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The College Search is Online: SEO for Program Marketing
February 22, 2024
Sarah Gilbert
There’s no doubt about it – people are still searching for information about going to college online.
No matter how many TikToks, shiny videos, Instagram reels or LinkedIn ads you do (and these are all good ways to market), nothing beats the volume of the online search.
For just one term you have a potential of 98k people searching each month.
And while PPC has it’s place, to bid on some of these terms would never give you the ROI you need to keep your CPA in check.
Here are some of the main reasons a college or college program should focus on SEO:
Increased Visibility
SEO helps improve a college program’s visibility on search engines like Google. When potential students search for programs, courses, or educational institutions online, effective SEO strategies ensure that your program’s website ranks higher in search results. Higher visibility leads to more organic traffic to your website.
Targeted Traffic
SEO allows you to target specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to your program. This means that the traffic your website attracts is more likely to be interested in the educational offerings you provide. This targeted approach results in higher-quality leads.
Cost-Effective
Compared to many other forms of digital advertising, SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy. While there is an initial investment in optimizing your website and creating high-quality content, the long-term benefits are substantial. Once your site ranks well, you can continue to attract organic traffic without substantial ongoing advertising costs.
Credibility and Trust
Websites that appear on the first page of search engine results are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy by users. By ranking well through SEO, your college program can build trust with prospective students who are researching their options online, especially when there isn’t as much brand loyalty or recognition with particular schools, especially for online programs.
Competitive Advantage
Many colleges and universities are actively competing for students. Effective SEO can give your program a competitive edge by ensuring that it appears prominently in search results, even in a crowded marketplace. If you name any school that has had massive growth during this downtime for anyone else, I can show you they have an SEO program in place.
Adapting to User Behavior
Modern students rely heavily on search engines when researching their options. They use search queries to find information about programs, admission requirements, financial aid, and more. By optimizing your website for search, you align your marketing efforts with user behavior. Did you know that most schools only rank for their brand terms? Thsi means you only rank for your school name and related terms, but not for any of the programs you offer. With this, you will not bring in anyone who hasn’t already heard of your school. SEO helps you cast a wider net.
Long-Term Results
SEO is not a short-term marketing strategy; it’s a long-term investment. Once you’ve established a strong online presence and top search rankings, they can be maintained with ongoing optimization efforts. This means that the benefits of your SEO work will continue over time. We like to call it a flywheel, and unlike PPC, it doesn’t ‘turn off.’
Improved User Experience
SEO involves optimizing your website for both search engines and users. This results in a better overall user experience, including faster loading times, clear navigation, and well-structured content. A user-friendly website can positively impact prospective students’ perceptions of your program, and as a bonus, you’ll rank better in the search engines.
Measurable Results
SEO efforts can be measured and tracked. Tools like Google Analytics provide valuable insights into the performance of your website and the effectiveness of your SEO strategies. You can see which keywords drive the most traffic, the pages that perform best, and more, allowing you to refine your marketing approach. We also use tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, Majestic SEO and others to give us the best all-around view of how you are doing.
Global Reach
SEO can help your college program reach a global audience. If your program offers online courses or has international appeal, SEO can attract students from around the world who are searching for educational opportunities, and our tools give insight into how other countries are searching online.
Truth be told, SEO is a fundamental component of a college program’s marketing strategy because it enhances visibility, targets the right audience, builds trust and credibility, provides a competitive advantage, aligns with user behavior, and offers long-term, cost-effective results. By investing in SEO, you can effectively connect with prospective students who are actively searching for educational opportunities online, while saving money on each and every dollar you’d normally have to put toward PPC.
What’s Next
You can build an SEO team in-house, and many schools do this after a time. Or, you can work with a partner who takes the stress off of you and allows you to do what you do best – educate students.
Truth be told, SEO is a fundamental component of a college program’s marketing strategy because it enhances visibility, targets the right audience, builds trust and credibility, provides a competitive advantage, aligns with user behavior, and offers long-term, cost-effective results. By investing in SEO, you can effectively connect with prospective students who are actively searching for educational opportunities online, while saving money on each and every dollar you’d normally have to put toward PPC.