Effective search engine optimisation helps people find useful information and helps search engines understand it. For digital marketers, the priorities include relevant content, accessible pages, clear navigation, and a reliable mobile experience.
As search results expand to include AI-generated answers, these foundations remain relevant. Google states that its established SEO practices also apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode, with no separate optimisation requirements for inclusion.
Here are ten SEO practices worth understanding and applying.
1. Improve the user experience
A visitor should be able to read your content, navigate the page, and complete a task without unnecessary difficulty.
Check whether pages load promptly, respond to interaction, and remain visually stable. Google’s Core Web Vitals measure these aspects of page experience, although good scores alone do not guarantee high rankings.
For a university website, a useful test is whether someone can find a course, check its eligibility requirements, and locate admission information on a phone.
2. Give your homepage a clear purpose
Use the homepage to explain what your organisation offers and guide visitors towards relevant sections. Give detailed topics their own pages, supported by a logical site structure and descriptive links. Google recommends organising content so that people and search engines can understand the relationships between pages.
A university homepage, for example, can direct prospective students to programmes, admissions, departments, and campus information.
3. Use video when it helps explain the subject
A demonstration, tutorial, or campus walkthrough can answer questions that are difficult to address through text alone.
Give each video a descriptive title and relevant supporting text. Make it easy to find and watch. Google’s SEO guidance recommends placing videos near related content and providing dedicated pages where individual videos are the main focus.
Choose the format according to the question. A laboratory demonstration may benefit from video, while eligibility criteria should remain easy to read as text.
4. Match content length to the reader’s needs
Google has no preferred word count. A long article earns its length by explaining a subject thoroughly, adding useful examples, or resolving questions that a short answer cannot cover.
Before extending a page, ask what information is missing. Remove repeated explanations and introductions that delay the answer. A focused response to a simple question can be more useful than several pages of general advice.
5. Keep important content available on mobile
Google uses the mobile version of a website’s content for indexing and ranking. Mobile pages should therefore retain the important information, meaningful headings, and metadata available on desktop.
Check menus, forms, tables, and embedded media on a small screen. On a course page, students should be able to read fees and eligibility details without struggling with the layout.
6. Use sitemaps to support discovery
A sitemap tells search engines about pages and files you consider important. It can help discovery, particularly on large or complex websites, but it does not guarantee crawling or indexing.
Treat the sitemap as one part of website maintenance. When a page is missing from search results, investigate its accessibility and indexing status instead of assuming that submitting its URL will resolve the problem.
7. Optimise images for speed and understanding
Use appropriately sized, compressed images that remain clear. Place them near relevant text and provide descriptive alt text where appropriate. Google recommends balancing image quality with loading performance.
For example, a photograph of a student using laboratory equipment should have a description that explains the scene. Avoid filling image descriptions with unrelated keywords.
8. Add internal links that serve a purpose
Internal links help visitors explore related information and help Google discover pages. Use descriptive link text that explains the destination.
An article about learning digital marketing can link directly to the relevant course page. Review links when content changes so that readers reach the information promised by the link text.
9. Write accurate meta descriptions
A meta description should briefly explain what a page offers. Google may use it in a search snippet, but it can also select text from the page according to the query.
There is no fixed Google limit of 150–160 characters. Snippets are shortened as needed to fit the device. Use that range as an editorial guide if helpful, while prioritising accuracy and clarity.
10. Treat AMP as an optional technology
Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP, is a web framework. Google states that AMP itself is not a ranking factor.
Assess your website’s actual performance and maintenance needs before choosing a framework. Focus on delivering pages that work well for visitors across devices.
Learning digital marketing at Brainware University
Understanding SEO involves research, writing, technical checks, and interpreting results. Students exploring digital marketing courses in Kolkata and nearby areas can consider Brainware University’s BBA (Honours) in Digital Marketing, offered at its Barasat campus.
The four-year programme combines business administration with subjects including SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, online advertising, and web analytics.
Review the official BBA (Honours) in Digital Marketing course page for current eligibility, fees, and programme details. When comparing study options, ask how students practise website analysis, plan campaigns, and evaluate their work.
