Top 35 SEO Interview Questions and Answers

Answer: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It refers to the practice of enhancing the quantity and quality of a website’s traffic by increasing the site's visibility on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).  

SEO incorporates multiple strategies, techniques, and tactics, ranging from the words on your page to the way that other sites link to you on the web. SEO is essential as it helps websites become more discoverable. When a site has higher visibility in the search results, it could potentially garner more attention and attract more prospective customers to the business. 

Answer: Search Engines work by deploying web robots, often referred to as spiders or crawlers, that 'crawl' the web to find publicly available information. These crawlers follow links to web pages and gather data, creating a copy of the page known as a cache. This process is called crawling. The collected data is then stored in a large database known as an index.   

This index is like a giant library housing a copy of every web page that the Search Engine finds. Every time a user enters a query, the Search Engine's algorithms sift through the index to find and rank the pages that best match the query. This ranking is based on relevancy and authority, determined by evaluating numerous ranking factors. 

Answer: Keyword research is a foundational SEO task that consists of identifying popular words and phrases people enter into Search Engines. Keyword research helps SEO professionals to understand the demand for certain keywords and how difficult it would be to compete for the same terms in organic search results. 

Answer: A backlink, also referred to as an inbound link or an incoming link, is defined as a link that comes from another website to yours. They are crucial to SEO because they reflect a 'vote of confidence' from one site to the other.  

Backlinks to your website testify to Search Engines that other sites vouch for your content. If many sites link to the same webpage, Search Engines can understand that the content is worth linking to and, therefore, worth surfacing on a SERP. 

Answer: Meta tags are part of the HTML tags that define your page content to Search Engines and website visitors. They exist in the HTML of your website, and while they don't directly impact your site's visible interface, they can have a significant impact on your site. Meta tags provide information about the webpage in the HTML of the document. 

Answer: Organic results refer to those that are earned through effective SEO, appearing naturally on the SERPs. These results are ranked by their relevance to the search terms and their overall quality, according to the Search Engine's algorithm.  

Paid results, on the other hand, are advertisements for which businesses have paid to appear when users search specific keywords. They are generally displayed at the top or bottom of the SERPs and are marked as 'Ads' or 'Sponsored'. 

Answer: PageRank is a technology used by Google to measure the importance of web pages. It works by examining the number and quality of links to a webpage to estimate how important the webpage is. The basic premise is that the more important websites are likelier to receive links from other websites. PageRank considers not only the volume of links pointing towards a page but also the quality of those links. 

Answer: SEO can significantly boost web traffic in multiple ways. By optimising for relevant keywords and crafting quality content, your website can rank higher in SERPs, increasing its visibility and attracting more organic traffic.  

SEO also aims to enhance the user experience by enhancing site usability, load times, and mobile friendliness, leading to longer site visits and more page views. Additionally, it involves building authority and trust, which can lead to more direct traffic as users remember and return to your trusted site. 

Answer: A robots.txt file is a text file which webmasters create to instruct web robots on how to crawl sites and index pages. It is a part of the Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP), defined as a group of web standards that govern and regulate how robots crawl the web, access as well as index content, and then serve that content to users. The robots.txt file indicates to web robots which areas of the site should not be processed or scanned. 

Answer: Domain Authority (DA) is a Search Engine ranking score that predicts a website's ability to rank on Search Engine result pages (SERPs). Domain Authority ranges from 1 to 100, with the higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank. DA is calculated by evaluating multiple factors, such as linking root domains and the number of total links, into a single DA score. 

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Answer: Canonicalisation refers to the process of picking the best URL when there are several options available. Imagine your homepage can be accessed through multiple URLs - www.example.com, example.com, www.example.com/index.html, or example.com/home.asp. While these may look identical to a casual user, they are technically unique addresses. Without canonicalisation, these distinct URLs could be viewed as duplicate content by Search Engines, negatively affecting your efforts.  

The process of canonicalisation helps you pick one 'canonical' URL, letting Search Engines understand which version to show in search results. Not only does canonicalisation aid in avoiding duplicate content issues, but it also helps consolidate your site's SEO value (like backlinks) to the canonical URL. 

Answer: A 301 redirect is an HTTP status code signalling a permanent redirection from one URL to another. It is a powerful tool used in several situations, such as rebranding or updating a website or consolidating several pages into one. Notably, a 301 redirect also transfers about 90% to 99% of the 'link juice' (ranking power) to the redirected page.   

This makes 301 redirects extremely useful, helping preserve your site's ranking power while allowing site structure changes or URL modifications. Without implementing a 301 redirect, a page move could result in lost traffic and diminished Search Engine rankings. 

Answer: Cloaking is a frowned-upon technique that involves presenting differing content or URLs to users and Search Engines. Essentially, a website practising cloaking might display one piece of content to Search Engine crawlers and different content to human users.   

This deceptive method is often used to manipulate Search Engines and improve a site's Search Engine ranking artificially. However, cloaking goes against Google's Webmaster Guidelines and is considered a 'black hat' practice. If detected using cloaking, a website can face severe penalties, including de-ranking or removal from Google's search results. 

Answer: Mobile-First Indexing is Google's approach to ranking and indexing websites based primarily on their mobile version instead of their desktop version. This change reflects the significant shift in consumer behaviour towards mobile web browsing.   

For businesses and SEO practitioners, this means that their website's mobile version becomes critical in determining their online visibility. The site must be responsive, easy to navigate on mobile devices, have equivalent content to the desktop version, and deliver a fast, seamless mobile user experience to perform well in mobile-first indexing. 

Answer: An XML sitemap serves as a roadmap for your website, guiding Search Engines to the essential pages on your site. It is an XML file listing all your website's URLs, ensuring that Google and other Search Engines can find and crawl them. An XML sitemap is particularly useful for websites that are large, have pages with few external links (isolated), or use rich media content. By providing a clear path for the Search Engine bots, you ensure accurate and efficient indexing of your website, which can ultimately boost your site's visibility in search results. 

Answer: Hreflang tags, or rel="alternate" hreflang="x" attributes, help tell Search Engines the language and geographic targeting of a webpage. If your site provides content in multiple languages or serves different regions, hreflang tags can ensure the right version of your site is shown to the right users.  

In the absence of correct hreflang tags, users might end up visiting the English version of your site when they are searching for content in Spanish. This could lead to increased bounce rates, potentially harming your site's SEO. Implementing hreflang tags enhances user experience and site usability, contributing to improved SEO outcomes. 

Answer: A 404 error is a standard HTTP status code that essentially indicates that the requested page could not be found on the server. This error usually occurs when a page has been moved or deleted without updating the corresponding URL.  

While a few 404 errors are common and won't affect your site's ranking, a high number of such errors can lead to a poor user experience and could harm your SEO. It's essential to monitor and promptly fix 404 errors. This could be done either by redirecting the outdated URL to the most relevant existing page or by recreating the missing page if it's crucial to your site's user experience and SEO.

Answer: Structured data is a type of code or markup added to a webpage that helps Search Engines comprehend the content on a particular page. The markup tells Search Engines what that data means. For instance, let's say you have a product name on your page. By using structured data, you can tell Search Engines that the text string is, in fact, a "product name."   

The use of structured data can lead to the generation of rich results or rich snippets, which are more attractive and informative search results. For example, a recipe page with properly implemented structured data can show ratings, preparation time, and a photo in the search results, improving visibility and Click-Through Rates (CTRs). 

Answer: The robots.txt file is a crucial tool in an SEO practitioner's toolbox. It is a text file located in your website's root directory that gives instructions to web robots, primarily Search Engine crawlers. The file tells these robots which pages or sections of the site to crawl or not to crawl. This is important for managing your site's crawl budget, which is the number of times a Search Engine crawler will visit your site in a given time.  

Answer: SEO success is typically measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These could include organic search traffic, time spent on page, bounce rate, and conversion rate. Additionally, specific goals such as the ranking of target keywords, backlink quantity and quality, and the site's visibility in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are also indicative of SEO success.  

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Answer: Google EAT stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are key factors that Google uses to assess and rank the quality of content on websites. EAT is essential for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) pages that can directly affect a person's well-being, health, safety, or financial stability. 

Expertise refers to the creation of content by knowledgeable individuals or entities in a particular field. For instance, health advice should ideally come from healthcare professionals. Authoritativeness represents recognition of the content creator's expertise by peers, indicating that they are an authority in their field. Trustworthiness relates to the overall credibility of the website, which can be influenced by factors like site security and the quality of information presented. 

Improving EAT can lead to better SEO performance. You can improve EAT by producing high-quality content, establishing author credibility, obtaining high-quality backlinks, ensuring website security, and providing clear contact information. A strong EAT profile indicates to Google that your website is a reliable source of information, boosting your chances of ranking higher in search results. 

Answer: Developing an SEO strategy for a new website involves a step-by-step process. Firstly, it's critical to understand the website's goals, target audience, and industry. You need to know what the website aims to achieve, who it's trying to reach, and what the competitive landscape looks like. 

Next, conduct thorough keyword research to discover what terms or phrases your target audience is using to search for products, services, or content like yours. These keywords should be integrated naturally and strategically throughout your website, including in meta tags, content, URLs, and alt text. 

On-page and Technical SEO are crucial components of your strategy. This includes optimising your site structure, URLs, title tags, headers, meta descriptions, and content for your chosen keywords. It also includes improving site performance, mobile-friendliness, and site security. 

Off-page SEO, primarily through building high-quality backlinks, is necessary to improve your site's authority and visibility. Lastly, regular monitoring and adjustment of your strategy is key. Make use of analytics tools to track your site's performance and make changes as necessary to improve your SEO efforts.

Answer: Keyword cannibalisation occurs when multiple pages on the same website compete for the same or similar keywords in Search Engine results. This can confuse Search Engines, resulting in none of the pages ranking highly, and it can dilute your SEO efforts.  

To avoid keyword cannibalisation, start by conducting an audit of your website to detect any instances where cannibalisation might be occurring. Tools like Screaming Frog, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can be particularly useful for this. 

Once you've identified potential keyword cannibalisation, you can resolve it in several ways. If the pages are very similar, consider merging them into one comprehensive resource. If they're different enough to stand alone but are still competing for the same keywords, you may need to adapt your keyword strategy and ensure each page targets a unique keyword or set of keywords. 

Answer: Staying updated on the latest trends in SEO requires active effort due to the ever-evolving nature of the field. Following industry-leading blogs and resources such as Moz, Search Engine Journal, SEO by the Sea, and Google's own blogs is a great way to stay updated with the latest news, algorithm updates, and best practices.  

Participating in SEO communities and forums, like SEO Chat, Warrior Forum, or Reddit's SEO subreddit, can also be beneficial as they often feature insightful discussions and user experiences.  

Regularly attending webinars, industry conferences, or meetups can help keep you on the cutting edge of SEO. Lastly, subscribing to newsletters from key industry players and even taking advanced courses or certifications can provide a better understanding of current trends and techniques. 

Answer: White Hat SEO refers to the ethical techniques that align with Search Engine guidelines to improve a website's Search Engine rankings. These techniques include creating high-quality content, improving site loading speed, making the site easy to navigate, and obtaining backlinks from reputable sources. 

On the contrary, Black Hat SEO refers to practices that violate Search Engine guidelines and aim to manipulate Search Engines into ranking a particular website higher. These tactics include keyword stuffing, cloaking, using private link networks, and duplicating content. While Black Hat SEO may provide quick results, it is likely to result in penalties when detected by Search Engines. 

Answer: Mobile-first indexing means that Google primarily uses the mobile version of a website for both indexing and ranking purposes. Since a huge majority of users now access Google via a mobile device, the mobile-first approach ensures that the user experience is optimised across all devices. 

In terms of SEO, this makes mobile optimisation a top priority. Websites should ensure that their mobile version is fully optimised, with the same quality of content, structured data, and metadata as the desktop version. The website should also be designed with an adaptable design that adjusts to fit the size of the user's device.  

Performance is another key aspect of mobile-first indexing. The mobile version of your site should load quickly, have a user-friendly interface, and be free of intrusive pop-ups. 

Answer: Schema Markup is a vocabulary of tags (or microdata) that you can ideally add to your HTML to enhance the way Search Engines read and represent your page in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).  

From an SEO perspective, Schema Markup can provide richer search results with additional, more eye-catching and potentially conversion-boosting information. For instance, Schema can be used to add ratings, reviews, or specific business information like operating hours.  

Furthermore, Search Engines use Schema Markup to understand the content of your site better, which can help with ranking in organic search results. It can be particularly helpful for voice search and appearing in featured snippets or other search features. 

Answer: Link Equity is a Search Engine ranking factor that is based on the idea that certain links pass value from one page to another. This value, which is passed from the linking page to the target page, is largely what Search Engines use to calculate a site's ranking. 

Link Equity is important because it's one of the key factors that Search Engines use in order to determine a website's ranking. When a high-authority site is linked to your site, it effectively passes on some of its authority, improving your site's likelihood of ranking higher in search results. 

Answer: Google's Core Web Vitals is a set of specific factors that Google considers important in a webpage's overall user experience. The Core Web Vitals are made up of three specific user interaction and page speed metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).    

Each of these factors represents a distinct facet of the user experience, measurable in real-time, and reflects the user's experience of loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. As these factors have become ranking signals, understanding and optimising for Core Web Vitals is crucial to ensure a good ranking on Google's Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). 

Answer: Google's Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) is a natural language processing algorithm that helps Google comprehend the context of words in search queries better. BERT's main difference is that it considers the full context of a word by looking at the words that come before and after it.  

BERT impacts SEO in the sense that it's aimed at understanding the natural language better, especially in terms of conversational queries and long-tail keywords. This implies that content creators should focus on writing for humans, not Search Engines.  

The impact of BERT is largely about the ability to understand and answer complex search queries better. Hence, content should be comprehensive, relevant, and written in a natural, conversational tone. 

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Answer: Voice search has grown exponentially with the rise of smart speakers and virtual assistants. It influences SEO in several ways. 

Firstly, voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational than text-based searches. They often include question phrases like "how to," "what is," or "where can I find." Therefore, it's beneficial to optimise for long-tail keywords and phrases that people are likely to say rather than type. 

Secondly, voice search is usually local. Many users utilise voice search to find local businesses, restaurants, or events. As such, it's crucial to ensure your local SEO strategy is robust, including aspects like having a Google My Business listing and using local keywords. 

Finally, with voice search, the goal is often to be the one and only result read aloud by the device. This makes featured snippets – the quick answers shown at the top of Google search results – even more valuable. 

Answer: Negative SEO is a set of activities aimed at lowering a website's rankings in search results. These activities can be varied, from building unnatural or harmful links to your website, content scraping, hacking your website, or even posting negative reviews. 

To protect against Negative SEO, it's essential to regularly monitor your website's performance and backlink profile. Google Search Console can assist you in tracking and monitoring your backlinks and notify you of any unusual activity. 

Answer: User experience (UX) and SEO are closely intertwined. A positive UX can contribute to a higher ranking in Search Engine results. One of the main reasons is that Google uses UX signals like mobile-friendliness, safe browsing, HTTPS security, and intrusive interstitial guidelines as ranking factors.  

Moreover, a good UX can increase the time spent on-site and reduce bounce rates, both of which can indirectly affect SEO. If users find your site tough to navigate or slow to load, they're likely to leave quickly, which can negatively impact your rankings. 

Answer: Improving a webpage's loading speed can be done through several methods. First, optimise the images on your site to reduce their file size without sacrificing quality. Second, leverage browser caching, which allows repeat visitors to load your website faster. Third, minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files on your website, which can reduce load time.   

Finally, you can make use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which would help distribute your content more efficiently to users worldwide. These actions not only improve user experience but also positively influence your website's ranking. 

Answer: Competitor analysis for SEO involves identifying who your SEO competitors are, analysing their strategy, and finding opportunities that you can leverage.  

1) Identify your competitors: These could be direct business competitors or websites that rank higher for your targeted keywords. 

2) Analyse their website: Review their website structure, User Experience, and content strategy. Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can help you see which keywords they are ranking for. 

3) Backlink analysis: Look at their backlink profile to see who is linking to them. This might reveal opportunities for you to gain backlinks from the same sources. 

4) Content analysis: Look at the kind of content they're creating and how it's performing. This can help you get ideas for your own content strategy. 

5) Technical SEO: Check their site speed, mobile-friendliness, and use of Schema Markup. 

6) Social media activity: Social signals can impact SEO, so it's worth analysing their social media activity too.