Due to India’s quick digital change, there is a greater need for SEO professionals. It is also a vital part of the developed digital marketing industries in global countries like the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. Professionals with dual knowledge are in more demand as SEO and content marketing become more intertwined. Check your expertise with our collection of top 40 interview questions for search engine optimization professionals. Kickstart your journey with our SEO course syllabus.
Interview Questions for SEO Freshers
Here are frequently asked SEO interview questions and answers:
1. What is SEO?
The process of optimizing a website to raise its organic visibility and rating on search engine results pages (SERPs) is known as SEO (Search Engine Optimization). In other words, the technique of increasing a website’s exposure in search engine results pages (SERPs) is known as search engine optimization, or SEO. Instead of direct, referral, social media, or paid traffic, SEO concentrates on unpaid search traffic.
2. Why is SEO important?
As it helps companies increase their exposure and drive more visitors to their websites, search engine optimization, or SEO, is crucial. Credibility, sales, and brand awareness may all rise as a result. SEO raises brand visibility and reputation, enhances user experience, and generates organic traffic.
3. What are the three main types of SEO?
On-page SEO, off-page SEO, and Technical SEO are the main types of SEO.
- On-page SEO: It makes a website’s content more user-friendly and search engine friendly. This entails adding internal connections and graphics, producing thorough material, and utilizing pertinent keywords.
- Off-page SEO: It raises a website’s position in search results by utilizing activities that take place outside of it. This covers local citations and link building.
- Technical SEO: It ensures a website satisfies search engines’ technical specifications. This covers website construction, crawling, indexing, and rendering.
4. What is a search engine algorithm?
A collection of guidelines known as a search engine algorithm establishes how pertinent a webpage is to a query. In order to rank web pages and provide search results, search engines employ algorithms.
Examples of search engine algorithms:
- SEO algorithms: Examine the content, organization, and relevancy of a webpage to ascertain its rating.
- A Search Algorithm: determines the best route between two graph nodes.
5. What is the difference between SEO and SEM?
While SEM (Search Engine Marketing) involves paid advertising (like Google Ads), SEO concentrates on organic search results.
| SEO | SEM |
| SEO aims to raise a website’s organic search engine ranking. | It increases presence on search engine results pages by utilizing both paid and organic search. |
| A continuous procedure that may not yield results for months or years. | It is able to boost site visitors rapidly. |
| It may contribute to raising click-through rates (CTRs). | It includes pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, like Google Ads’ sponsored results. |
| Search engine optimization (SEO) is a long-term strategy that raises a website’s organic search rating. | Search engine marketing (SEM) is a short-term tactic that combines sponsored and organic search. |
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6. What is on-page SEO?
The practice of improving a website’s pages to rank higher in search results is known as on-page SEO. It entails improving page components including content, title tags, and headings. Optimizing web page components such internal links, headings, meta tags, and text.
- Additional on-page SEO strategies include creating SEO-friendly content, optimizing URLs, and speeding up site loads.
- Together, on-page and off-page SEO can raise organic traffic to your website and make it more visible in search engine results.
7. What are meta tags?
HTML tags known as “meta tags” give browsers and search engines details about a webpage. They are code snippets that are appended to the HTML <head> element of a page. HTML tags (title, description, etc.) that tell people and search engines about a webpage.
8. What is the importance of title tags?
Title tags are important because they give a brief overview of a webpage’s content that appears in browser tabs and search engine results, enabling users to quickly grasp the content of a page before clicking on it.
They also let search engines know that a page is relevant to a user’s search query, which affects search ranking and user engagement. In other words, title tags are essentially a major factor in determining whether someone clicks on your page from search results.
9. What is the ideal length for a meta description?
The greatest rule of thumb for the ideal length of a meta description is to keep it between 150 and 160 characters. However, Google frequently makes changes to meta description length allowances without warning, so don’t rely on these suggested lengths to remain constant.
10. What are heading tags (H1, H2, H3)?
With “H1” standing for the main title, “H2” for major subheadings, and “H3” for additional sub-sections, heading tags (H1, H2, H3) are HTML elements that define the hierarchy of headings and subheadings on a webpage. This effectively creates a structured organization for content that is easily readable by both users and search engines.
11. What is keyword density?
How frequently a keyword occurs on a page in relation to the overall word count. To prevent keyword stuffing, aim for 1-2%.
The percentage of times a keyword occurs in a piece of material in relation to the total number of words is known as keyword density. It’s a search engine optimization (SEO) measure.
To calculate keyword density:
- The frequency of a keyword’s occurrence in a piece of material is divided by the total number of words in the text.
- To determine the percentage, multiply the outcome by 100.
Example: The keyword density is 1%, if a keyword occurs ten times in a blog article of 1,000 words.
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12. What is internal linking?
Linking one page on your website to another within the same website is known as internal linking, and it facilitates user navigation and helps search engines comprehend the organization of your website. Including links to other pages on your website to spread link equity and enhance navigation.
The advantages of internal linking:
- SEO: Search engines use internal links to assess the quality and relevancy of the information on your website. Higher rankings and increased visibility in search results may result from this.
- User Experience: Internal links facilitate content discovery and topic exploration.
13. What is anchor text?
Text that can be clicked to direct a user to another page or resource is known as anchor text. It is also referred to as link text. The text in a hyperlink that can be clicked. It must be pertinent to the linked page and descriptive.
Examples of anchor text:
- To return to the top of the current page, click the “back to top” link.
- A link that directs users to a particular area of another webpage.
14. What is image alt text?
An image’s alt text, also known as alternative text, is a succinct explanation that can be found in HTML code. It aids search engines in comprehending the image’s information and helps visually impaired people grasp what the image depicts. A description that search engines employ to interpret an image’s content. Accessibility is also enhanced.
15. What is a 301 redirect?
A permanent redirect from one URL to another is called a 301 redirect. This HTTP status code informs browsers and search engines that a page has moved permanently. A long-term redirect that transfers link equity between URLs.
It guarantees that users are taken to the appropriate page. It aids in keeping your internet presence honest. It keeps your previous pages’ SEO rating intact. It stops users from arriving at error pages.
16. What is off-page SEO?
A search engine optimization (SEO) strategy called “off-page SEO” uses actions taken outside of a website to raise its search engine ranks. Another name for it is off-site SEO.
Actions taken outside of the website, such social media marketing and link building, to raise its authority and ranking. It includes link building, local citation, content marketing, social media marketing, podcasting, and video marketing.
17. What is backlinking?
When two websites link to each other, this is known as backlinking. Inbound or incoming links are other names for backlinks. Links pointing to your website from other websites raise its rankings and domain authority.
Examples of backlinks
- When a blog post about hiking equipment is linked from a mountain climbing website.
- When a hedgehog sighting map is linked from a British hedgehog website.
- When a webinar recording is linked from a website.
18. What is a dofollow link?
A hyperlink that permits search engines to follow it to a linked website is known as a dofollow link. “Follow” links are another name for dofollow links. A link that gives the linked page link equity, or SEO value. It involves link equity, search engine rankings, and anchor text.
19. What is a nofollow link?
Often used for sponsored links or user-generated content, this link does not convey link equity. A hyperlink that instructs search engines to disregard it and not factor it into a website’s ranking is known as a nofollow link. The link’s HTML code specifies the nofollow tag.
When you don’t want to completely support the linked page, when the link is to a page in a niche that Google doesn’t like, when the connection is to user-generated content, or when the link is a sponsored link, you can use a nofollow link.
20. What is guest blogging?
Guest blogging is the one composing content for other websites in order to increase exposure and backlinks. Writing and publishing a blog article on someone else’s or a business’s website is known as guest blogging. It allows website owners to enrich their blogs with fresh viewpoints and knowledge.
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SEO Interview Questions for Experienced Professionals
Here are the advanced SEO interview questions and answers for experienced candidates.
1. What is domain authority (DA)?
A statistic (by Moz) that uses backlinks and other variables to forecast a website’s position in search engine results pages. A number called Domain Authority (DA) forecasts a website’s position in search engine results pages (SERPs). This measure was created by Moz, a search engine optimization (SEO) tool.
Higher numbers on the DA scale, which ranges from 1 to 100, indicate stronger ranking potential.
The importance of DA:
- DA assists in tracking advancements achieved in to secure a favorable SERP position.
- DA assists in evaluating present performance and contrasting it with rivals.
2. What is page authority (PA)?
A statistic that forecasts a page’s likelihood of ranking (by Moz). Based on variables like the quantity of backlinks and the general caliber of links pointing to that page, Moz created the Page Authority (PA) score, which is a comparative measure that means a “good” PA score is dependent on the competition in a particular niche rather than an absolute value.
Higher scores indicate a greater potential to rank high on search engine result pages (SERPs). Important details regarding Page Authority:
- Scale: The range of PA scores is 1 to 100.
- Calculation: To determine PA, a machine learning model takes into account a number of variables, such as link counts and information from Moz’s web index.
- Use Case: Mainly employed in SEO to evaluate the relative ranking potential of various web pages among competitors or inside a domain.
3. What is broken link building?
identifying broken links on other websites and recommending your material as a substitute. Finding broken links on other websites and replacing them with links to your own website is known as broken link building. Increasing the authority and search engine rating of your website is the aim.
The advantages of creating broken links:
- Backlinks to your website can be obtained.
- You can assist owners of websites in enhancing their SEO.
4. What is social bookmarking?
Web pages can be saved and shared on social bookmarking sites to increase visibility and traffic. Using a social bookmarking platform to organize, share, and save online pages is known as social bookmarking. It enables users to annotate, tag, and remark on their bookmarks.
The benefits of social bookmarking:
- Finding ideas for social media can be facilitated by social bookmarking.
- It can assist users in building influencer networks and obtaining backlinks.
- It can assist users in recognizing patterns in source types, which can improve search engine visibility.
5. What is local SEO?
Optimizing a website, usually for companies with physical locations, to appear higher in local search results. The goal of local SEO, or search engine optimization, is to increase a company’s exposure in local search results. It’s particularly helpful for companies that have physical sites.
Benefits of local SEO:
- Businesses can increase their organic traffic with the aid of local SEO.
- It can assist companies in gaining more clients.
- It can assist local businesses in increasing conversions.
Use Cases of Local SEO:
- Any company that has a physical address.
- Any company that caters to a certain region.
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6. What is technical SEO?
Optimizing a website’s technical features, including crawlability, mobile friendliness, and performance. The process of improving a website’s technical elements to increase its search engine exposure and performance is known as technical SEO. Helping search engines place a website higher in search results is the aim.
The process of technical SEO:
- Crawling: To index a website’s pages, search engines crawl it.
- Indexing: A website’s pages are indexed by search engines.
- Rendering: Website pages are rendered by search engines.
- Website Architecture: Technical SEO enhances a website’s backend components and architecture.
7. What is a sitemap?
A file that helps search engines in crawling and indexing a website by listing every page. A list of a website’s files and pages together with the connections between them is called a sitemap. Sitemaps make it easier for search engines to comprehend and traverse your website. They can also assist visitors in navigating your website.
Types of sitemaps:
- HTML Sitemaps: Assist visitors in navigating the website
- XML Sitemaps: Images, videos, news, and mobile sitemaps are all possible.
Creating and submitting a sitemap:
- Compile all of the URLs for your website. Enter the URLs.
- Open your Google Search Console account and log in.
- In the sidebar, select “Index” → “Sitemaps.”
- In the field, type the URL of your sitemap.
- Press “Submit.”
8. What is robots.txt?
An instruction file that instructs search engine bots on which pages to avoid or crawl. A text file called robots.txt instructs search engine crawlers on which sections of a website they are permitted to view. A website’s root is typically where you’ll find it, like in https://www.example.com/robots.txt.
The purpose of robots.txt:
- To prevent sending too many queries to your website.
- To stop crawlers from using up bandwidth.
- To guarantee precise and effective indexation of your web pages.
How is a robots.txt file created?
- To define which crawlers can access particular areas of a website, use rules.
- Employ the Robots Exclusion Standard Block or provide access to a particular crawler or to all crawlers.
9. What is canonicalization?
Identifying the preferred version of a page when there is duplicate material by using a canonical tag. The process of choosing a piece of content’s representative, or canonical, URL is known as canonicalization. The URL of a page that Google selected as the most representative among a group of duplicate pages is hence known as a canonical URL.
10. What is structured data?
Code applied to a website, such as schema markup, to improve search engine comprehension of its content. Data that has been formatted and arranged according to a defined structure is known as structured data. Both computers and people can access and process the data more easily because of this arrangement.
Examples of structured data:
- Name, address, and phone number fields in a client data table.
- A list of past purchases A list of followers on social media.
- A relational database that contains fields for addresses and credit card numbers.
- A sales data table containing the item sold, the price, the tax, the sale date, and the sale location.
11. What is mobile-first indexing?
For indexing and ranking, Google mostly uses a website’s mobile version. A Google algorithm known as “mobile-first indexing” gives preference to a website’s mobile version when it comes to indexing, ranking, and crawling. This indicates that Google indexes and ranks websites mostly based on their mobile versions rather than their desktop versions.
To make our website more mobile-friendly:
- Make use of responsive design to enable site parts to adapt to screen sizes automatically.
- Verify that the content is the same on desktop and mobile devices.
- Utilize the same metadata for both iterations of your website.
- Examine where your advertisements are placed.
- Examine the visual material and provide mobile-friendly navigation.
- Check Google Search Console’s “Mobile usability” report on a regular basis.
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12. What are Core Web Vitals?
Google’s user experience measurements, such as visual stability (CLS), interaction (FID), and loading (LCP).
A collection of measures known as Core Web Vitals (CWVs) gauges how well a website functions for visitors. They contain measures for visual stability, interactivity, and loading speed.
The Core Web Vitals:
- LCP, or Largest Contentful Paint: determines how long it takes for the content of a page to load.
- First Input Delay (FID): The time it takes for a page to react to a user’s initial interaction is known as the First Input Delay (FID).
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): The amount that a page’s layout changes when content is added or removed is measured by the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
13. What is a 404 error?
A message stating that there is a page error. It needs to be redirected or corrected. An HTTP status code known as a 404 error is displayed when a user attempts to access a page that is either unavailable, has been relocated, or has a broken link. It’s among the most frequent mistakes consumers make.
The causes of 404 error:
- The page has been removed.
- A new URL has been used for the page.
- Internal links were not updated when the URL or its contents were removed or relocated.
- The user input the URL incorrectly.
Solutions for 404 Error:
- Go back to the page.
- Verify the URL
- Verify the directory levels.
- Look through the webpage.
- Make use of a search engine
- Try using a different device to view the website.
- Empty your cookies and cache.
- Speak with the website’s administrator.
What impact might a 404 error have on a website?
- A large quantity of 404 errors may indicate inadequate upkeep and out-of-date material, which could lower the website’s search engine ranking.
- Confusion and a poor user experience might result from rerouting all 404 errors to the homepage.
14. What is the crawl budget?
The quantity of pages a search engine bot will visit on your website in a specified amount of time. The most pages a search engine can crawl on a website in a specified amount of time is known as the crawl budget. It refers to how much time and effort a search engine devotes to crawling a page.
What makes the crawl budget crucial?
- It keeps too many connections from overloading a website’s server.
- It guarantees that users of the website enjoy a positive experience.
15. What is HTTPS, and why is it important?
A safe communication protocol for websites. It is a ranking component and enhances trust. Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is referred to as HTTPS. Data transferred between a web browser and a website is encrypted using this safe version of HTTP. Because it prevents hackers from accessing or changing sensitive data, HTTPS is crucial.
The importance of HTTPS:
- Protects Sensitive Data: HTTPS safeguards private information such as credit card numbers, passwords, and browser history.
- Maintains Trust: By guaranteeing the security of their data, HTTPS helps keep customers’ trust.
- Enhances SEO: HTTPS can raise a website’s position in search results, such as Google.
- Enhanced Mobile Performance: Accelerated mobile pages (AMP), which make it possible for mobile content to load more quickly, require HTTPS.
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16. What is Google Search Console?
Google offers a free tool to track website performance, correct mistakes, and improve search engine optimization. A free tool called Google Search Console (GSC) assists you in controlling and enhancing your website’s visibility in Google Search. It can be used for:
- Monitor the technical SEO health and search engine visibility of your website.
- Recognize how Google views your website.
- Find and correct technical SEO mistakes.
- Boost the customer experience on your website.
- Increase Google traffic.
17. What is Google Analytics?
A tool to monitor user activity, conversions, and website traffic. You may learn more about how users interact with your website or app by using Google Analytics, a free service. It keeps track of user information and offers reports to assist you enhance your internet visibility.
How to utilize Google Analytics:
- Visit Google’s analytics website.
- Press Start. Assessing if you are unfamiliar with Google Analytics
- Click Create, then Account. Enter the name of your account.
- To add your first property, click Next.
Businesses across a wide range of sectors, including digital marketing, retail, banking, and hospitality, use Google Analytics.
18. What is BERT?
Google’s algorithm update that emphasizes comprehending context and natural language in search requests. A machine learning paradigm called BERT, or Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, aids computers in deciphering text. In 2018, Google created it.
Importances of BERT:
- The purpose of BERT is to increase the effectiveness of tasks using natural language processing (NLP).
- It has been refined for application in a number of domains, such as data science, medicine, and biology.
- It’s also utilized to enhance Google search results.
19. What is E-A-T in SEO?
Three qualities that are critical to the quality of material are expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. E-A-T stands for authority, competence, and reliability. It’s a rule that Google follows when assessing a page’s quality and ranking it in search results.
Impacts of EAT on SEO:
- Google utilizes the E-A-T factor to assess a page’s quality.
- Google’s search results are more likely to display pages that exhibit E-A-T.
- E-A-T is essential for producing high-quality content and giving users an improved experience.
20. What is the future of SEO?
Voice search, video optimization, AI-driven content, and user experience will all be given more attention in SEO.
It is widely anticipated that artificial intelligence (AI) will drive SEO in the future, with a growing emphasis on personalization, user intent, and high-quality content.
As search engines improve their ability to comprehend complex queries and provide highly relevant results tailored to individual users, SEO strategies will need to shift from keyword stuffing to creating content that aligns with specific user needs and context.
Important aspects of this shift include the growing importance of voice search, visual search, and local SEO, in addition to a continued emphasis on user experience and E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) best practices.
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Conclusion
To be competitive, SEO specialists need to keep up with emerging technologies like voice search optimization, AI integration, and Core Web Vitals. Take advantage of our interview questions for search engine optimization to gain expertise with core to advanced skills. Enroll in our SEO training in Chennai.
