BBADM 6th Semester

Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)

BBADM 2021
2023-2024

Study Material - 3
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
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Table of Contents

Sl. No. Topics Page No.

1 SEO Optimization 2–5
2 Blogging 5–7
3 Lead Generating Website 7–8
4 Pay per Click Advertising 8 – 10
6 Webinars 10 - 11
8 E-newsletter 11 - 12

Search engine optimization

1
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

What is search engine optimization?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art and science of getting pages to rank higher in search
engines such as Google. Because search is one of the main ways in which people discover content
online, ranking higher in search engines can lead to an increase in traffic to a website.

In Google and other search engines, the results page often features paid ads at the top of the page,
followed by the regular results or what search marketers call the "organic search results". Traffic that
comes via SEO is often referred to as "organic search traffic" to differentiate it from traffic that comes
through paid search. Paid search is often referred to as search engine marketing (SEM) or pay-per-
click (PPC).

Benefits of SEO

Search engine optimization is a key part of online marketing because search is one of the primary ways
that users navigate the web.

Search results are presented in an ordered list, and the higher up on that list a site can get, the more
traffic the site will tend to receive. For example, for a typical search query, the number one result will
receive 40-60% of the total traffic for that query, with the number two and three results receiving
significantly less traffic. Only 2-3% of searchers click beyond the first page of search results. Thus, even
a small improvement in search engine rankings can result in a website receiving more traffic and
potentially business.

Because of this, many businesses and website owners will try to manipulate the search results so that
their site shows up higher on the search results page (SERP) than their competitors. This is where SEO
comes in.

How SEO works

Search engines such as Google use an algorithm or set of rules to determine what pages to show for
any given query. These algorithms have evolved to be extremely complex, and take into account
hundreds or even thousands of different ranking factors to determine the rankings of their SERPs.
However, there are three core metrics that search engines evaluate to determine the quality of a site
and how it should rank:

• Links - Links from other websites play a key role in determining the ranking of a site in Google
and other search engines. The reason being, a link can be seen as a vote of quality from other
websites, since website owners are unlikely to link to other sites that are of poor quality. Sites
that acquire links from many other sites gain authority (called "PageRank" in Google) in the
eyes of search engines, especially if the sites that are linking to them are themselves
authoritative.

• Content - In addition to looking at links, search engines also analyze the content of a webpage
to determine if it would be relevant for any given search query. A large part of SEO is in
creating content that is targeted towards the keywords that search engines' users are
searching for.

2
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

• Page structure - The third core component of SEO is page structure. Because webpages are
written in HTML, how the HTML code is structured can impact a search engine’s ability to
evaluate a page. Including relevant keywords in the title, URL, and headers of the page and
making sure that a site is crawlable are actions that site owners can take to improve the SEO
of their site.

The search engine optimization process involves optimizing each of these core components of search
engine algorithms in order to rank higher in the search results.

Search engine optimization techniques

Understanding how search engines work is only the first step of the process in improving a site's search
rankings. Actually improving a site's rank involves leveraging various SEO techniques to optimize the
site for search:

• Keyword research - Keyword research is often the starting point for SEO and involves looking
at what keywords a site is already ranking for, what keywords competitors rank for, and what
other keywords potential customers are searching for. Identifying the terms that searchers
use in Google search and other search engines provide direction on what existing content can
be optimized and what new content can be created.

• Content marketing - Once potential keywords are identified, content marketing comes into
play. This can be updating existing content or creating brand new pieces of content. Because
Google and other search engines place a premium on high-quality content, it's important to
research what content is already out there and create a compelling piece of content that
provides a positive user experience and has a chance of ranking higher in the search engine
results. Good content also has a greater chance of being shared on social media and attracting
links.

• Link building - Because links from external websites (called "backlinks" in SEO parlance) are
one of the core ranking factors in Google and other major search engines, obtaining high-
quality backlinks is one of the main levers that SEO has. This can involve promoting good
content, reaching out to other websites and building relationships with webmasters,
submitting websites to relevant web directories, and getting press to attract links from other
websites.

• On-page optimization - In addition to off-page factors such as links, improving the actual
structure of the page can have tremendous benefits for SEO, and is a factor that is entirely in
the control of the webmaster. Common on-page optimization techniques include optimizing
the URL of the page to incorporate keywords, updating the title tag of the page to use relevant
search terms, and using the alt attribute to describe images. Updating a page's meta tags (such
as the meta description tag) can also be beneficial-- these tags don't have a direct impact on
search rankings, but can increase click-through rate from the SERPs.

• Site architecture optimization - External links are not the only thing that matters for SEO,
internal links (the links within one's own website) play a large role in SEO as well. Thus a search
engine optimizer can improve a site's SEO by making sure key pages are being linked to and
that relevant anchor text is being used in those links to help improve a page's relevance for
3
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

specific terms. Creating an XML sitemap can also be a good way for larger pages to help search
engines discover and crawl all of the site's pages.

• Semantic markup - Another SEO strategy that SEO experts utilize is optimizing a website's
semantic markup. Semantic markup (such as Schema.org) is used to describe the meaning
behind the content on a page, such as helping to identify who the author of a piece of content
is or the topic and type of content on a page. Using semantic markup can help with getting
rich snippets displayed in the search results page, such as extra text, review stars and even
images. Rich snippets in the SERPs doesn't have an impact on search rankings, but can improve
CTR from search, resulting in an increase in organic traffic.

Top SEO tools

As a fairly technical discipline, there are many tools and software that SEO relies on to help with
optimizing websites. Below are some commonly used free and paid tools:

• Google Search Console - Google Search Console (formerly known as "Google Webmaster
Tools") is a free tool provided by Google, and is a standard tool in the SEO's toolkit. GSC
provides rankings and traffic reports for top keywords and pages, and can help identify and
fix on-site technical issues.

• Google Ads Keyword Planner - Keyword Planner is another free tool provided by Google, as
part of their Google Ads product. Even though it is designed for paid search, it can be a great
tool to use for SEO since it provides keyword suggestions and keyword search volume, which
can be helpful when doing keyword research.

• Backlink analysis tools - There are a number of link analysis tools out there, the two primary
ones being AHREFs and Majestic. Backlink analysis tools allow users to analyze which websites
are linking to their own website, or the websites of competitors, and can be used to find new
links during link building.

• SEO platforms - There are many different SEO platforms that bring together many of the tools
that SEO needs to optimize sites. Some of the most popular include Siteimprove, Moz,
BrightEdge, Searchmetrics and Linkdex. These platforms track keyword rankings, help with
keyword research, identify on-page and off-page SEO opportunities, and many other tasks
related to SEO.

• Social media - Most social media sites don't have a direct impact on SEO, but they can be a
good tool for networking with other webmasters and building relationships that can lead to
link building and guest posting opportunities.

Optimizing search traffic: from clicks to conversions

Search engine optimization done properly can have the potential to dramatically increase the amount
of traffic that a website receives, but all of that search traffic won’t help grow a business unless it
converts into paying customers. This is where conversion rate optimization (CRO) comes in.
4
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

Conversion rate optimization involves using methods such as A/B testing to make changes to websites
and measure the impact they have on a site’s conversion rate. Successful search marketers know that
just getting traffic to a site is not enough, what the traffic does once it arrives on the site is just as
important.

CRO was once a difficult and highly technical process, but thanks to software such as Optimizely,
running tests to improve conversions on your site is as easy as inserting a single line of Javascript. Best
of all, Optimizely’s visual editor allows you to make changes to a site without having to write a single
line of code.

Blogging
What Is a Blog?

A blog (short for “weblog”) is an online journal or informational website run by an individual, group,
or corporation that offers regularly updated content (blog post) about a topic. It presents information
in reverse chronological order and it’s written in an informal or conversational style.

What Is a Blog Used For?

When blogs first appeared on the world wide web, their goal was mainly personal use, such as sharing
stories, interests, and thoughts. We will take a look at the most common uses for a blog:

To Educate Others and Build Online Presence

While a blog’s function remains the same, the type of content is more diverse. While many blogs still
work like online diaries, some have started blogging to educate others on a specific subject or to build
a professional online presence.

For example, David Winer – author of one of the longest-running blogs, Scripting News – publishes
essays on software development, technology trends, and daily life on his personal web pages.

To Help a Business With Brand Awareness

Many organizations and businesses use blogs as part of their content marketing strategies to boost
brand awareness and increase conversions.

A business’s blog content usually focuses on industry-related information that may interest its target
market. Often, a team of writers runs the blog instead of a single admin.

To Promote Programs And Attract Visitors

For instance, many businesses create blogs to promote their programs in the hope of attracting more
visitors and leads. We see this often with educational institutions where they try to attract more
students to enroll in their programs.

5
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

UCLA’s Bruin Blog is an excellent example of this practice. It tells the stories of students from different
backgrounds and majors and shows how life is on campus, including events and student organizations.
So people who visit their blog are compelled to enroll and join their program.

What Makes a Great Blog?

If you plan to create your own blog, it is helpful to know what makes an excellent one in the first place.
Typically, you can expect to find the following elements in successful blogs:

• High-quality blog content. The content should demonstrate expertise, authoritativeness,

and trustworthiness (EAT). It is also important to use easy-to-understand language and
formatting to make the blog post digestible.

• Inviting headlines. These reveal what the content is about and help attract visitors to the
content, as around 80% of people will click search engine results if the headlines are
compelling.

• Regularly-updated content. A regular publishing schedule helps people know when to visit
the blog for new content. Search engines also prioritize fresh and up-to-date content, helping
increase rankings and website traffic.

• Smooth user experience (UX). Other than attractive design, great blogs generally have a
seamless page experience as it is an important element in blog search engine optimization
(SEO). It includes mobile friendliness, HTTPS, and loading speed – including improving Core
Web Vitals, the performance metrics assessing how good user experience is.

7 Types of Blogs
Now that you have learned the definition of blogging and what makes a blog successful, let’s discuss
the seven common types of blogs.

• Personal blog. This type of blog usually works like an online diary where the blogger shares
opinions, often not aiming to reach a target audience or sell an item. Personal blogs can
discuss various subjects, from family events and self-reflection to work projects.

• Niche blog. Provides information on a particular topic, usually related to the blogger’s
passions, skills, and knowledge. Examples of this blog type include book blogs, food blogs, and
lifestyle blogs.

• Multimedia blog. It uses a blog format but publishes multimedia content, like videos and
podcasts, instead of written posts. It also usually includes the video or podcast’s summary,
table of contents, and essential quotes.

• News blog. Content on this blog focuses on the latest happenings and new releases in a
specific industry. Unlike other blogs, news blogs typically do not usually include opinions or
personal content.

• Company or business blog. Its primary purpose is publishing content relevant to a company’s
industry or updating the target market regarding any changes within its business. It may be a
section on a company website or an independent site.
6
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

• Affiliate blog. A blog based on affiliate marketing – the practice of promoting a third party’s
products and services. Affiliate blog owners will receive a commission when someone
purchases from their custom links. Typical articles on this blog include product reviews and
“best-of” listicles.

• Reverse blog. Also known as group blogs, multiple authors create blog posts on related topics
and the blog owner is the one who proofreads and posts content.

Lead Generating Website

A lead generation website captures information from potential customers (i.e., leads).

This often includes their name, email address, and phone number—but it can also include things like
how much money they make, where they live, and more.

While an entire website can be dedicated to this purpose, a single page (aka a landing page) within a
broader website can also serve as an effective lead generation tool.

A good lead generation website:

• Gives the visitor one main option: to enter their information.

• Includes trust signals (testimonials, ratings, etc.) that put the user at ease.

• Has a clean layout that minimizes distractions.

• Uses visual cues to draw the eye to the next step.

• Has great copy that makes the visitor want to give their info.

In addition to the design elements, a good lead generation website should also be technically sound.
It should load fast, be mobile-friendly, be easy to use, and include an SSL certificate.

How to promote a lead generation website

Having a website is worthless without traffic to capture leads. Here are some tactics you can use to
start driving leads.

Link from your high-traffic pages

If you already have a website that gets traffic, don’t forget to include internal links from those pages
to your lead capture page. This sounds obvious but can easily be overlooked.

For example, in our articles, we often link to our free SEO tools. This then leads people to see keyword
data and an option to purchase our full product to see more data.

Promote on social media

7
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

You can promote your lead generation website on social media, but you can’t just share the URL and
expect to gain leads. You need to capture people’s interest and make them want to click on your links.

Some ways you can do that include:

• Sharing user-generated content: customer testimonials and photos or videos showing the
product or service.

• Posting short videos and photos showing a sneak peek of the product or service.

• Posting content that may answer your audience’s questions.

• Promoting your best content that leads to your lead generation page.

• Running ads to a well-targeted audience.

For example, Afternerd uses his YouTube channel to establish himself as an authority in Python and
promote his course. Some of those videos are really popular.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising
PPC is an online advertising model in which advertisers pay each time a user clicks on one of their
online ads.

There are different types of PPC ads, but one of the most common types is the paid search ad. These
ads appear when people search for things online using a search engine like Google – especially when
they are performing commercial searches, meaning that they’re looking for something to buy. This
could be anything from a mobile search (someone looking for “pizza near me” on their phone) to a
local service search (someone looking for a dentist or a plumber in their area) to someone shopping
for a gift (“Mother’s Day flowers”) or a high-end item like enterprise software. All of these searches
trigger pay-per-click ads.

In pay-per-click advertising, businesses running ads are only charged when a user actually clicks on
their ad, hence the name “pay-per-click.”

Other forms of PPC advertising include display advertising (typically, serving banner ads) and
remarketing.

How Does Pay-Per-Click Advertising Work?

In order for ads to appear alongside the results on a search engine (commonly referred to as a Search
Engine Results Page, or SERP), advertisers cannot simply pay more to ensure that their ads appear
more prominently than their competitor’s ads. Instead, ads are subject to what is known as the Ad
Auction, an entirely automated process that Google and other major search engines use to determine
the relevance and validity of advertisements that appear on their SERPs.

8
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

How Keywords Work in Pay-Per-Click Advertising

As its name implies, the Ad Auction is a bidding system. This means that advertisers must bid on the
terms they want to “trigger,” or display, their ads. These terms are known as keywords.

Say, for example, that your business specializes in camping equipment. A user wanting to purchase a
new tent, sleeping bag, or portable stove might enter the keyword “camping equipment” into a search
engine to find retailers offering these items.

At the moment the user submits their search query, the search engine performs the complex
algorithmic calculations that the Ad Auction is based upon. This determines which ads are displayed,
in which order, and by which advertiser.

Since you have to pay for each click on your ads, it’s imperative to only bid on keywords that are
relevant to your business, so you can be sure to get ROI from your ad spend. A keyword tool can help
you find the right keywords to bid on that are both likely to drive sales or conversions, and are not
prohibitively expensive.

How to Optimize Your Pay-Per-Click Ads

Pay-per-click marketing can be a very cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website and grow your
business. But it takes time and effort to do it right. A number of factors can affect your PPC costs,
including:

• The relevance of the keywords you choose to bid on – Are they the search terms your best
audience is really using to find products they want to buy, or solutions to their problems?

• The quality of your ads and landing pages – Google awards the best ad placements and the
lowest costs to businesses that provide a good consumer experience. Your click-through rate,
or CTR, is a good indication of whether or not your ad creative is resonating with people.

9
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

• A solid account structure – Your PPC account is like a house. Everything needs to be built on
a strong foundation. Learn more about effective account structure in this guide.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to keeping your PPC ads and campaigns in top shape. Check
out PPC University if you’re ready to learn more about how it all works.

Webinar lead generation

Webinar lead generation is the process that businesses employ to use their webinar events to gather
interested leads, quality them, and nurture them to drive business growth. A qualified lead in
particular is a lead that has been evaluated by your sales and marketing team and determined to fit
the target customer profile, making an excellent potential sales opportunity.

In addition to webinars, businesses have a variety of different lead generation tools at their fingertips.
Many companies will also employ techniques such as:

• Blog posts

• Live events

• Coupon codes for e-commerce

• Email marketing

Each of these strategies present value to the target audience, working to show them how this business
addresses their pain point. Businesses want to build effective marketing strategies that will let them
bring these different techniques together. We will explore what you need to know about specifically
creating an effective webinar lead generation strategy.

Webinars are a powerful tool for lead generation, offering a range of benefits that can help businesses
connect with their target audience and grow their customer base. Here are some key advantages of
using webinars for lead generation:

• Establishing Authority and Thought Leadership: Hosting webinars allows you to share your
expertise and knowledge, positioning yourself as a leader in your field.

• Building Trust and Credibility: By providing valuable content and engaging with participants,
webinars help build trust with potential customers.

• Real-Time Engagement: Webinars offer the opportunity to interact with your audience in real-
time, answering questions and addressing concerns on the spot.

• High-Quality Leads: Participants who sign up and attend your webinars are often more
interested and qualified leads, as they have shown a willingness to engage with your content.

• Measurable Results: With webinars, you can track attendance, participation, and follow-up
actions, giving you clear metrics to measure success.

10
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

• Sales Funnel Integration: Webinars can be a part of your sales funnel, nurturing leads through
the buyer’s journey with targeted content and offers.

• Exclusive Offers and Incentives: You can provide special offers or incentives to webinar
attendees, encouraging them to take the next step with your business.

By leveraging these benefits, webinars can be an effective strategy to generate leads and ultimately
drive business growth.

What is a newsletter?
Newsletters are a form of email communication used for sharing information with your subscribers.
From promotional emails to industry news, newsletters are a way to engage your contacts in a
conversation that goes beyond transactions. Ultimately, they help you build your reputation and
develop credibility with your subscribers.

Part of what businesses love about email newsletters is how multi-purpose they are. They help you
share news and information relevant to your community of subscribers. Use newsletters to:

• Promote new products

• Announce sales

• Share tips

• Celebrate a holiday

• Discuss industry news and events

• Promote a new store location

• Keep clients up to date on what’s happening at your business

Newsletters are part of a larger digital marketing strategy and can be used alongside social media to
diversify your relationship with your subscribers. A study by Brevo found that consumers’ preferred
communication channel with small businesses is email. Starting to see why email newsletters are truly
an irreplaceable part of your overall digital marketing strategy?

What is the purpose of a newsletter?

Typically, the purpose of a newsletter is to promote a product or service and create brand awareness
with your email subscribers.

That said, the exact purpose of your email newsletter will depend on your objectives. One of the first
steps to building a newsletter is outlining specific aims for that campaign.

Objectives could be things like:

• Improving your open rate and click-through rate

• Gaining new subscribers

11
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata
BBADM 6th Semester
Lead Generation & E-Marketing (BBADMC602)
BBADM 2021
2023-2024

• Creating your best email yet in terms of conversions.

Whatever your aim is, try to make sure it’s specific and measurable. The purpose of email newsletters
is to support your overall digital/email marketing strategy.

What are the benefits of newsletters?

To name just a few, they’re a customizable, affordable, and accessible type of marketing
communication. What really sets them apart from other media, however, is that they give you direct
access to your audience’s inboxes.

Sending newsletters can take your content marketing strategy to the next level thanks to advanced
automation and segmentation features. If you’re already contacting subscribers on a regular basis,
why not personalize your communication and offer more valuable content?

Email segmentation features allow you to connect with your subscribers in a more personal way. You
can keep track of their order history, send reminders, personalized discounts, and more. Plus, 79% of
millennials said email was their preferred method of communication with brands.

Another advantage of a newsletter over social media: If social media platforms were to disappear
tomorrow, you’d lose your followers. But an email list is yours to keep. Like a website, newsletters
make up an important part of your company’s owned media.

Predict the contribution of an E-newsletter to lead generation

E-newsletters can be a significant asset in lead generation strategies. They serve as a direct line of
communication with your audience, allowing you to share curated content, industry news, and
updates about your products or services. Here are some key points on how e-newsletters contribute
to lead generation:

• Engagement: E-newsletters provide a platform for regular interaction with your audience,
which can help keep your brand top-of-mind.

• Education: By offering valuable information, e-newsletters can educate potential customers,

helping them make informed decisions and moving them down the sales funnel.

• Lead Magnet: They act as a lead magnet, attracting both hot leads who want to grow closer
to your brand and warm leads who wish to learn more about your business.

• Conversion: According to some B2B marketers, email newsletters are critical to success, with
referrals from newsletters being significantly more likely to convert than those from social
media.

• Cost-Effectiveness: E-newsletters are a relatively low-cost marketing channel that can yield a
significant return on investment.

To maximize the effectiveness of an e-newsletter in lead generation, it’s important to focus on crafting
engaging content, using eye-catching subject lines, optimizing for mobile devices, and including clear
calls-to-action. Monitoring metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates can
help you refine your strategy and improve the newsletter’s performance over time.

12
Rupam Dhani
Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Brainware University, Kolkata