Every higher education institution aims at attracting the best and most talented students. Colleges and universities must understand that most students begin their journey of school-seeking online. By searching the web and browsing through college websites, students gather information and form their initial opinion about the schools they’ll potentially attend.
This is why SEO for increasing website traffic is something higher education institutions have to master. Below, we’ll share 5 ultimate tips that will boost your organic traffic and get more potential students to learn about you.
- Master Localized Searches
Did you know that 46% of all Google searches are exploring local information? Many students begin searching for higher education options based on where they live or wish to move to. This is why local searches can work wonders for your SEO strategy and get you to rank higher for the right searches.
To win the game of localized searches, you should:
- optimize your website with location-based keywords
- use the local vocabulary
- add location pages to your website and social media
- blog about locally-trending topics
Working on local SEO will bridge the gap between tour websites and potential students and thus increase your organic traffic.
- Perform Proper Internal Linking
Internal linking is a well-known strategy for boosting your SEO and having more people visit your website. But, with higher education institutions, internal linking is crucial and plays a major part in delivering the right user experience.
Internal linking helps your users:
- navigate the website
- find the information they need instantly
- memorize you as a great option
Plus, by combining CTAs with internal links, you’ll get a highly effective website that serves both your users and the search engines.
- Recognize Pain Points
You need to understand them to reach more people and have them come to your website. You need to know what they’re looking for, what they’re searching online, and how they’re formulating their questions.
In other words- you need to speak their language.
This will help you create SEO-content that is aligned with your user’s natural language and the searches they perform. Here’s what that implies:
- predict the questions they’ll ask
- e.g. where is the best technical college near me
- use timeframes to help you
- e.g. college enrollment strategies in 2023
The better you understand them, the more traffic you’ll be getting.
- Be Mobile-Friendly
The typical student or course-taker today is probably between 18 and 30 years old. Even if it’s someone older you’re targeting, most of them will perform their searches from their mobile devices.
And what happens if you haven’t optimized for mobile?
The answer is simple- you’ll be losing a ton of traffic every day, people won’t be sticking around, and Google will get the signal that something’s not right with your website.
To optimize for mobile, you should:
- use a template or outline that fits smaller screens
- prioritize which information to showcase first
- create a navigation structure that’s simple and intuitive
Pay attention to the images or videos and how they display on smaller screens. Perform all the necessary tests to ensure your website is properly displaying regardless of the screen type or device used.
- Create Winning Content
Finally, there’s no other charm that works just as well as writing unique, valuable, and trending content for your target audience.
You should set up a blog that will help you give your website visitors the type of content they need. This includes:
- how-to guides
- top lists
- tips and tricks
- interviews and testimonials from education experts
- checklists
- case studies
You should cover the topics that you know will interest them, such as:
- Writing a Motivational Letter for College Enrollment
- Choosing Your Major in 3 Easy Steps
- Living Healthy As a College Student
If you offer content they’ll be interested in reading, you’ll have them coming back for more. Make sure you use credible sources of information to ensure the content is high-quality. There are cheap research papers writers who can help you gather information for your next blog or even write it for you.
Just make sure you write regularly and listen to their reactions.
- Final Thoughts
Increasing website traffic may seem like a challenge at first, but with the right guidance and proper strategy, you can quickly learn how to do it right. The 5 effective SEO tips we’ve shared below will help your higher education institution bring more organic traffic and, thus, more talented students.
Now, start applying those tips and let them work the magic.
- Author’s Bio
Ruby Butz is a marketing expert and a blogger. She aims to help everyone build their marketing strategies, from business owners to marketing beginners.