Higher Education SEO Agency

1,185,450 students enrolled in universities and higher education institutions in 2022. This marks a 19.8% increase since 2016. Yet, 80% of education-related online searches still end without a conversion. This highlights the need for an effective search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy.

To attract local and international applicants, online visibility is key. Gone are the days when brochures and education fairs were enough. Today’s prospective students are online. They’re researching courses, locations, entry requirements and faculties. They are reading Reddit and other forums for reviews about your institution.

At Mojo Dojo, we help your institution rank in the higher education related searches. Many institutions offer traditional on-campus degrees or online certifications. Whatever you offer, your users will go to Google and search as a part of their purchasing journey.

Our SEO strategies focus on ranking your institution’s offerings. This includes both academic programmes and faculty expertise. By ranking for these terms, you become the top choice for prospective students.

Effective SEO for universities involves a comprehensive website optimisation strategy. The majority of prospective students research programmes on their smartphones. This makes a mobile-responsive website crucial. Engaging long-form content such as blog posts and student testimonials become important considerations. Moreover, location-based keywords will connect you with prospective students in your area.

44% of students make their final decision 60 to 120 days after their initial visit. They often revisit an institution’s website many times before converting. An SEO strategy that supports this decision-making process can enhance engagement rates.

Most if not all students begin their search for universities online. A strong SEO presence will improve your institution’s visibility in search results. Some of the benefits of investing in higher education SEO include:

• Your institution’s website will rank higher in search results. This makes it easier for potential students to find your programmes online.
• It provides a higher return on investment (ROI) than traditional marketing channels. It targets users who are looking for educational opportunities like yours.
• By achieving higher rankings in search results, it enhances your institution’s reputation. This positions you as a credible and trustworthy choice in the academic world.
• It directs prospective students, faculty, and donors to your website.
• We optimise your website for high-value search queries like programme details and admissions. It helps you reach more prospective students. Over time, it boosts your enrolment rate.

SEO has long been a vital strategy, and for higher education institutions, it’s a proven approach. There’s a reason why some universities stand out in search rankings and others don’t. Yet, many institutions are still unsure about what effective higher education SEO involves.

Looking to elevate your visibility and compete with the leading universities? Here’s a list of key SEO strategies targeted towards higher education institutions:

Technical SEO

A solid technical foundation is crucial for a successful SEO strategy. Here are the key areas of focus:

• Website crawlability ensures search engines can access and understand your website content.  
• Optimising your site’s architecture helps users find important information.
• Mobile-first indexing prioritises mobile-friendliness.
• Page speed optimisation ensures fast load times to improve user experience.
• Schema markup implementation uses structured data to help search engines understand your content.

Content Marketing

Content marketing plays a vital role in engaging and converting prospective students. Key strategies include:

• Ensuring your programme pages are clear, engaging, and value-driven.
• Optimising content to appear in featured snippets to capture more traffic.  
• Highlighting programme details, faculty achievements, and student success stories. These are key to engaging your audience.

Conversion Rate & User Experience Optimisation

Once prospective students visit your website, ensuring a smooth user experience drives conversions.

• Most students use their mobile phones to research higher education institutions. So we prioritise a mobile-first design.
• Your content should be engaging and digestible for a broad audience.  
• Tailor content based on user demographics, interests, or program preferences.  

Essential Strategies

More SEO strategies for higher education institutions include:

• Identifying high-traffic keywords that your target audience is searching for.  
• Gaining backlinks from relevant sites to boost domain authority.
• Engaging with prospective students on social media, it improves your visibility. With clear CTAs, you can direct them to your website.

At Mojo Dojo, we know the psychology of prospective students. We also know the key factors that influence their search decisions. Gain insights into how students are searching for higher education options. This ensures your institution stands out in a competitive market. We have 15+ years of experience in many industries. Our speciality is higher education.

Most prospective students use search engines to explore their educational options. Without proper SEO, you risk overlooking potential applicants. 

Best of all, SEO is a long-term investment. The benefits of SEO can last for years. Drive valuable organic traffic to your site on a continuous basis.