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MKT46200

Academic Year 2026/2027

Search Strategy in the AI Era (MKT46200)

Subject:
Marketing
College:
Business
School:
Business
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
7.5
Module Coordinator:
Mr Shane Lyons
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Search is fundamentally changing. While traditional SEO remains strategically important, marketers today must understand a more complex landscape: users navigate between search engines, AI-powered answer engines, large language models, and specialized platforms depending on intent. This module prepares you for that reality.

You will develop hands-on expertise in both organic search (SEO) and paid search (SEM/PPC), learning how to drive traffic and build visibility where your audience are seeking answers. But critically, you'll also understand where AI is reshaping search behaviour, what that means for visibility and strategy, and how to position search within a multi-channel acquisition approach. The module balances technical foundations with strategic thinking and practical tool literacy.

Over 12 weeks, you'll audit real websites, write ad copy, design Google Ads campaigns, analyse performance data, and develop a comprehensive digital strategy that accounts for both traditional search and emerging AI-driven discovery patterns.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand how modern search ecosystems work—including traditional search engines, AI answer engines, and emerging search patterns driven by LLMs—and assess where your target audience discovers information
• Conduct keyword research and competitive analysis that informs both SEO and paid search strategy, with awareness of intent shifts toward AI-powered discovery
• Execute on-page, technical, and off-page SEO best practices to improve organic visibility, whilst understanding the limitations and opportunities of search engine ranking in an AI era
• Design, implement, and optimise Google Ads campaigns that deliver positive ROI, and apply bidding and audience strategies to maximise efficiency
• Measure performance using Google Analytics and other tools, interpret data to identify wins and gaps, and iterate strategy based on evidence
• Develop integrated search strategies that position SEO and SEM as complementary channels and evaluate where to invest based on market opportunity and competitive dynamics
• Complete Google Ads certification, gaining industry-recognised credentials in search advertising

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Autonomous Student Learning

144
Total

168

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
In-class participation, interactive lectures, individual assignments (in and out of class), group work

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Applied Project (Group) Week 12 Graded No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Class participation (individual) Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: End of term Exam (individual) Week 12 Graded No
60
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

We will debrief assignments in class or via a debriefing document

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