Crack the SEO Interview Q&A | Boost Your Skills & Poise

In our previous article, we covered 20 Technical SEO Interview questions and answers for aspiring SEO professionals. In this article, we will be diving into the technical aspects of SEO and covering some commonly asked interview questions on this topic.

Technical SEO is a critical aspect of digital marketing, and having a strong understanding of it can make all the difference in improving a website’s search engine rankings.

With the knowledge gained from this article, learners can better prepare themselves for their upcoming SEO interviews and feel confident in their technical SEO skills. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the interview questions and answers.

Technical SEO interview questions and answer:

1. Explain what is White hat and black hat SEO?

White hat SEO and black hat SEO are two different approaches to optimizing a website for search engines.

White hat SEO refers to ethical and legitimate optimization techniques that aim to improve a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) in a way that aligns with the search engines’ guidelines and terms of service.

White hat SEO techniques include on-page optimization, quality link building, keyword research, and creating high-quality and relevant content.

Black hat SEO, on the other hand, refers to unethical and manipulative techniques used to artificially improve a website’s ranking in search engine results.

These techniques can include keyword stuffing, link spamming, cloaking, and hidden text or links. Black hat SEO techniques are often used to trick search engines into ranking a website higher than it deserves, but they can result in penalties and even a complete ban from search engines.

In general, white hat SEO is recommended for all websites, as it provides a long-term and sustainable approach to search engine optimization. Black hat SEO may produce quick results, but it is not a recommended practice, as it can result in long-term damage to a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results.

2. Explain what are few critical issues you handled from SEO stand point?

Here are few critical issues that a digital marketer might encounter and handle from an SEO standpoint:

Keyword cannibalization: This occurs when multiple pages on a website target the same keyword, resulting in a confusion for search engines about which page should rank for that keyword. A digital marketer can handle this issue by identifying the duplicate content and consolidating the pages or by optimizing the pages for different keywords.

Duplicate content: This occurs when the same content appears on multiple pages on a website or on other websites. Duplicate content can hurt a website’s ranking and visibility in search engines.

A digital marketer can handle this issue by identifying and removing the duplicate content, using canonical tags, or by using 301 redirects to consolidate the pages.

Technical SEO issues: Technical SEO issues can negatively impact a website’s ranking and visibility in search engines. Common technical SEO issues include broken links, poor website architecture, slow loading speed, and lack of mobile optimization.

A digital marketer can handle these issues by performing a technical SEO audit, fixing the issues, and implementing best practices for technical SEO.

Penalty from search engines: Search engines may penalize a website for using unethical or manipulative techniques, such as black hat SEO, or for violating their guidelines.

A digital marketer can handle this issue by identifying the cause of the penalty, taking corrective actions, and submitting a reconsideration request to the search engine.

Declining search engine traffic: A decline in search engine traffic can be due to various factors, such as changes in search engine algorithms, increased competition, or a decline in the quality or relevance of a website’s content.

A digital marketer can handle this issue by performing a comprehensive SEO audit, implementing best practices, and continually monitoring and optimizing the website for search engines.

3. Explain brief what are types of google algorithm updates and how they impact on a website?

Google regularly updates its search algorithms to provide its users with the best search experience and to penalize websites that use unethical or manipulative techniques. Here are a few types of Google algorithm updates and how they impact websites:

Google Panda: This update was introduced in 2011 and is aimed at penalizing websites with low-quality content, such as content farms and thin affiliate sites. Websites impacted by this update typically experience a decline in their rankings and traffic.

Google Penguin: This update was introduced in 2012 and is aimed at penalizing websites that engage in manipulative link building practices, such as buying links or participating in link schemes. Websites impacted by this update typically experience a decline in their rankings and traffic.

Hummingbird: This update was introduced in 2013 and is aimed at improving the semantic search experience for users by better understanding the intent behind their search queries. Websites that provide relevant, high-quality content and have a strong user experience typically benefit from this update.

Google Pigeon: This update was introduced in 2014 and is aimed at improving the local search results for users. Websites that have a strong local presence, such as local business websites, typically benefit from this update.

Mobile-first Indexing: This update was introduced in 2016 and is aimed at improving the mobile search experience for users by prioritizing mobile-friendly websites in search results. Websites that are not mobile-friendly may experience a decline in their rankings and traffic.

BERT: This update was introduced in 2019 and is aimed at improving the understanding of natural language processing in search queries. Websites that provide relevant, high-quality content and have a strong user experience typically benefit from this update.

Core Update: Google frequently releases core updates that impact search results across its entire index. These updates can result in changes to the rankings and visibility of websites, both positively and negatively.

RankBrain: This update was introduced in 2015 and is aimed at improving the understanding of natural language processing in search queries. RankBrain uses machine learning to better understand user intent and to provide more relevant search results.

Google Possum: This update was introduced in 2016 and is aimed at improving the local search results for users. Possum prioritizes local businesses that are physically close to the user and penalizes businesses that are located outside of the city limits.

Fred: This update was introduced in 2017 and is aimed at penalizing websites that engage in low-quality, spammy link building practices or that have low-quality content. Websites impacted by this update typically experience a decline in their rankings and traffic.

E-A-T Update: This update was introduced in 2018 and is aimed at prioritizing websites that have expertise, authority, and trustworthiness in their respective industries. Websites with high-quality content, strong user experiences, and a strong online presence typically benefit from this update.

4. Explain What are key elements you consider while creating backlinks?

When creating backlinks, it is important to consider several key elements in order to ensure that they are high-quality and will have a positive impact on your website’s search engine rankings:

Relevance:

The relevance of the linking website to your industry or niche is an important factor to consider. Backlinks from websites in the same or related industries can be more valuable than links from unrelated websites.

Authority:

Authority of the linking website is also important, as backlinks from highly authoritative websites can carry more weight in the eyes of search engines. You can check the authority of a website using tools like Moz Domain Authority (DA) or Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR).

Content:

The content on the linking website should be high-quality and relevant to your website. Backlinks from websites that publish low-quality or spammy content can hurt your search engine rankings.

Anchor Text:

The anchor text that is used to link to your website should be relevant and descriptive. Overuse of the same anchor text, such as “click here” or “read more,” can be seen as spammy and can result in penalties from search engines.

Link Location:

The location of the link on the linking website is also important. Backlinks that are placed in the main content of the page or in the footer are more valuable than links that are placed in the sidebars or hidden in the source code.

Nofollow vs Dofollow:

The type of link (nofollow or dofollow) can also impact the value of the backlink. Dofollow links pass link equity to your website, while nofollow links do not.

By considering these key elements when creating backlinks, you can ensure that the links you create are high-quality and will have a positive impact on your website’s search engine rankings.

5. Explain what are different type backlink methods?

There are several types of backlink methods that are used to build high-quality backlinks to a website:

Natural Backlinks: Natural backlinks are links that are created organically, without any intentional outreach or link building efforts. These links are typically earned through high-quality content and strong reputation.

Guest Posting: Guest posting involves writing a blog post for another website and including a link back to your own website. This method is useful for building brand awareness and increasing visibility on other websites.

Broken Link Building: Broken link building involves finding broken links on other websites and offering to replace them with a link to your own website. This can help build relationships with other website owners and improve your website’s search engine rankings.

Infographic Submission: Infographic submission involves creating an infographic and submitting it to infographic directories, blogs, and websites. This method is useful for building brand awareness and attracting backlinks.

Profile Link Building: Profile link building involves creating a profile on different websites and including a link back to your own website. This method is useful for building brand awareness and attracting backlinks.

Directory Submission: Directory submission involves submitting your website to different directories in order to increase visibility and attract backlinks.

Forum Commenting: Forum commenting involves commenting on forum threads related to your niche and including a link back to your own website in your signature or profile.

Social Bookmarking: Social bookmarking involves submitting your website to different social bookmarking websites in order to increase visibility and attract backlinks.

These are some of the most commonly used backlink methods, but there are many other ways to build high-quality backlinks to your website. The key is to choose methods that are relevant to your industry and target audience and that align with your overall digital marketing strategy.

Resource Page Link Building: Resource page link building involves finding resource pages related to your niche and offering to add a link to your website as a resource for their visitors.

Skyscraper Technique: The Skyscraper Technique involves finding content in your niche that is already popular and creating even better content that can attract backlinks.

Testimonial Link Building: Testimonial link building involves leaving testimonials for products or services related to your niche and including a link back to your website in the testimonial.

Sponsored Content: Sponsored content involves paying a website to publish an article or blog post that includes a link back to your website.

Link Reclamation: Link reclamation involves finding broken or outdated links that are pointing to your website and fixing or updating them to ensure that they are working properly.

Influencer Outreach: Influencer outreach involves reaching out to influencers in your niche and asking them to share your content or link to your website.

These are just a few examples of the different types of backlink methods that are available. The key is to choose the methods that are most relevant to your niche and target audience, and that align with your overall digital marketing strategy. 

6. Explain what is Skyscraper Technique?

The Skyscraper Technique is a link building strategy that involves finding popular and high-quality content in your niche and creating even better content that can attract backlinks. The goal is to create content that is so valuable and informative that other websites will want to link to it. The key steps in the Skyscraper Technique are:

Research: Find popular and high-quality content in your niche that you can improve upon.

Create: Create a piece of content that is better than the original in terms of quality, depth, and value.

Promote: Promote your content to relevant websites and online communities, including social media, forums, and blogs, to get the word out and attract backlinks.

Monitor: Monitor your backlink profile to see which websites are linking to your content, and use this information to improve your link building strategy and drive more traffic to your website.

The Skyscraper Technique is a highly effective way to build backlinks and drive traffic to your website, and is particularly well-suited to websites in highly competitive niches. 

7. Explain how Linkbuilding helps to improve website traffic?

Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks, or links from other websites, to your own website. The goal of link building is to improve the visibility and credibility of your website, and to drive more organic traffic to your website.

Here’s how link building helps to improve website traffic:

Increased Visibility: Backlinks from high-quality and relevant websites can improve your website’s visibility and search engine ranking. This means that your website is more likely to be found by users when they search for relevant keywords and phrases.

Increased Credibility: Backlinks from reputable and high-authority websites can help to establish your website as an authority in your niche. This can increase your website’s credibility and reputation, making it more attractive to both users and search engines.

Increased Relevance: Backlinks from websites that are relevant to your niche can help to increase the relevance of your website in the eyes of search engines. This can improve your website’s ranking for relevant keywords and phrases, and can drive more targeted traffic to your website.

Increased Traffic: The more backlinks you have from high-quality and relevant websites, the more traffic you are likely to receive. Backlinks can act as referral sources, driving more users to your website and increasing your overall traffic.

Overall, link building is an important aspect of digital marketing and SEO, and can help to improve your website’s visibility, credibility, relevance, and traffic. 

8. Explain Why Keyword Research is core element for SEO?

Keyword research is a critical element of SEO because it helps to determine the terms and phrases that users are searching for when they are looking for products, services, or information related to your business. This information can then be used to inform your SEO strategy and to optimize your website and its content to rank higher for relevant keywords and phrases in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Here’s why keyword research is a core element of SEO:

Targeting Relevant Keywords: Keyword research helps you to identify the keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business, and to target those keywords in your SEO strategy. This helps to ensure that your website is optimized for terms and phrases that are actually being searched for by your target audience.

Competitor Analysis: Keyword research also provides insight into the keywords and phrases that your competitors are targeting, allowing you to develop a competitive SEO strategy. This can help to ensure that your website is optimized for keywords and phrases that are important to your industry and your target audience.

Improving User Experience: By targeting relevant keywords in your SEO strategy, you can also improve the user experience on your website. This is because users are more likely to find what they are looking for on your website if it is optimized for keywords and phrases that are relevant to their search query.

Measuring Success: Keyword research also helps you to measure the success of your SEO strategy. By tracking your website’s ranking for target keywords and phrases, you can determine which keywords are driving traffic to your website and which keywords need further optimization.

In conclusion, keyword research is a critical element of SEO because it helps to ensure that your website is optimized for relevant keywords and phrases, provides insight into your competition, improves the user experience, and helps you to measure the success of your SEO strategy. 

9. Explain brief What is Canonical URL with Syntax?

Canonical URL is a method used to indicate to search engines which URL is the preferred or “canonical” version of a web page. It helps to prevent duplicate content issues, by indicating to search engines which version of a page should be considered the main one and which ones are duplicates.

The syntax for the canonical URL is:

<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://www.example.com/page-a/” />

Here, “https://www.example.com/page-a/” is the preferred or “canonical” URL, and the rel=”canonical” attribute indicates that to search engines. 

10. Explain what are the key factors you consider while writing Title tag?

Title tags are one of the most important on-page elements for search engine optimization (SEO) and play a crucial role in attracting and retaining user clicks from search engine results pages (SERPs).

When writing a title tag, the following key factors should be considered:

Relevance: The title tag should accurately reflect the content of the page.
Length: The title tag should be no longer than 60 characters, so that it does not get truncated in the SERPs.
Keyword: The title tag should contain relevant keywords to help the page rank for those terms.
Branding: The title tag should include the brand name to build brand recognition.
Unique: The title tag should be unique for each page, avoiding duplicate or generic titles.
Readability: The title tag should be written in a way that makes it easy to understand and enticing to click. 

11. Explain what are the key factors you consider while writing meta description?

Meta descriptions are HTML attributes that provide a brief summary of a web page’s content and appear in the SERPs underneath the page title. They play a crucial role in attracting clicks from users and improving a website’s visibility and ranking.

When writing a meta description, the following key factors should be considered:

Relevance: The meta description should accurately reflect the content of the page.
Length: The meta description should be no longer than 155 characters, so that it does not get truncated in the SERPs.
Keyword: The meta description should contain relevant keywords to help the page rank for those terms.
Unique: The meta description should be unique for each page, avoiding duplicate or generic descriptions.
Call-to-Action: The meta description should encourage users to click through to the page by using persuasive language and a clear call-to-action.
Readability: The meta description should be written in a way that is easy to understand and compels users to click.

Bonus Points:

Comprehensive Guide to On-Page Optimization

How to Start Link Building

SEO Optimized Content

In-depth Technical SEO Audit Report manual

Technical SEO Course

Digital Marketing Course Training

12. Explain what are the key factors you consider while designing URL?

Designing URLs is an important part of on-page optimization and can have a significant impact on a website’s visibility and ranking. The following are the key factors to consider when designing URLs:

Relevance: The URL should accurately reflect the content of the page, using descriptive keywords.
Length: URLs should be kept as short and concise as possible, while still accurately reflecting the page’s content.
Structure: URLs should be structured in a hierarchical and logical manner, with folders separated by slashes.
Keyword: URLs should contain relevant keywords to help the page rank for those terms.
Readability: URLs should be easily readable by both users and search engines, using hyphens instead of underscores to separate words.
Consistency: URLs should be consistent throughout a website, using a standardized structure and naming convention.
Avoid Dynamic Parameters: Dynamic parameters in URLs can create duplicate content and confuse search engines.
By considering these factors, you can create URLs that are easy for search engines to crawl and index, improving your website’s visibility and ranking in the SERPs. 

13. Explain What are few Technical SEO issues you face?

As a digital marketing fresher, I have encountered several technical SEO issues that can impact the visibility and ranking of a website. Some of the most common issues include:

Website crawlability: Ensuring that search engine bots can easily crawl and index the website.

Duplicate Content: Having multiple pages with similar or identical content can lead to penalties from search engines.

Broken links: Broken links can impact user experience and also affect the credibility of a website.

Mobile responsiveness: Ensuring the website is optimized for mobile devices and provides a good user experience on different screen sizes.

Website load speed: Slow loading times can lead to lower user engagement and higher bounce rates.

Sitemap and robots.txt file: Properly structured and updated sitemap and robots.txt files are crucial for search engine bots to crawl the website.

HTTPS/SSL: Ensuring that the website is secure with an HTTPS/SSL certificate is important for user security and can impact search engine rankings.

These are some of the technical SEO issues that I have encountered and worked on. It’s crucial to regularly monitor and address these issues to ensure that a website is SEO-friendly and performs well in search engine results pages. 

14. Explain what are the inputs you provide to Web Developer from SEO Standpoint?

As a digital marketing professional, I would provide the following inputs to the web developer from an SEO standpoint:

Robots.txt file: Provide guidelines to the web developer on how to handle crawl requests from search engines through the robots.txt file.

Sitemap.xml: Ensure that a sitemap is created and submitted to search engines to improve the visibility of the website pages.

Canonical URL: Provide information to the developer on how to set up canonical URLs to avoid duplication of content.

Redirects: Provide guidelines on how to set up redirects, especially 301 and 302 redirects, to handle broken links and improve the user experience.

Schema Markup: Provide information on schema markup implementation to help search engines understand the website’s content better.

Mobile Optimization: Ensure that the website is optimized for mobile devices, as mobile optimization is a critical ranking factor.

Page Speed: Provide guidance on how to optimize the website’s page speed to improve the user experience and avoid penalization from search engines.

These inputs will help the web developer understand the SEO considerations and improve the website’s overall visibility in search engines. 

15. Explain Few key instruction to Content writer to produce high quality content from SEO Standpoint?

From an SEO standpoint, the following are key instructions to provide to a content writer to produce high-quality content:

Use keywords strategically: Use keywords relevant to the topic in the content, but ensure that they don’t overpower the content and read naturally.

Focus on high-quality content: Ensure that the content is engaging, informative, and well-researched to attract and retain visitors.

Use headings and subheadings: Organize the content with headings and subheadings, making it easy to scan and read.

Write meta descriptions: Provide a brief, compelling meta description that summarizes the content and includes relevant keywords.

Use internal linking: Link to other relevant pages within the website to help visitors find more information and improve the website’s usability.

Use images and videos: Add visual elements, such as images and videos, to make the content more engaging and attractive to visitors.

Optimize content for search engines: Ensure that the content is optimized for search engines, using the proper use of keywords, meta descriptions, and other SEO best practices.

Use keywords naturally and strategically: Keyword research should be done before writing the content to understand the terms and phrases that the target audience is searching for. Once the keywords are identified, the content writer should aim to use them strategically and naturally within the content.

Use headings and subheadings: Using headings and subheadings can make the content more readable and structured. It also helps search engines understand the content structure.

Use images and videos: Adding images and videos can help break up long chunks of text, making the content more visually appealing. It also provides an opportunity to use alternative text and descriptions for images and videos for improved accessibility and SEO.

Optimize for readability: The content should be written in a way that is easy to read, understand, and engage with. This includes using short paragraphs, bullet points, and simple language where possible.

Aim for original and high-quality content: The content should aim to provide value and be original, not copied from other sources. Google heavily penalizes websites for plagiarism and duplicate content. 

16. Explain What kind of Google penalties can you get?

There are several types of Google penalties that a website can incur. Some of the most common ones include:

Manual Penalty: This occurs when a Google employee manually reviews the website and finds violations of Google’s guidelines.

Algorithmic Penalty: This occurs when a website is penalized by Google’s algorithms for violating their guidelines, such as keyword stuffing, duplicate content, or poor backlinks.

Penguin Penalty: This is a specific algorithmic penalty that targets websites that engage in spammy link building practices.

Panda Penalty: This is a specific algorithmic penalty that targets websites with low-quality or thin content.

Mobile Penalty: This penalty targets websites that are not mobile-friendly and do not provide a good user experience on mobile devices.

It’s important to avoid such penalties by following Google’s guidelines and best practices for SEO, including producing high-quality content, building natural and relevant backlinks, and having a mobile-friendly website design.

There are two main types of Google penalties: manual and algorithmic.

Manual penalties are imposed by a human reviewer at Google and occur when the website violates the Google Webmaster Guidelines. This can happen if the website engages in spammy link building, keyword stuffing, or other unethical SEO practices.

Algorithmic penalties are imposed by Google’s algorithm and occur when a website is deemed to have low-quality or irrelevant content. This can happen if the website has a high bounce rate, low average time on site, and low engagement metrics. To avoid algorithmic penalties, it’s important to focus on providing high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that satisfies user intent.

It’s important to note that penalties can impact a website’s visibility and traffic, so it’s important to stay within Google’s guidelines and to take action to address any penalties as soon as possible. 

17. Explain what is Google knowledge graph and How it Helps to Audience?

Google Knowledge Graph is a system used by Google to understand and represent real-world entities and their relationships to one another. It was introduced in 2012 and is designed to enhance search results by providing more relevant and useful information to users.

The knowledge graph displays information about people, places, and things in a visually rich format on the right-hand side of the search results page. It helps the audience by providing them with a quick and easy-to-understand summary of information related to their search query, making their search experience more efficient and effective.

The key elements of a Google Knowledge Graph include:

Entities: The real-world people, places, and things that are represented in the Knowledge Graph.

Connections: The relationships between entities, such as “worked at” or “friend of”.

Attributes: The facts and characteristics of entities, such as their name, birthdate, and address.

Structured Data: The data that is used to build the Knowledge Graph, including schema.org and other structured data formats.

User Intent: The reason why a user is searching for a particular entity, and what they want to learn or do as a result.

By leveraging these elements, Google is able to present users with a rich and informative experience that goes beyond traditional search results. By displaying relevant information and connections, users are able to gain a better understanding of the topic they are searching for and find the information they need more quickly and easily. 

18. Explain What are the most important Google ranking factors?

The most important Google ranking factors are:

Content quality and relevance: The quality and relevance of the content on your website is crucial for improving your search engine rankings.

Keyword optimization: The use of relevant keywords in the content, meta tags, and other on-page elements helps to improve your search engine rankings.

Backlinks: Backlinks from high-quality, authoritative websites are an important factor in determining your website’s search engine ranking.

Page speed: The load time of your website is a critical factor that affects your search engine rankings.

Mobile optimization: With more and more people using mobile devices to access the internet, mobile optimization is a crucial factor in determining your website’s search engine ranking.

User experience: The overall user experience of your website, including its design, navigation, and content, is an important factor in determining your search engine rankings.

Local search optimization: If you have a local business, it’s important to optimize your website for local search by including your city, state, and other relevant information in your content and metadata.

Social signals: Social signals, such as likes, shares, and followers, can impact your search engine rankings, as they signal to search engines that your website is relevant and authoritative. 

19. Explain What is Domain Authority with examples?

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz that predicts the likelihood of a website ranking highly in search engine results. It ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater likelihood of ranking. DA is calculated based on various factors such as the number of backlinks, quality of backlinks, age of domain, quality of content, and more.

For example, websites like Wikipedia and Amazon have high DA scores of around 100, while smaller, newer websites typically have lower DA scores. A high DA score is an indication of a website’s perceived credibility and authority on a certain topic, which can positively impact its search engine rankings. 

20. Explain What is spam score in right direction?

Spam Score is a metric that measures the likelihood of a website or web page to be considered spam. It is used as a tool by search engines to identify websites that are breaking their guidelines and are considered low-quality.

A high spam score indicates that a website or web page is likely engaging in practices that violate search engine guidelines such as keyword stuffing, unnatural backlink profiles, and duplicate content. This can lead to penalties or de-indexing, affecting the website’s visibility and ranking in search results.

A low spam score, on the other hand, indicates that a website or web page is in compliance with search engine guidelines and is considered high-quality.

Spam score is a measure of the quality and authenticity of a website or a specific web page. It is calculated by various tools and algorithms and ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a higher likelihood of the website or page being considered spam or low-quality. Factors that are considered while determining the spam score include:

Link quality: The quality and relevance of the links pointing to a website or page

Keyword stuffing: Overuse of keywords in content and meta tags, which may indicate an attempt to manipulate search rankings

Duplicate content: Copied or substantially similar content across multiple pages or websites

Hidden text or links: Content or links that are intended to be seen by search engines but not by users

Over-optimization: Over-optimization of meta tags, headers, and other on-page elements that may indicate an attempt to manipulate search rankings

Having a high spam score can negatively impact a website’s search engine rankings and visibility, and it is important to monitor and address any issues that may be contributing to a high spam score.