If you've never thought about implementing SEO at universities, now is the best moment to get educated and alter your SEO strategies to ensure that they can rank very well.
Also Read: off page SEO Case studies
1. Do an SEO Audit
If you're planning to alter your website to be more popular, it is important to determine what changes must be implemented.
This is the reason why the SEO audit can be beneficial as part of your marketing plan. A SEO audit allows you to evaluate every type of change you need to take. If you need to make technical changes related to IT, the university IT department is always there to help.
You could either search for the services of an SEO professional or agency to perform this audit on behalf of universities' search engines or utilize a free tool such as writing grade level analyzer. An SEO company can aid your institution of higher education to improve its efficiency since you're communicating directly with experts.
2. Review your keywords
There are a myriad of names of courses that students are looking for. Be sure to use the most popular names for your courses. Let's say you run an option that has an original name, but it is equivalent to a popular course name.
If this is your situation, it's best to choose a popular name to ensure that your website is visible whenever people search for that phrase.
There is no need to change the course's name. Make sure to include the name of your course in your text several times to ensure it is ranked for the most searched-for keyword.
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3. Include unique content
Google has been improving knowledge graphs for university students since June 2018, and it was discovered that the features were extended in the summer of this year. If Google implements this feature well in the future, it will be able to provide a significant advertising boost for universities as well as help students learn more about universities from the faculties they currently have.
4. Create relevant Links
Links from other sites with high authority can make your university's search engine and your courses more trustworthy.
These are known as inbound links. Make an effort to obtain high-quality hyperlinks from other college and university portals that offer information on various colleges and universities. If a website uses your name, ensure that you request them to link their website to theirs.
5. Optimize your site for local search results
A lot of students are searching for schools that are close to their homes. This is particularly true for people who are seeking part-time programs. This is why you must put effort into optimizing your website to be able to rank locally in searches. This is known as local SEO.
Make use of location-specific keywords, such as "universities in Philadelphia," "Bachelor in Mass Communication in Philadelphia," and so on. You may also add your school to directories online and also use Google My Business.
A lot of students also write reviews to which you could make a response or even respond to their questions. This draws more people to your school and can help students make informed decisions.
6. Make it mobile-friendly
Mobile phones are the most reliable source to find information on the internet. Whatever your location, it is easy to access the internet with your mobile device and perform swift searches. Due to the increased use of mobile phones to conduct Google searches, lots of users may be logging onto your site via their mobile.
But the desktop version may not be fully capable of being compatible with smartphones. If your site doesn't load correctly, users may leave, which could raise the percentage of users who bounce, which could affect your ranking.
Also Read: Complete guide on how to make a website mobile friendly
This is why you need to ensure that you improve your website so that it is able to run smoothly on smartphones, too. Here's an example of a site that's optimized for mobile search.
7. Use SEO-friendly URL Structures
A key SEO element that people tend not to take into account is the structure of URLs on the pages. Visitors use the hyperlink to go to your website.
If the URL contains an accidental mixture of letters, numbers as well as symbols, it can be confusing for the user and doesn't clarify what the page's about.
URL structures define the addresses of every page. Naturally, they must include a few words that communicate to the viewer about your site. For your homepage, you should keep your URL short and simple: www.domain.com.
8. Have an interactive website
Every year, thousands of students visit your site from all over the globe.
Since not every student will have the opportunity to visit the campus prior to making the decision to attend, your site must be interactive enough to allow the student to be able to access every possible detail as well as make sure transactions are made and contact you if needed.
You must offer an option to fill out application forms online and make transactions on the internet. Create a virtual campus tour and include a map, the annual schedule, and include an online chat feature.
9. Optimize your website
While it is important to have an interactive website, it's equally essential to optimize your website to make it logical for your site to be interactive from the beginning.
In general, ensure that your site is tidy and has room for all kinds of information. The information should not be scattered. It is helpful to create categories and subcategories. The theme must also match perfectly with the brand image of your university and the vision of your educational institution.
Also Read: Optimizations that can increase your website speed
It's a good idea to have additional information to give credibility to your institution, such as famous alumni and events with specialists from the middle. Keep your website updated every time there's something new to be announced.
10. Sub-domains or Sub-directories
Many people are confused about subdirectories and subdomains. If you have sub-domains rather than sub-directories, the sub-domains are considered to be independent websites. That means that even if your content is written to get your site to rank, it will not get a good ranking because the content you've created is viewed as a separate website.
11. Review the Performance of Your Website
We've been discussing various easy SEO techniques. These suggestions work effectively to increase your rankings.
If you're not monitoring or evaluating the results, then you'll be unable to tell whether your efforts have paid dividends. This is why you should ensure that you utilize analytics. Analytics allows you to set goals and then check if your organic traffic can help you meet the objectives.
It is possible to see how many people are visiting your site, as well as the percentage of bounces, and much more. This will assist you in knowing how you can achieve better results in SEO.
12. Take into consideration all technical issues
The SEO factors we've discussed thus far are fairly simple to handle and can assist you in achieving better rankings. But, there are some technical SEO elements that require expert assistance. That is why there are a lot of SEO specialists to assist you.
