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)

Thank you.

Any questions?