Boost Your University's Online Reputation with SEO

In today's digital age, universities no longer rely solely on traditional advertising or word-of-mouth to attract prospective students. Instead, they must ensure a strong online presence to stand out in a competitive landscape. One of the most effective ways to enhance your university's online visibility and reputation is through SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). By optimising your website and content for search engines, your institution can improve its ranking on platforms like Google, increasing the chances of being found by prospective students.

At the heart of an effective SEO strategy are three key principles that can be championed within HubSpot: creating topics and subtopics, pillar pages, and generating engaging content. In this post, we'll dive into these concepts and explain how your university can use them to improve its online presence.

Create Topics and Subtopics to Build a Strong SEO Foundation

To improve your university's SEO, it's important to focus on content organisation and structure. We suggest organising your content around broad topics and breaking them down into more specific subtopics. This approach not only helps search engines understand your content but also makes it easier for your audience to navigate your site and find relevant information.

How to Apply This for Your University:

Start by identifying the key areas of interest for prospective students. For example:

Main Topic: Undergraduate Programs
Subtopics: Business, Engineering, Fine Arts, Science...
These broad topics can then be broken down into more specific areas that address the questions or concerns your target audience may have. For instance:

Subtopic of Business: "What Can You Do with a Degree in Business?"
Subtopic of Engineering: "Top Career Paths for Engineering Graduates"
By structuring your content this way, your university's website can cover a variety of relevant keywords without appearing cluttered or overwhelming. This also works as a brilliant way to develop your content strategy plan!

Outside of the above content title suggestions, we'd encourage you to think about the personas you're targeting and develop your content titles around that. Let's take two example personas: Career-path Catherine & Lifestyle Lizzie...

Whilst Catherine may be engaged by content around how going to your University can help her to achieve her dream career, the content that Lizzie would find useful is around what her lifestyle will be like at your University.

Build Pillar Pages to Establish Authority

A pillar page is a comprehensive resource that covers a main topic in depth and links to related subtopics. It’s a central part of your SEO strategy because it consolidates your content and demonstrates expertise in a particular field, which can boost your search engine rankings.

How to Apply This for Your University:

Imagine creating a pillar page called “Everything You Need to Know About Studying at [University Name].” This page could include information on admissions, tuition, programs, campus life, and extracurricular activities. Each section of the pillar page could then link to more specific pages or blog posts about each topic, such as:

A detailed admissions process guide
Tuition fees and scholarship opportunities
In-depth descriptions of each degree program
These pillar pages help search engines recognize your university as an authority on the given topic, while also making it easy for visitors to find exactly what they're looking for.

Generate Blog Content to Increase Engagement and Rankings

Consistent blog content is essential for keeping your university’s website fresh and engaging. Blogs are not only a great way to provide useful information to your audience, but they’re also a powerful tool for improving your SEO.

How to Apply This for Your University:

When crafting your university's blog content, think about what your target audience is searching for. You might write blog posts on:

“How to Choose the Right University Course”
“Top 10 Tips for University Applications”
“A Day in the Life of an Engineering Student at [University Name]”
“How to Prepare for University Open Day”
By frequently publishing content that addresses the needs and questions of prospective students, you'll not only rank higher in search results but also keep your website visitors engaged and informed. It’s also a great way to incorporate long-tail keywords (specific search terms), which can lead to increased traffic.

Bonus:

Internal Linking and SEO Optimisation
As you create topics, pillar pages, and blog content, it's essential to weave them together with internal links. This practice not only helps users navigate your site but also signals to search engines that your site has a robust structure, helping improve your rankings.

Additionally, remember to optimise each piece of content with on-page SEO techniques such as:

Using Keywords Strategically:
Place relevant keywords in your headlines, meta descriptions, and throughout your content, but avoid keyword stuffing.
Optimising Images:
Use descriptive file names and alt text to ensure your images contribute to SEO.
Improving Page Speed: Fast-loading pages rank better on search engines and provide a better user experience.
Ensuring Mobile Optimisation:
As more prospective students research universities on their phones, your website needs to be mobile-friendly.

Thankfully, HubSpot has tools that enable you to scan your entire site, and will highlight any and all areas for improvement to ensure every aspect of your site is SEO ready!

To conclude, to boost your university's online reputation and attract more students, it's crucial to embrace the core principles of SEO. By organising content around key topics and subtopics, creating comprehensive pillar pages, and consistently publishing engaging blog content, your university will enhance its visibility in search engine rankings. Not only will this increase traffic to your website, but it will also position your institution as a thought leader and trusted authority in higher education.

By following this SEO strategy, your university will be well-equipped to thrive in the digital landscape. So, start organising your content, developing pillar pages, and writing those blog posts—and watch your online reputation soar!