Search Engine Optimisation course
Key takeaways.
SEO is a chain: discovery and indexing failures make ranking irrelevant.
Internal linking is a control system for discovery, priority, and site meaning.
Sitemaps are diagnostic hints; keep them clean and canonical-only.
Robots directives guide behaviour but don’t secure content or replace quality.
Canonicals and duplication control prevent engines from choosing the “wrong” version.
Rendering patterns matter; critical content must be present early and reliably.
Rank with intent: one page should own one primary query outcome.
Technical hygiene (redirects, 404 clean-up, performance, script discipline) protects trust.
Structured data helps clarity and eligibility when it matches visible reality.
Measurement is the real strategy: test one change, log it, compare outcomes, then iterate, using AEO/AIO/LLMO/SXO as lenses, not distractions.
In-depth breakdown.
Search Engine Optimisation [WC - C8] frames SEO as a chain: pages must be discovered, indexed, understood, trusted, and only then ranked. The course begins with discovery fundamentals, how crawlers follow internal links, why orphan pages and broken paths suppress visibility, and how clean URL structures reduce wasted crawl effort. It then moves into indexing control: sitemaps as “hint lists”, robots directives as guidance (not security), and canonical signals to prevent duplicate versions competing against each other.
From there, ranking is treated as a quality problem, not a keyword game. Intent mapping keeps each page scoped to one primary purpose, with headings and structure that match the query’s expected outcome. Information architecture and internal linking build topic clusters so both users and systems can understand hierarchy and relationships, while cannibalisation discipline prevents multiple pages from fighting for the same intent.
Technical SEO focuses on hygiene and stability: redirects without chains, 404 clean-up, performance basics (media weight, layout shifts), and script bloat awareness, especially under mobile-first constraints. Structured data is positioned as clarity and eligibility, not manipulation, with a strong emphasis on consistency with visible content. Finally, measurement turns into a loop: Search Console and analytics reveal opportunities, changes are tested safely, logged, and iterated, extended by modern optimisation lenses like AEO, AIO, LLMO, and SXO to keep content answerable, coherent, and conversion-ready.
Course itinerary.
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Discovery
Sitemaps
Robots basics
Indexing
Duplicates
Rendering considerations
Ranking - intent and relevance
Ranking - quality and clarity
Ranking - trust signals
SEO strategies
Tools and resources
Conclusion and next steps
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Intent mapping
Content types by intent
Avoiding thin content patterns
Information architecture
Internal linking logic
Avoiding cannibalisation
User experience (UX) optimisation
Monitoring and analytics
Conclusion
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Index control
Performance basics
Script bloat awareness
Mobile-first considerations
Structured data introduction
When structured data helps
Implementation caution
404 handling and clean-up
HTTPS and security
XML sitemaps
Mobile search optimisation
Image optimisation for SEO
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Page basics
Internal linking
Anchor text discipline
Contextual vs navigation links
Avoiding orphan pages
Importance of titles and meta descriptions
Headings and hierarchy
Image alt text and captions
Advanced on-page SEO techniques
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Publishing discipline
Refresh and pruning (conceptual)
Avoiding duplication
Content quality markers
Evidence and specificity
Readability for scanning
Technical optimisation and site structure
Strategic link building for content authority
Measuring what matters
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Local intent
Location pages vs spam patterns
Consistency of details
Reviews and trust
NAP consistency (conceptual)
Avoiding manipulation traps
Local SEO strategies
Measuring local SEO success
Leveraging Google reviews
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Tracking basics
Analytics concepts
Tagging discipline
Finding opportunities
Testing changes safely
Reporting that leads to action
Measuring SEO performance
Tools for SEO measurement
Continuous improvement in SEO
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Framework overview
Definitions and overlaps
When each matters
Risks of chasing acronyms
AEO - answer-focused structure
Concise sections and FAQs
Snippet-friendly formatting
AIO - assisting with comprehension
Structured summaries and clarity
Consistency of facts and entities
LLMO - entity clarity and coherence
Reducing ambiguity in content
Maintaining source discipline
SXO - search intent and UX alignment
Page experience basics
Conversion friction reduction
Conclusion and next steps
Course requirements.
The requirements necessary for this course include:
Technology
You need a computer/smart device with a decent internet.
Account
No account is required as the lectures are free to view.
Viewing
This course is taught via a blog article format.
Commitment
You will need to dedicate time and effort, at your own pace.
Frequently Asked Questions.
What does “crawl > index > rank” actually mean?
Crawling finds URLs, indexing stores and understands eligible pages, and ranking orders results based on intent, relevance, and trust signals.
Do sitemaps guarantee pages will rank or be indexed?
No. They help discovery and diagnosis, but indexing depends on quality, duplication, and accessibility.
Why do some pages never get found?
They’re often orphaned (no internal links), buried behind weak navigation, or blocked by broken paths and messy structures.
Is SEO mostly about keywords?
Keywords matter, but intent clarity, structure, usefulness, and site stability usually decide outcomes long-term.
How often should SEO be updated?
Treat it as maintenance: review performance regularly, refresh when facts change, prune weak pages, and iterate based on evidence.
What’s the difference between robots directives and canonical tags?
Robots guide crawling/indexing behaviour; canonicals signal the preferred version when duplicates exist.
Why can duplicate content hurt, even if it’s “your own”?
Near-identical pages dilute signals and confuse which page should represent the intent, reducing ranking consistency.
How does rendering affect SEO?
If key content loads late, depends on interactions, or is hidden behind heavy scripts, engines may index less than users see.
How do I prevent cannibalisation in a content cluster?
Assign one “owner” page per primary intent, link supporting pages to it, and merge/redirect overlaps instead of publishing variations.
What do AEO, AIO, LLMO, and SXO change in practice?
They push clearer answers, tighter structure, consistent entities, and better on-page experience, so content works for humans, search features, and AI discovery.
