SEO best practices for higher education
While applying SEO best practices for higher education, it is essential to focus on both on-page and off-page tactics. The right SEO for higher education
- Target the right keywords
- Create informative and relevant content
- Include eye-catching graphic elements
- Find a place on featured snippets
- Keep an eye on the competitors
- Optimize website for mobile phone accessibility
- Conduct frequent audits
- Perform historical optimization
Target the right keywords
Keyword research is an essential element of any SEO plan.
You must map out precise keywords that match the needs of students. They look up articles that explain how to move further on their selected career path.
Your website should match the needs and keywords. Add the relevant keywords to your web page meta titles and descriptions. Pinpoint the types of students you want to target and plan the keywords accordingly. Enhance the process by adopting the best SEO Dubai keywords. It is your chance to boost your website’s ranking.
Create informative and relevant content
Google likes websites that are informative and reader-friendly. Producing relevant content can bring traffic and improve student appeal. Ensure your content is easy to read and has relevant tables, bullet points, and more. These further enable students to get the information they want without unnecessary detours.
Include eye-catching graphic elements
The chances of students getting attracted to large blocks of text are low. After all, young people are likely to get distracted easily, especially if they are looking at plain text on a white page. Instead, incorporate engaging graphic elements into your written content. The elements include tables, graphs, pie charts, images, and interactive content.
This makes your web pages visually appealing and the content convenient to read. Combine the design with worthwhile information, and your website will likely gain higher traffic and rankings. Make sure to add as many interactive elements to your website as possible for better results.
Find a place on featured snippets
A featured snippet is the holy grail of Google search engine pages. If the information on the snippet perfectly matches the information a student is looking for, they will likely avoid checking out any other websites.
Furthermore, a featured snippet covered around 50% of a mobile phone screen.
Students will likely check out the information they need on mobile phones, making featured snippets even more critical. Add SEO-optimized content sections with highly focused keywords and information on your website to improve the chances of getting a featured snippet.
Keep an eye on the competitors
Thanks to the intensely competitive nature of the higher education industry, many colleges and universities have high budgets for SEO and marketing. It makes sense as the courses they offer charge high fees for graduate programs, and they can afford to grant large budgets.
A lot of institutions pay for Google Ads to improve their website visibility. In such a situation, exceptional SEO tactics, both on-page and off-page, are vital for a newer university or college to catch student attention. The best SEO agencies for higher education perform detailed competitor research right from the conception of the marketing plan.
Optimize website for mobile phone accessibility
Recent reports show that nearly 60% of Google searches are done through a mobile device. The percentage is likely even higher in the case of the tech-savvy Generation Z target audience. It is a definite drawback if your website looks great on a PC but is not as rich in graphics and performance on a mobile device. Develop a fully mobile-optimized website to maximize your chances of reaching the target students. It is vital to take advantage of when you plan SEO for higher education.
Conduct frequent audits
It is strongly recommended to conduct audits from time to time, both internally and on competitors. The higher education sector evolves rapidly and introduces new trends each year. Keeping your website updated with the latest information is vital to drive traffic and engagement.
You can do so by leveling up your college or university’s auditing tactics. It helps your website perform better during Google crawls and prevents errors. Auditing is one of the major aspects of SEO for higher education that you cannot overlook.
Perform historical optimization
Historical optimization involves improving existing content to make it perform better. Conjuring the dynamic nature of the higher education industry, this is a good idea to try out. You can boost your website by adding new keywords and information if your website ranks well.
From keyword mapping to SEO events for higher education, there are several ways in which you can boost your website engagement. All in all, it is ideal to leave it to experts to get the job done, considering the competitive nature of the industry.
