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Search marketing

Gain the skills to use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) effectively in your digital marketing campaigns with The Open University (OU) and industry experts, Target Internet. Whether you are new to search marketing or have some existing experience, this course will provide you with the critical knowledge to make sure your business can be found online.

Target Internet logo

Standalone study only

You will not be awarded credits for studying this course. It is available for standalone study only and cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Short course

Short course code

YG005

Credits

This is a non-credit bearing course.

Study method

Distance Learning

Short course cost

See Registration

Entry requirements

See Entry requirements
Course details Entry requirements Registration Study materials

What you will study

Throughout this course, you’ll benefit from expert insight into how to achieve your search marketing goals. Practical exercises will help you to apply your new knowledge, and the social learning approach will empower you to further enhance and reflect on your understanding by sharing your thoughts and opinions with co-learners.

Delivered over four easy-to-digest sections, you will cover:

1. Mapping the user journey

  • The role of search throughout the user journey
  • ROI in search marketing
  • Short-term and long-term objectives and tactics
  • Key opportunities and challenges of organic search
  • Key opportunities and challenges of paid search
  • Organic and paid search working together

2. Search engine optimisation (SEO)

  • Search engine algorithms and ranking factors
  • Keyword research and user intent
  • SEO planning and tools
  • On-page optimisation
  • User behaviour
  • Social signals
  • Technical SEO factors

3. Paid search marketing (PPC)

  • Paid search in the user journey
  • Keyword research for paid search
  • Paid search ROI
  • PPC campaign structure and settings
  • Targeting PPC campaigns
  • Creating effective PPC ads
  • Measuring PPC success

4. Measuring search marketing

  • Taking an iterative approach to search marketing
  • Calculating ROI for search engine optimisation
  • Calculating ROI for pay per click
  • Using web analytics (Google Analytics) for measuring and improving search marketing
  • Using Search Console for measuring and improving SEO
  • Attribution modelling for gaining a more in-depth understanding of the impact of search marketing

Please note: the content in this course also features in courses created by The Open University and Target Internet which are available on FutureLearn.

You will learn

By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills to:

  • apply keyword research using industry tools for both SEO and PPC
  • produce optimised content in line with SEO best practice
  • create and implement link building and social signal campaigns
  • develop optimised content for user experience related to SEO
  • produce and build PPC campaigns
  • interpret and analyse SEO and PPC reports and analytics.

Vocational relevance

Online search forms more than 70% of user journeys, so it’s an essential part of your digital marketing armoury. This course will help you build critical skills to use search marketing effectively in the user journey, improve organic search rankings, use PPC to improve search traffic and explore analytics to measure the return on investment of your campaigns.

This course has been developed by the OU with industry experts, Target Internet. Known for being leaders in digital marketing training, they also have vast experience in planning and implementing digital campaigns for high-profile brands, including the BBC, Sony, Tesco, Vodafone, Mercedes, L’Oreal and Warner Bros. It’s hosted by Target Internet’s CEO Daniel Rowles, the voice behind the Digital Marketing Podcast and renowned author in the field.

Learner support

There is no tuition on this course, and all study is self-directed. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to enhance and reflect on your understanding by sharing your thoughts and opinions with co-learners.

Teaching and assessment

Assessment

This online course is delivered via social learning and includes video, audio and written tutorials. You can learn at your own pace with complete flexibility. Throughout the course, you will be asked to respond to questions, reflect on your experiences and learning, and carry out short exercises to help you develop your understanding.

At the end of each section, you will be asked to answer a set of multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge. You can attempt these as often as you need to. It is important to complete them because they count towards your final score.

To receive a Certificate of Completion, you will need to complete every section and achieve at least 70% in all tests.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.


Entry requirements

You don’t need any prior search marketing knowledge to join this course, although any work experience will help enhance and contextualise your learning.

It’s suitable for those who are new to the subject and want to build their knowledge, traditional marketers and communicators who would like to upskill in social media, and more experienced marketers who want to cement their knowledge of the latest trends.

The content in this course is suitable for a global audience and the skills you learn can be applied in a wide range of marketing roles, whether in the public or third sector, large corporates, or SMEs.

If you'd like to discuss the suitability of the course, please contact us.

Course length

This course will take around 32 hours to complete and you can learn at your own pace. As a guide, if you set aside four hours per week, it would take eight weeks to complete.

You can begin learning at any time. You will have a minimum of six months and up to 18 months to complete the course, depending on your registration date.

Register

Start End England fee Register
At anytime before registration end date Jan 2025 - see Entry requirements for more detail £200.00

Registration closes 31/07/2024

Register

Ways to pay

Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Sponsorship – If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.

The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2024/25 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a household income of less than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

All learning materials, exercises and activities are delivered entirely online.

Computing requirements

You can learn from your desktop computer or laptop or take your learning with you on a phone or tablet. You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop/laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher. Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all currently supported Android and iOS versions.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet, you can contact us about the support which can be given to meet your needs.