If 73% of all college searches begin online, and 9 out of 10 online experiences begin with search (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), I just have to ask – WHAT is higher education waiting for?
Why are there still institutions who are trying to figure out if they should diversify their marketing mix to include digital media?
I know, you haven’t been given any new marketing dollars, and I know that budgets are tight – but really, can you afford not to?
The most common thing I hear in conversations around digital marketing is in response to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), or your ability as an institution to influence your position in Organic Search results.
This is a GREAT place to start and for a moment, in those conversations I almost start to feel better, and then, the hammer is dropped. I cannot make this up, I almost inevitably hear “we optimized our website during our redesign two years ago” and this statement is said with the progressive pride of a new technology junkie.
The first problem – search engines change their algorithm for determining your position in search results regularly – not once every two years.
The second problem – your academic pages are more than likely still written nearly entirely by the folks on the academic side of the house so writing for SEO is low on the priority list unless you happen to work with faculty who have an astounding understanding of the importance of digital media.
The third problem – much of search position is influenced by new content. That website you redesigned two years ago and have made few updates to since, it is more than likely you’re missing out on many opportunities to rank higher.
Long and short, digital media is the single most measureable form of marketing and institutions have to get in the game. If your budget is low, but your interest is high, a good place to start is by examining your Organic Search Rankings and proactively doing something about them!
For more information on SEO for Higher Education, check out our webinars:
SEO for the Modern College Newsroom and SEO for Higher Education Marketing.
