See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/363123471

Search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy as determinants to enhance the

online brand positioning

Article in F1000Research · June 2022

DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.73382.1

CITATIONS READS
3 284

3 authors, including:

Junainah Mahdee
Multimedia University
18 PUBLICATIONS 35 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Junainah Mahdee on 15 February 2024.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy as

determinants to enhance the online brand positioning
[version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with
reservations]
Umar Faruq Ahmad1, Junainah Mahdee 2, Normazalila Abu Bakar3
1Corporate Communication Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya, Wilayah

Persekutuan, 62546, Malaysia

2Faculty of Management, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Selangor, 63100, Malaysia
3MM Smart Earth Resources, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, 43300, Malaysia

v2 First published: 28 Jun 2022, 11:714 Open Peer Review

https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.73382.1
Latest published: 01 Feb 2024, 11:714
https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.73382.2 Approval Status

1 2
Abstract
version 2
Background (revision)
01 Feb 2024
Marketers face evolution of online brand positioning marketing
strategy due to changes of search engine algorithm that affects the version 1
view view
reaching out of brands to potential internet users. Brand owners 28 Jun 2022

realise that to be relevant in modern market, they need to transition

and focus more into online market. However, many brand owners 1. Umi Kartini Rashid , Universiti Tun
have ignored the power of search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Malaysia
for attracting the online market, which is highly competitive and faces
2. Rizwan Raheem Ahmed , Indus
rapid changes. A brand can be considered as old fashioned if it does
not utilise the SEO as their marketing strategy, in penetrating the University, Karachi, Pakistan
online marketplace. Various studies have analysed factors that can
Any reports and responses or comments on the
enhance the persistency of using the SEO strategy, however gaps
article can be found at the end of the article.
remain regarding the relationship of this strategy with the online
brand positioning. The main aim of this study was to identify the
persistency of using the SEO strategy including the niche point of
differentiation, valuable content, targeted keyword and scalable link
building, as the determinants that enhance the success of online
brand positioning.

Methods

This study applies quantitative design using online survey to gather

Page 1 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

information from the online business entrepreneurs. The survey

questionnaire was arranged to focus on the use of SEO as a new way
to strategise online business.

Results

Based on the results of this study, most online entrepreneurs have

somewhat realised the effects of using the SEO strategy to enhance
effectiveness of online brand positioning.

Conclusion

This research provides insights into the importance of SEO strategy in

online business positioning. It is hoped that online entrepreneurs will
consider the SEO strategy in the positioning of their brand in the
marketplace.

Implication

This research focused on SEO as a new strategy to enhance brand

positioning for online businesses. Future research may expand into
another dimension of business such as customer satisfaction and
business performance.

Keywords
SEO, online, brand, positioning, determinants, marketing, strategy

This article is included in the Research Synergy

Foundation gateway.

Corresponding author: Junainah Mahdee (junainah@mmu.edu.my)

Author roles: Ahmad UF: Writing – Original Draft Preparation; Mahdee J: Conceptualization, Supervision; Abu Bakar N: Formal
Analysis, Validation
Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.
Grant information: The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.
Copyright: © 2024 Ahmad UF et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
How to cite this article: Ahmad UF, Mahdee J and Abu Bakar N. Search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy as determinants to
enhance the online brand positioning [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations] F1000Research 2024, 11
:714 https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.73382.2
First published: 28 Jun 2022, 11:714 https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.73382.1

Page 2 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

REVISED Amendments from Version 1

The abstract sequence has been adjusted according to the F1000 format. We established the significance of research,
added recent citations, elaborated the conclusion in a comprehensive manner with limitations/future research, and
amended typo errors throughout the paper.
Any further responses from the reviewers can be found at the end of the article

Introduction
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) incorporates technicality and creativity elements that enable online entrepreneurs to
increase users’ traffic, thus upgrading their rankings in search engine utilisation.1 Online entrepreneurs are knowledge-
able with up-to-date technologies in marketing and selling products via online platforms. Online entrepreneurs must
adapt to the online evolution especially search engines because any changes in search engine algorithm will affect brands’
reach out to potential buyers. To stay relevant in the modern market, brand owners must be ready to migrate from
conventional to online business, with more focus on online brand strategy.1

The aim of any marketing campaign is finding the right online brand marketing strategy, e.g., defining the right marketing
message to influence consumers on their brands. The technical and creative aspects of digital marketing will enable online
entrepreneurs to improve their brand position in online search engine platforms.2 Online entrepreneurs must also have the
ability to quickly adapt with SEO strategies to position their brands effectively.

Due to the rapid changes in technology and tough competition from rivals, many brand owners have opted to ignore the
power of SEO in their online brand positioning strategy.3 This has caused a big loss to the brand owners for not taking
advantage of the “limitless world” of the internet for their marketing strategies.4 SEO saves a lot of money to reach the
highest numbers of customers compared to other marketing methods that have limited reach.5

Various studies related to the factors that enhance the persistence of using an SEO strategy have been performed,
however, the use of this strategy as determinants to enhance online brand positioning has not been investigated.6–8 As
such, the significance of this study is to analyse the online brand positioning for entrepreneurs using the SEO strategy for
longevity in the modern market. Specifically, the objective was to investigate the influence of being persistent by using
niche point of differentiation, valuable content, targeted keyword, and scalable link building, in SEO strategy among the
online entrepreneurs.

Literature review
Online business has been referred to as “as the process of buying, selling, or exchanging products, services, and or
information via computer network, including the internet”.9 Online business consists of business transactions via online
whereby sellers can advertise, promote, and sell their items via internet. In comparison to the traditional brick-and-mortar,
online business provides 24-hours services that are operating throughout the year.10–12 Online platforms enhance
business market position and its presence to the target audience.13 The most crucial part for an online business success
is the effective information technology and communication system in the World Wide Web for serving customers.14,15

Online business attracts new markets, thus enhancing the productivity and performance of firms.16–20 This type of
business was not only adopted by huge firms but also small businesses globally.21 Conventional off-line businesses that
are perceived as a growing new market are also attracted to move to online platforms.22 Since online business is relatively
new, entrepreneurs must consider several barriers such as security and privacy, dependability on technology, mainte-
nance cost, hectic online price and competition; especially for small sizes online entrepreneurs.23–26 Despite all obstacles
and challenges facing online business, there are many innovative opportunities that online business entrepreneurs can
venture into, to ensure their success27; inclusive of trust, cyberlaw and cybersecurity, mobile commerce, e-warranty,
effective services deliveries, prompt and easy payment schemes and many others which are better than conventional
business transactions.28

Additionally, online business can take advantage from the rapid increase of Internet user base, positive mindset,
especially among youngsters towards easier online shopping regardless of time and location.29

The global increase of Internet penetration and enhancement of legal aspects of online business can grow online
businesses in any country.30 Search engines support online business strategies; however they are not designed for online
business and consumers to search anything by browsing just one web page. There are many search engines available with

Page 3 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

main key players dominated by well-known names such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The search engines have been used
by consumers to find anything online, therefore they have become a new platform for businesses opportunities.31 For a
brand to be perceived as popular, the SEO strategy targets for the brand name to be listed on the first page when a keyword
is entered in the search engine. Normally, customers will not scroll down to the bottom of the first page, or they will not
visit too many pages due to time constraint.32 Online entrepreneurs must acknowledge the importance of dependency on
the SEO strategy to launch brand campaigns, so that target audience can choose their brand despite the competition. The
review of the relevant literature has indicated that there are four major components of the SEO strategy: niche point of
differentiation, valuable content, targeted keyword, and scalable link building to enhance online brand positioning.33

Niche point of differentiation

Niche marketing with the use of SEO strategy means the utilisation of the online advertising strategy that focuses on
specific group of customers as the niche market; to enable the full benefits to the target markets at the lowest costs and
fastest coverage as possible.34 The differentiation of niche could give advantage to a brand that has particular strategies in
online marketing and branding. Not only that, the niche can also be determined by where the brand is positioned in the
search engine competition.34

Valuable content
A fresh page with quality content is more valuable than old contents. Many scholars agreed that ‘Content is King’,
whereby any good content will link with other content automatically. High rated content results in high quality search
engine optimisation.35 Relative positioning of the content and the quality of the content are the main elements of the
valuable content factors. In addition, the frequency of the content will give ‘bonus mark’ to the search engine.36

Targeted keywords
Specific placement of targeted keywords for the brand will enhance the effectiveness of the SEO in online brand
positioning.37 An organic branded keywords traffic naturally comes from the search engine. Therefore, discovering
certain related keywords to the brand that are always being searched is crucial in online branding. Another plus point is
that integrating keywords can create a competitive advantage to the online brand.38 Keywords can bring direct
competition for the higher-ranked slots. Site visibility in Google search can be significantly improved by using targeted
keywords.39

Scalable link building

Scalable link building is a process whereby consumers start with a generic keyword when searching for any products, and
later become more specific to certain brand’s uniqueness.40 Navigational link with other online retailers will associate the
brand positioning in the online market. Increasing number of links to the online brand placement and link architecture can
give some additional information to the search engine web crawlers. Anchor links are recognised as important factors in
Google’s algorithm.41

Online brand positioning

Online brand positioning via SEO is affected by the numbers of key contextual factors.42 Online marketers recognises that
ranking of the brand is effectively enhanced by brand positioning in the online market.43 By associating with the big
brands or market leaders of the industry in the same platform using a search engine will also increase the brand value for
the consumers.44

Based on the deliberations of the SEO components and the online brand positioning, the research theoretical framework is
illustrated in Figure 1.

Five hypotheses were developed based on this research theoretical framework:

H1: There is a significant positive relationship between the persistency of using SEO strategy with the success of
online brand positioning.

H2: There is a significant positive relationship between the persistency of using niche point of differentiation in
SEO strategy with the success of online brand positioning.

H3: There is a significant positive relationship between the persistency of using valuable content in SEO strategy
with the success of online brand positioning.

Page 4 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

Figure 1. Research theoretical framework.

H4: There is a significant positive relationship between the persistency of using targeted keyword in SEO strategy
with the success of online brand positioning.

H5: There is a significant positive relationship between the persistency of using scalable link building in SEO
strategy with the success of online brand positioning.

Methods
The research design is quantitative whereby a set of online survey questionnaires (See Underlying data)45 was used to
collect data randomly from online entrepreneurs who offer various products to customers. The respondents were
contacted via Internet, websites, Facebook, and other social media sites and convenience sampling was used to selected
275 online entrepreneurs for this study. All the participant gave informed written consent to take part in this study.

The hypotheses were tested using Pearson Correlation analysis to determine causal relationships between variables,
i.e., the positive or negative direction and strength of relationship based on the R-value, and at the significant of the
relationship based on p-value.

Results
The results shows that all the five hypotheses were accepted with the Pearson Correlation (R) values of more than 0.70 at
significant values of less than 0.05.

All the relationships are positive and significantly strong. The Pearson Correlation results for relationships between
persistency of using SEO strategy with the efficiency of online brand positioning are shown in Table 1 and Figure 2.

Table 1. Summary of Pearson Correlation results.

Variables Pearson Correlation (R) Direction of relationship Strength

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) +0.854 Positive Strong (85.4%)
Niche point of differentiation +0.782 Positive Strong (78.2%)
Valuable content +0.779 Positive Strong (77.9%)
Targeted word +0.816 Positive Strong (81.6%)
Scalable link building +0.823 Positive Strong (83.3%)
Significant at p-value of 0.001.
Page 5 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

Figure 2. Pearson Correlation results.

Discussions
The results show that the online entrepreneurs realise the effects of using the SEO strategy to enhance effectiveness of
online brand positioning. Niche point of differentiation allows the online brand to appear distinctive and unique by
making the brand appear more valuable and desirable to the customers.46 Niche differentiation strategy gains competitive
advantage by classifying the customers into smaller target, and later distinguish products for its excellent design, high
awareness, easy accessibility, or other aspects.47

Content can increase the SEO strategy components effectiveness, whereby niche consumers will be attracted to online
brands with up-to-date content.48 Content must have detailed brand information suitable for the target niche market,
including a picture of the product/brand, ingredients, product usage and usefulness, warranty, returnable policies,
companies’ details and other information; since without valuable content consumers may not trust the brands.

Integrating keywords can create a competitive advantage to online brand.49 Good keywords provide direct natural traffics
from the SEO strategy.50 Keyword’s popularity can be determined by examining the search engine users’ behaviour.
Focusing on how branded keywords across different markets, languages and search engines can also improve on
international branding.50,51

Scalable link building influences the effectiveness of online brand positioning by laddering technique. In searching for a
brand information, consumers will start searching using general keywords that are not very popular, and later laddering
the search to specific keyword.52 Therefore in the SEO strategy, it is crucial for online entrepreneurs to ensure that the
brand keywords appear on the first page of search engine and enhance the generic list of keywords to the specific ones
gradually.

Conclusions
This research has achieved its objectives in investigating the persistency of using the SEO strategy which includes niche
point of differentiation, valuable content, targeted keyword, and scalable link building among online entrepreneurs.
It contributes to new information on the online brand positioning, which can be utilised by online entrepreneurs.
Nevertheless, the limitation of this study was that it only focused on the online entrepreneurs in Malaysia, therefore, future
studies should investigate the real time usage of SEO platforms by the online entrepreneurs. Similarly, researchers can
also investigate further appropriate training models to enhance online entrepreneurs’ knowledge and skills in using the
SEO strategy as enablers in the branding market.

Data availability
Underlying data
Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS): Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy as determinants to
enhance the online brand positioning. DOI: 10.17026/dans-xc5-jx74.
Page 6 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

This project contains the following underlying data:

Data set information _SEO_Paper ID_ TIM21173_DIFCON2021 15102021.pdf. This is the data information sheet for
this study QUESTIONNAIRE UMAR_SEO Paper ID TIM21173.pdf. This file contains the questionnaire used.

Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Zero “No rights reserved” Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0)

Author contributions
U.F.A. worked on the idea and conceptualisation of the research topic, data curation and data analysis. J.M. was
responsible on supervision of the research project, reviewing and editing work. N.A.B. worked on software and
validation of findings.

The ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the DIFCON
conference
Ethical Approval Number: EA1172021.

Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the support from the Multimedia University (MMU) for providing opportunity to publish this article.

References

1. Yuvaraj S, Indumathi R: Influence of Digital Marketing on Brand 15. Jabbouri NI, Siron R, Zahari I, et al. : Impact of Information
Building. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology Infrastructure on Innovation Performance:
Technology. 2018; 9(7): 235–243. An Empirical Study on Private Universities in Iraq. Procedia
2. Schwarz S, Grabowska M: Online Marketing Strategies: Economics and Finance. 2016; 39: 861–869.
The Future is Here. Journal of International Students. 2015; 8(2): Publisher Full Text
187–196. 16. Johnston RB, Lee RPW: The Role of Electronic Commerce
Publisher Full Text Technologies in Just-in Time Replenishment. Software Technology
3. Lee K, Kim S: Maximizing Brand Presence: The Impact of SEO and Architecture. 1997; 1: 439.
Strategies on Online Brand Positioning. Journal of Digital 17. Fusilier M, Durlabhji S: No Downturn Here: Tracking e-Business
Marketing Research. 2023; 15(2): 123–140. Programs in Higher Education. Decision Sciences Journal of
4. Chen L, Wang Q: Unleashing the Power of SEO: A Strategic Innovative Education. 2003; 1(1): 73–98.
Imperative for Brand Owners in the Digital Era. International Publisher Full Text
Journal of Brand Management. 2022; 38(4): 567–584. 18. Karthik S: A Study on Consumer Behaviour towards Online
5. Gupta R, Sharma S: SEO and Brand Equity: An Empirical Fashion Products in Virudhunagar City -College Girls. World Wide
Investigation into Online Brand Positioning Strategies. Journal Web. 2017; 3: 233–236.
of Marketing and Branding. 2021; 20(3): 211–228. 19. Parker CM, Castleman T: Small Firm eBusiness Adoption:
6. Smith J, Johnson A: Beyond Visibility: Investigating Factors A Critical Analysis of Theory. Journal of Enterprise Information
Contributing to the Persistent Adoption of SEO Strategies. Management. 2009; 22(1/2): 167–182.
Journal of Digital Marketing Research. 2023; 15(2): 123–140. Publisher Full Text

7. Brown M, Taylor R: Unraveling the Secrets of SEO Persistence: 20. Alford P, Page SJ: Marketing Technology for Adoption
A Longitudinal Study on Success Factors. International Journal of by Small Business. Service Industries Journal. 2015; 35:
Online Marketing. 2022; 38(4): 567–584. 655–669.
Publisher Full Text
8. Chen L, Wang Q: Staying Power: Exploring the Factors
Influencing the Persistent Use of SEO in Digital Marketing. 21. Thomas B, Simmons G: E-Commerce Adoption and Small Business in
Journal of Internet Marketing Strategies. 2021; 20(3): 211–228. the Global Marketplace: Tools for Optimization. New York: Business
Science Reference; 2010.
9. Turban E, King D, Lee JK, et al.: Electronic Commerce: A Managerial and
Social Networks Perspective. 8th Ed. Switzerland: Springer 22. Agarwal J, Wu T: Factors Influencing Growth Potential of
International Publishing; 2015. E-Commerce in Emerging Economies: An Institution-Based
N-OLI Framework and Research Propositions. Thunderbird
10. Lee K, Kim S: The Evolution of Business Models: A Comparative International Business Review. 2015; 57: 10–25.
Analysis of Online and Brick-and-Mortar Services. Journal of
E-Business Strategies. 2023; 15(2): 123–140. 23. Raghavan K, Desai MS, Rajkumar PV: Managing
Cybersecurity and e-Commerce Risks in Small Businesses.
11. Chen L, Wang Q: Unlocking the Potential: A Study on the Journal of Management Science and Business Intelligence. 2017; 2(1):
Operational Continuity of Online Businesses Compared to 9–15.
Brick-and-Mortar Stores. International Journal of E-Commerce
Research. 2022; 38(4): 567–584. 24. Taher G: E-Commerce: Advantages and Limitations. International
Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management
12. Gupta R, Sharma S: Beyond Physical Boundaries: Examining the Sciences. 2021; 11(1): 153–165.
24/7 Operational Advantage of Online Businesses Over
Traditional Models. Journal of E-Commerce Management. 2021; 25. Khan SW: Cyber Security Issues and Challenges in E-Commerce.
20(3): 211–228. Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Digital Strategies for
Organizational Success. January 6, 2019.
13. Khurana A, Mehra J: E-commerce: Opportunities and Challenges. Publisher Full Text|Reference Source
The International Journal of Business & Management. 2015; 3(1):
182–186. 26. Aldukali A, ALrawimi A: Influence of Online Security, Protection,
Website Credibility and Previous After Sales Experience on The
14. Pavic S, Koh S, Simpson M, et al. : Could e-Business Create a Intention to Purchase Online. European Journal of Business and
Competitive Advantage in UK SMEs? Benchmarking. Innovation Research. 2015; 3(2): 1–10.
An International Journal. 2007; 14(3): 320–351.

Page 7 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

27. Kabugumila MS, Lushakuzi S, Mtui JE: E-Commerce: An Overview of 6–31. Wiley Blackwell.
Adoption and Its Effective Implementation. International Journal Publisher Full Text
of Business and Social Science. 2016; 7(4): 243–252. 41. Kumar GA, Kumar AR: An Analytical Study of Search Engine
28. Ajmal F, Mohd Yasin N, Norman AA: Critical Success Factors Optimization (SEO) Techniques: To Maximize Number of
Influencing E-Commerce Adoption in SMEs: A Review and Travelers on an E-Content Material Website. International Journal
Model. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences. 2017; of Management. 2020; 11(1): 114–119.
4(7): 159–172. 42. Kushwaha BP: Brand Positioning Strategy using Search Engine
Publisher Full Text Marketing. MIS Q. 2020; 17(6): 261–279.
29. Khan AG: Electronic Commerce: A Study on Benefits and 43. Makrides A, Vrontis D, Christofi M: The Gold Rush of Digital
Challenges in an Emerging Economy. Global Journal of Marketing: Assessing Prospects of Building Brand Awareness
Management and Business Research: Economics and Commerce. 2016; Overseas. Business Perspectives and Research. 2020; 8(1): 4–20.
16(1/1). Publisher Full Text
30. Barath KS, Mahalakshmi V: Legal Issues in E-Commerce 44. Ho CH, Chiu KH, Chen H, et al. : Can Internet Blogs Be Used as an
Transactions: An Indian Perspective. International Journal on Effective Advertising Tool? The Role of Product Blog Type and
Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and Communication. 2016; Brand Awareness. Journal of Enterprise Information Management.
4(11): 184–191. 2015; 28(3): 346–362.
31. Gunjan VK, Kumar P, Kumar M, et al.: Search engine optimization Publisher Full Text
with Google. International Journal of Computer Science Issues. 2012; 45. Ahmad UF, Mahdee J, Bakar NA: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
9(1): 206. Strategy as Determinants to Enhance the Online Brand
32. Ahmad NS, Musa R, Mior Harun MH: The Impact of Social Media Positioning. DANS. 2021.
Content Marketing (SMCM) towards Brand Health. Science Direct: Publisher Full Text
Procedia Economics and Finance. 2016; 37: 331–336. 46. Silvia SE, Basariya R: Role of Niche Marketing on Search
33. Veglis A, Giomelakis D: Search Engine Optimization. Future Engine with Reference to Pay Per Click Advertisement.
Internet. 2021; 1-2. 978-3-03936-819-8. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering. 2019;
34. Senthil Kumar NK, Kumar KK, Rajkumar N, et al. : Search Engine 7(5C): 258–260.
Optimization by Fuzzy Classification and Prediction. Indian 47. Ortiz-Cordova A, Jansen BJ: Classifying Web Search Queries in
Journal of Science and Technology. 2016; 9(2): 1–5. Order to Identify High Revenue Generating Customers. Journal
35. Sahu SK, Mahapatra DP, Balabantaray RC: Comparative Study of of the American Society for Information Sciences and Technology. 2012;
Search Engines in Context of Features and Semantics. 63(7): 1426–1441.
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology. 2016; 88(2): Publisher Full Text
210–218. 48. Tyagi G, Sharma M, Kaushik, et al.: Using Search Engine
36. Dou W, Lim KH, Su C, et al.: Brand Positioning Strategy Using Optimization Technique Increasing Website Traffic and Online
Search Engine Marketing. MIS Q. 2010; 34(2): 261–279. Visibility, 2015. 2015.
Publisher Full Text 49. Chen CY, Shih BY, Chen ZS, et al.: The Exploration of Internet
37. Yoo CY: Branding Potentials of Keyword Search Ads: The Effects Marketing Strategy by Search Engine Optimization: A Critical
of Ad Rankings on Brand Recognition and Evaluations. Journal of Review and Comparison. African Journal of Business Management.
Advertising. 2014; 43(1): 85–99. 2011; 5(12): 4644–4649.
Publisher Full Text 50. Vignesh J, Deepa V: Search Engine Optimization to Increase
38. Gasparotto M: Search Engine Optimization for the Research Website. International Journal of Science and Research. 2014; 3(2):
Librarian: A Case Study Using the Bibliography of U.S. Latina 425–430.
Lesbian History and Culture. Practical Academic Librarianship. 51. Jerath K, Ma L, Park YH: Consumer Click Behaviour at a Search
2014; 4(1): 15–34. Engine: The Role of Keyword Popularity. Journal of Marketing
39. Ziakis C, Vlachopoulou M, Kyrkoudis T, et al.: Important Factors for Research. 2014; 51(4): 480–486.
Improving Google Search Rank. Future Internet. 2019; 11: 32. Publisher Full Text
Publisher Full Text 52. Ahmad M, Faris M, Suhel P: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
40. Baye MR, De Los Santos B, Wildenbeest MR, et al.: Search Engine International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology. 2019;
Optimization: What Drives Organic Traffic to Retail Sites? 6(4): 4113–4117.
The Journal of Economics & Management Strategy. March 2016; 25(1):

Page 8 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

Open Peer Review

Current Peer Review Status:

Version 1

Reviewer Report 04 October 2022

https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.77030.r148925

© 2022 Ahmed R. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited.

Rizwan Raheem Ahmed

1 Faculty of Management Sciences, Indus University, Karachi, Pakistan
2 Faculty of Management Sciences, Indus University, Karachi, Pakistan

The authors have tried their best to execute this paper, however, I have still the following
reservations and suggestions for the sake of improvement of the undertaken study:
1. The logical sequence of the abstract should be 1) objective, 2) methodology, 3) findings, 4)
conclusion, and 5) implication. Thus, the authors should rewrite the abstract in this manner.

2. The authors did not establish the motivation, significance, and novelty of the undertaken
study. The authors are suggested to improve this important factor in the "Introduction"
section. The introduction needs further details regarding the background, objectives,
structure of the paper, etc. There is a lack of relevant and current citations in the
introduction, the scientific paper needs appropriate, current, and relevant citations.

3. The literature should be presented in a separate section, it should be presented in an audit

form, and it should be linked with the paper’s objectives, moreover, further relevant and
current citations should be added to the introduction and previous literature.

4. The material and methods should be presented in a comprehensive manner. The conclusion
should be elaborated in a comprehensive manner. The conclusion is always one step ahead
of the findings.

5. The practical, theoretical and societal implications should be discussed in a detailed manner
after the conclusion, and in the light of the conclusion and results.

6. The limitations and areas of future studies should be written at the end of the paper.

7. The spelling and grammatical mistakes should be corrected throughout the paper.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Page 9 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

Yes

Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?
No

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Partly

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?
Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

Reviewer Expertise: Management, marketing, advertising, digital marketing

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of
expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have
significant reservations, as outlined above.

Reviewer Report 30 August 2022

https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.77030.r142588

© 2022 Rashid U. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited.

Umi Kartini Rashid

1 Department of Technology and Management, Faculty of Technology Management and Business,
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Malaysia
2 Department of Technology and Management, Faculty of Technology Management and Business,

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Malaysia

For the discussion and conclusion part, H1 tested the four (4) major components of SEO as
unidimensional, while H2~H5 tested them independently/multidimensional. So, what can you say
about the differences between the results of unidimensional (combination of four components of
SEO) and multidimensional? This paper would be more interesting if you could elaborate and
justify further on these parts.

I have included further comments by annotating the article, which you can find here.

Page 10 of 11
 F1000Research 2024, 11:714 Last updated: 01 FEB 2024

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?
Yes

Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?
Yes

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Yes

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?
Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Partly

Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

Reviewer Expertise: Entrepreneurship, Business Management, Marketing, E-Commerce

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of
expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

The benefits of publishing with F1000Research:

• Your article is published within days, with no editorial bias

• You can publish traditional articles, null/negative results, case reports, data notes and more

• The peer review process is transparent and collaborative

• Your article is indexed in PubMed after passing peer review

• Dedicated customer support at every stage

For pre-submission enquiries, contact research@f1000.com

Page 11 of 11

View publication stats