As the new session approaches, the clamor among Universities increases. All of them wish to become the first choice of most students. However, getting that elusive visibility is always tough with so much competition.
Content led SEO marketing makes it simple for your website to figure in the top rankings. When a student searches for a College or University in that particular area or niche, your website should be prominent. Find out how to implement SEO on your website. Here we will explain how SEO and content marketing for Universities will get you valuable leads.
Important areas to focus on
As a University looking for traction, you have to focus on the following aspects:
Perform an SEO audit
The first step to start is to explore what you need to do. There is a specific goal you wish to achieve. Your SEO tactics should be based on this goal. This is particularly useful when implementing these tactics requires you to make technical changes to the website.
Think mobile
SEO is gaining, and Google has become very particular about the manner in which a website ranks. It is clear that in a few months, the mobile version of the website will get more prominence. When they rank the website, they will use the Mobile version.
This is a difficult idea for Universities as their websites are pretty extensive. So a part of the website may be mobile-friendly while the other is not. It is time that these discrepancies should be done away with.
Review the keywords and integrate them into site content
The problem with Universities is that the keywords they use can be different from what the students look for. You must integrate the keywords with courses so that students can find you.
Over a period of time, you will have to keep reviewing the keywords. Modify them as per the change in terminology and trends. When the student types the course name, your website should prominently figure.
Remove duplicate content
Unknowingly you might be maintaining duplicate content. Trace that page and tell Google which page you would want to keep. Google recommends a secure website URL as it stands out.
The creation of blogs could also be a source of trouble. Sometimes the same blog is duplicated on multiple websites of the same University. Again identify which content piece you wish to keep and tell Google about it.
Address page load speed
For many years Google has been ranking websites based on their loading speed. The problem is that most Universities maintain huge images. These images tend to make the website slow in loading.
Resize all the images so that they do not lower the speed. Google provides tools to test the speed of your website. Use it frequently and eliminate any problem causing agents to boost speed.
Optimize your link building activities
Inbound links are valuable as they generate visibility. But when the websites are designed, some of the links might get broken. Trace these broken links and fix them quickly. You must do so regularly so that the number of broken links waiting for fixing remains under control.
Measure, assess, and understand SEO value
You have devised your SEO strategy and implemented it, But how do you know if you have been successful in the execution. Google Analytics provides you with all the details. Set your goals and check if your efforts are yielding results.
For example, you can create an event goal citing when a person starts the application process. Plus, you can ask for it to update you when the application is completed. With this, you could know how many applications have got processed.
Consider optimizing for local SEO
A lot of students look for courses near to their place. By adding local keywords, it is possible that you will figure out their results. When the students search for the optimal University, you will get featured.
Conclusion
It is hard for the Colleges, Universities to grab the attention of the students. That is because there are a lot of players already in the same field. Those who practice content led SEO marketing for universities must follow the above practices diligently. Effective implementation of SEO tactics allows exposure for your University like no other method.
