Search Engine Marketing and Digital Discoverability (5cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

The course includes interactive lectures, learning assignments scheduled for the entire course, and workshops related to themes.

Objective

The object of the course
It is increasingly important that companies can be easily found online. When you take this course, you will learn how to analyze online discoverability, and what measures a company should take to ensure and maintain organic and paid discoverability. You will learn the basics of search engine marketing. You become familiar with tools and services and understand the importance of content as part of discoverability. You take responsible online operations into account. You will learn how to analyze the results and plan to improve your online presence.

Course competences
Business Competence: The student is able to utilise knowledge-driven leadership to support decision-making.
Operating in a workplace: Student utilises the opportunities offered by technology and digitalisation in their work.

The learning objectives of the course
In this course, you will learn the importance of organic and paid search engine discoverability and other online visibility (e.g. social media) for a company's business. You become familiar with related research, techniques, and concepts. You can analyze the discoverability of competitors and the company and make data based choices and actions to improve organic and paid visibility. You become familiar with the use of tools and services and learn how to report results.

Content

The key contents of the course are organic and paid visibility and discoverability in search engines, search engine marketing tools and services, the importance of artificial intelligence in ensuring the discoverability of companies, the importance of data in ensuring discoverability, analytics and reporting

Location and time

The course will be held on campus from January 12, 2026 to May 20, 2026. Detailed session dates and times will be announced in the schedule. Attendance is mandatory for some contact sessions.

Materials

Course materials include articles, videos, and resources provided by the instructor. Recommended literature:
Lahtinen, N., Pulkka, K., Viinamäki, P., Mero, J., & Karjaluoto, H. (2024). Digimarkkinointi + AI: Tee tekoälystä yrityksesi kilpailuetu ja kasvata myyntiä (4., täysin uudistettu painos.). Alma Insights.
Current articles on search engine marketing and the role of AI in discoverability

Teaching methods

The course is delivered through contact teaching on campus. It includes both individual assignments and a group project, which culminates in a presentation and peer feedback. Some tasks are completed under supervision during lectures. The course also involves the use of tools (e.g., Semrush), for which students receive guidance during lectures.

Teaching methods include lectures, workshops, case analysis, and flipped learning.

Employer connections

Visiting lectures and group work

Student workload

The student's time allocation during the course (135 h) is as follows:
Lectures 14 x 1,5 h
Group work 52 h
Independent Learning Assignments 62 h

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Sufficient 1
The student understands the key concepts, theory and methods related to the online visibility and discoverability of a company. The student interprets reports and makes simple analyses based on them on the company's organic and paid search engine visibility and their impact on the company's business. The student defines the necessary measures to improve the discoverability of the company and can present his/her own view on the topic. The student knows the most important tools and services. There are clear errors in reporting and inconsistent presentation of results.

Satisfactory 2
The student understands the key concepts, theory and methods related to the online visibility and discoverability of a company. The student produces reports and makes analyses based on them on the company's organic and paid search engine visibility and their impact on the company's business. The student applies the available material and tools, based on which defines the necessary measures to improve the discoverability of the company and presents his/her own reasoned view on the topic. The student knows the most important tools and services. There are errors in reporting and the presentation of results is mainly consistent.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good 3
The student masters the key concepts, theories and methods related to the search engine visibility and discoverability of a company. The student is able to apply what they have learned and search for information when evaluating the organic and paid visibility of a company and their impact on the company's business and competitive situation online. The student can use tools to report results. Students analyse the results obtained and make development proposals based on them to improve the discoverability of the company. Students justify their own view clearly and based on data. Reporting and presentation of results is clear and consistent.

Very good 4
The student masters he basic theories and methods related to the search engine visibility and discoverability of a company well. The student demonstrates the ability to design and develop the organic and paid discoverability of a company online, considering the company's business objectives and competitive situation. The student can analyze tools and choose the appropriate instrument. The student critically analyses the results obtained and, based on them, makes development proposals to improve the discoverability of the company. Students justify their own views consistently and based on data. Reporting and presentation of results is consistent and error-free.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent 5
The student masters theories and methods related to the search engine visibility of a company excellently. The student has critical insight and creativity in developing the company's organic and paid online discoverability, considering the company's business goals and competitive situation. The student can analyze tools and choose the most suitable tool for the task. The student critically analyses the results obtained and, based on them, makes excellently justified development proposals to improve the discoverability of the company. Decisions are based on critical data literacy and the student reports the results logically and clearly with arguments. Reporting and presentation of results is consistent and error-free.

Further information

Assessment is based on individual and group assignments, active participation, and the final presentation. The final output is a digital visibility improvement plan.