC fundamentals
- Ad creation, bidding strategies, and campaign structure
- Search analytics, metrics, and performance measurement
- Using data to optimise organic and paid search performance
- Ethical, legal, and privacy considerations in search marketing
- Certification in best-practice SEO / PPC technology platforms
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.