Universities and colleges are often one of the most traditional industries. They forsake the use of digital forums in favor of relying on the reputation that they have built up over years of educational practice. However, to become a modern, forward-thinking institute that can entice students from all different backgrounds, here are some of the top steps that you can take to boost your SEO and marketing campaign online.
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Hire a Specialist Marketing Agency
If no-one within your department is tech-savvy, you should consider hiring a digital marketing agency. They can help to boost your search rankings and increase the number of students interacting with your website. There are many marketing agencies that specifically work with higher education facilities to attract students. These are the best option for your college as they understand the mindset of both academic institutions and their prospective students. Sextant Marketing is an SEO agency for higher education that can help you to modernize your marketing efforts. Additionally they help make sure that you can communicate with your potential students on a digital platform.
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Create a Ranking Appropriate URL
Although your URL is only a minor ranking factor, it can help your prospective applicants to find your company. Plus it can ensure that your college is the first to appear on search rankings if they are looking for your website. Most educational facilities choose to create a .edu URL as this shows that your website is official and reliable in terms of the information that it provides. You should also make sure that your URL contains keywords related to the courses and service that you provide, and that there are no spaces within this. Additionally make it is as short as possible to help it match with searches by possible students.
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Understand Your Students
However, you will not be able to entice students to your college or university if you are unable to understand them and their searching mindset. You should make sure that you choose keywords that your students are likely to search for. Include words that relate to specific pieces of information related to your university and your courses. Then you can scatter these throughout your webpages. You should also understand where and how your students search for their next educational venture. For instance, many people now use comparison websites, league tables and digital college directories to compare courses and to decide on which institution may be right for them. In these cases, you will need to sign up for the appropriate directories that could boost your rankings on Google and other search engines.
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Connect Locally
Even if you are focused on roping in international students, you should not neglect those students in your local area. Remember, a vast proportion of people look for higher education within a few miles of their hometown. Not only this, but many people base their decision on a specific location that they want to live. You should make sure that you use location-based keywords, maps and directions. However, ensure you place these naturally throughout your website. This will help boost local SEO as well.