This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Introduction to SEO in Higher Ed
Joshua DodsonDirector of Digital Marketing
Bentley University
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of getting traffic from the “free,” “organic,” “editorial” or “natural” search results on search engines.
SEO is now about good content and user experience
It’s a tool to reach the right audience
and encourage them to become students
80%Say that a campus website affects their
perception of an institution
70%Students have looked at a college
website on a mobile device
+80%Seeking certificates, associate’s, and bachelor’s
degrees use search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing
when finding college websites
How do you find a college website?
If you were to look at a specific college or university website right now, what would you look for first?
These are the same pages we want to elevate in search engines.
200Ranking Factors
Low bounce rate was associated with higher Google rankings
Long-Form Ranks Higher in Google’s Search Results Than
Short-Form Content
Average content length of top 10 results
Go In-depth
Content With At Least One Image Ranks Higher (But Using Lots of Images Doesn’t Make a Difference)
More Total Backlinks = Higher Rankings
Answer audience questions
Answer audience questions
Use the exact phrases in the copy to build rapport with searchers and signal topical authority to search engines
TargetingEach stage of the funnel
Awareness
-----
Information
-----
Decision-----
Action
Target each stage of the funnel and each user type/persona
Example: Southern New Hampshire University
Non-branded online program page search performance (BrightEdge Data Cube Score)
Change
Change
67% LiftAbove projection
This is causation, not correlation.
Example: Bentley University
The end goal is more students through leads and brand awareness (which contributes to leads)