IBM 6100 Search Engine Marketing Spring 2026

Hybrid Synchronous Course | Spring 2026

1. Instructor

Dr. Sonya Zhang
E-mail: xszhang@cpp.edu 

• If you email me, please use “IBM 6100” in the subject line, spell your full name in the email body, and send it from your cpp.edu account.
• Please do not submit any homework to me via email – it will not be accepted or graded. All homework should be submitted to either Canvas or Cengage as instructed.
• I typically aim to reply to emails within 24 hours. However, please note that this timeframe does not include weekends, as we are advised not to work on weekends or outside the 8-hour weekday limit according to university policy. Therefore, I recommend emailing on Thursday or early Friday if you would like to receive a response before the weekend.
• Office hours and the instructor’s Zoom link are provided in Canvas – Modules – Welcome to Class.

2. Class meetings

This course follows a hybrid synchronous format, consisting of seven in-person meetings (Building 162 Room 1001) and eight synchronous Zoom meetings (Zoom info on Canvas – Modules – Welcome to Class). 

Week	Instruction Mode	Topics
Week 1 (Tuesday 1/20)	Face-to-face	Course Orientation Review GA4, GTM & Looker Studio
Week 2 (Tuesday 1/27)	Zoom	StuKent Chapter 1 Overview of Search
Week 3 (Tuesday 2/3)	Face-to-face	StuKent Chapter 2 Searcher Behavior
Week 4 (Tuesday 2/10)	Zoom	Client Visiting: Wellness Ranch Therapy
Week 5 (Tuesday 2/17)	Face-to-face	StuKent Chapter 3 Search Engines
Week 6 (Tuesday 2/24)	Zoom	StuKent Chapter 4 Performance Indicators SEMrush Certifications (1) Getting Started with SEMrush
Week 7 (Tuesday 3/3)	Face-to-face	StuKent Chapter 5 Technical SEO SEMrush Certifications (2) Technical SEO Essentials
Week 8 (Tuesday 3/10)	Zoom	StuKent Chapter 6 User Experience (UX)
Week 9 (Tuesday 3/17)	No class meeting due to instructor sick leave – recorded lecture will be posted to Canvas	StuKent Chapter 7 Keyword Research SEMrush Certifications (3) Keyword Research Essentials
Week 10 (Tuesday 3/24)	Zoom	StuKent Chapter 8 Site Structure & Keyword Mapping SEMrush Certifications (4) On-Page SEO & AI Search Essentials
Spring Break (Saturday 3/28 – Friday 4/3)
Week 11 (Tuesday 4/7)	Zoom	StuKent Chapter 9: Content Optimization SEMrush Certifications (5) Content Marketing Essentials for SEO & AI Search
Week 12 (Tuesday 4/14)	Face-to-face	StuKent Chapter 10 Off-Page SEO SEMrush Certifications (6) Off-Page SEO Essentials Certificate
Week 13 (Tuesday 4/21)	Zoom	StuKent Chapter 11 Link Building Google Display Ads Certification (Skillshop)
Week 14 (Tuesday 4/28)	Face-to-face	StuKent Chapter 12 Local SEO Google Search Ads Certification (Skillshop)
Week 15 (Tuesday 5/5)	Zoom	Final project presentations

3. Course Description

Monitoring customer behaviors on firms’ websites and developing digital advertising strategies by establishing website performance measurements and measuring them using popular search engine optimization and online advertising tools such as Google Analytics and SEMRush.

4. Learning Objectives

Students completing this course should have acquired the ability to:

1. Explain how search engines, user behavior, and marketing channels interact within modern digital marketing ecosystems.
2. Apply SEO tools (GA4, GTM, Looker Studio, and SEMrush) to monitor, diagnose, and improve website performance.
3. Analyze website performance using KPIs such as traffic, rankings, backlinks, and engagement metrics.
4. Evaluate competitors’ digital strategies using market and keyword research tools.
5. Design and implement keyword, content, and technical optimization strategies aligned with business goals.
6. Develop paid search campaigns using Google Ads platforms and best practices.
7. Integrate on-page, off-page, technical, UX, and content strategies into a holistic SEO plan.
8. Present and justify marketing strategies using data-driven insights and professional reporting tools.
9. Demonstrate competency in SEO concepts and tools by completing SEMrush Academy certification exams.
10. Demonstrate readiness for Google Ads Search and Display certifications through Skillshop course work and campaign planning through project.

5. Textbook and Software

Required Textbook

• “SEO: Strategy & Skills” by StuKent (included with Instant Access)
• Access to a computer and the Internet

Required Software (all software is browser-based and free with a Google account)

• Google Analytics
• Google Tag Manager
• Google Looker Studio
• Google Ads
• SEMrush (free version)

6. Exams, Projects, and Assignments

will send a Canvas announcement every Monday and a reminder every Friday. Weekly learning activities and assignments are due Friday at 11:59 p.m.

• Quizzes: Students will complete quizzes designed to assess understanding of course lectures and Stukent textbook readings.
• SEMrush Certificates: Students will complete a series of SEMrush Academy certification courses covering areas such as keyword research, technical SEO, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and content marketing. Students will earn professional certificates and apply these skills to client projects. All SEMrush-related assignments can be completed using the free version of SEMrush unless otherwise stated.
• Google Display and Search Ads Certification Skillshop Coursework – Students will complete required Google Skillshop modules to learn display and paid search advertising fundamentals. Taking and passing the Google Display Ads Certification exam and Google Search Ads Certification exam are optional; students who pass may earn extra credit toward their final course grade.
• Micro-internship/Group project: Students will work in groups of 3-4 and apply the comprehensive knowledge and skills learned in this class to analyze and optimize digital assets (websites, social media, etc.) for a real client’s website and provide business insights and/or recommendations through Cal Poly’s Micro-internship (students will be paid for their work). Final deliverables include a written report and a presentation. Groups will form after the add/drop period.

Make-up policy: Make-up exams are not offered except for serious and compelling reasons substantiated by formal and authoritative documents.

Late submission: Late assignments or projects will incur a 50% penalty if submitted within 24 hours after the deadline, and no late work will be accepted afterward.

AI Use Policy

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot may be used for brainstorming, code, image or video generation, creating study materials, and text editing. However, you must clearly indicate what the AI produced and what you contributed, and you must disclose your use of AI in the assignment (e.g., in a note or footnote).

I expect you to be the author of all work you turn in. If I ask about your assignments and projects, you should be able to explain them in depth and demonstrate mastery of the material without assistance.

AI tools may support your analysis, but they cannot replace your own reasoning or interpretation. You are responsible for explaining results and showing your understanding.

Reflections on readings and assignments must be written entirely by you without AI assistance. These are meant to demonstrate the quality of your own ideas and the personal nature of your reflection.

Student Responsibilities:

• Each student is responsible for completing and submitting all assignments and projects. Corrupted files or incomplete submissions will not be credited. Students are also responsible for keeping a backup copy of each submission.
• To ensure fairness, the instructor will NOT review, debug, or fix problems in student assignments and projects BEFORE grading the entire class. The instructor will, however, help students understand expectations, clarify requirements, provide guidance, help students gain knowledge and skills in analysis, design, and problem-solving, and answer specific questions on course topics.
• Students must have spent a significant and reasonable amount of time and effort researching and working on the issue independently BEFORE asking for help.

7. Grading

9. University Policies

Accessibility: Cal Poly Pomona is committed to student success as a learning-centered university. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor privately or to visit the Disability Resource Center to coordinate course accommodations.

Computing Resources: At Cal Poly Pomona, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student must have access to a computer with all the required software for this course. Contact I&IT if you need help.

Academic Integrity: The University is committed to maintaining academic integrity throughout the university community. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense that can diminish the quality of scholarship, the educational environment, the academic reputation, and the quality of a Cal Poly Pomona degree. Plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated in this course. 

Copyright Policy: Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder. The user of this work is responsible for adhering to the copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). The course website contains material protected by copyrights held by the instructor, other individuals, or institutions. Such material is used for educational purposes following copyright law and/or with permission given by the owners of the original material. Students may download one copy of the materials on any single computer for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that (1) do not modify it, (2) use it only for the duration of this course, and (3) include both this notice and any copyright notice originally included with the material. Beyond this use, no material from the course website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way without the original copyright holder’s permission. The instructor assumes no responsibility for individuals who improperly use copyrighted material placed on the website.