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  • The Future of Search: SEO and AI Impacts Explained

    The Future of Search: SEO and AI Impacts Explained

    Key Insights

    • AI is reshaping search behavior: Users increasingly rely on AI-driven platforms for quick answers, changing how content is surfaced in search results.
    • SEO remains foundational: Despite AI’s rise, organic search remains the backbone of visibility, particularly for high-intent and local searches.
    • Authority and credibility matter more than ever: AI models favor trusted sources, making brand authority, expertise, and transparency essential for being cited in AI-generated responses.
    • Optimizing for AI requires a strategic approach: Marketers need to structure content for AI readability, incorporate long-tail keywords, strengthen technical SEO, and prioritize conversational language to improve discoverability.

    Generative AI has changed the way people search for information online. According to research by Higher Visibility, 71.5% of people report using AI tools for search, with 14% turning to them daily. 

    AI search, powered by Google’s AI Overviews and platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini, offers fresh ways to reach users. However, it also introduces new challenges for marketers. AI-powered search results push organic rankings lower, while conversational search engines provide answers to queries without users having to click through to a website. 

    Search has always evolved, and this shift is no different. To stay competitive and continue reaching your target audience, your SEO strategy must adapt to accommodate AI-driven search — or you risk losing ground to competitors who are.

    Maintaining your relevance and traffic requires implementing tactics specifically designed to improve AI search visibility — also known as generative engine optimization — alongside your traditional SEO strategy. Here’s what to know about SEO and AI impacts, plus how to navigate them in the new era of search.

    What Is AI Search?

    AI search refers to search engines and digital platforms that use artificial intelligence to generate direct, summarized answers to user queries. Rather than simply ranking web pages, these tools analyze vast amounts of data, identify key insights, and deliver structured responses that align with the user’s intent.

    AI search is generally divided into two categories: AI Overviews and AI search engines/chatbots.

    AI Overviews

    Introduced in May 2024, Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) appear at the top of search results in response to queries. These summaries use AI to pull information from multiple sources and generate a concise, structured response. By applying machine learning and natural language processing, they identify relevant details, summarize content, and present it in an easy-to-read format.

    AIOs also list citations alongside summaries, giving users the option to explore original sources for more in-depth information.

    AI Overviews’ impact on SEO

    Declining search visibility

    Because AIOs appear at the top of search results, they push traditional organic listings further down the page. As more users rely on AI-generated summaries, ranking in AIOs has become essential for maintaining search visibility and reaching audiences where they are actively looking for information.

    The rise of zero-click searches

    AIOs contribute to the growth of zero-click searches, where users get answers directly in search results without clicking through to a website. While this reduces organic traffic, being featured in an AIO ensures your content is still seen. It allows you to build brand awareness and authority even when users don’t visit your site.

    AIOs and informational search queries

    AIOs dominate informational searches, with 99.2% of AIO keywords classified as informational. This means they frequently surface when users look for general knowledge in the awareness stage. Appearing in AIOs puts your brand in front of users earlier in their search journey, increasing the likelihood of engagement before they turn to a competitor.

    The role of AIOs in branded searches

    AIOs don’t just affect informational searches — they also appear in branded queries, which make up 45-60% of all Google searches (LinkedIn, SparkToro). If an AIO includes information about your business, it can influence how users perceive your brand and shape future interactions. 

    AIOs and click-through rates (CTRs)

    Although zero-click searches are increasing, inclusion in AIOs can still improve click-through rates (CTR). A study by Seer Interactive found that organic CTR increases to 1.08% when a site is included in an AIO, compared to just 0.6% for those that aren’t. 

    Even when users don’t click through, appearing in AIOs increases brand impressions and helps maintain relevance in search. AIOs are heavily leveraged for voice search, meaning your content has the potential to surface in spoken responses across AI-powered assistants. Ignoring AIOs means missing out on a major shift in search behavior — while your competitors secure the space at the top.

    AI Search Engines and Chatbots

    AI-powered search engines and chatbots — such as Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Bing Copilot — offer a conversational way to search for and explore information. Unlike traditional search engines, which present ranked lists of web pages, AI-driven platforms generate detailed answers and allow users to refine their queries through follow-up interactions. 

    While AIOs primarily pull from indexed content and authoritative sites, other AI search tools vary in how they retrieve and present information:

    • Bing Copilot offers a mix of live retrieval and indexed content
    • Perplexity emphasizes real-time, cited sources for greater transparency
    • ChatGPT (with browsing enabled) pulls from both retrieved and summarized conten

    Understanding these differences helps you tailor your approach when optimizing for AI-driven search experiences.

    How major AI Search models handle content

    AI search engine/chatbot impact on SEO

    Growing search traffic through AI-powered platforms

    With platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini attracting millions of users, conversational search is becoming a key way people discover information. ChatGPT alone has an estimated 300 million weekly active users worldwide, while Google Gemini averages 275 million monthly visits. As more users turn to these tools instead of traditional search engines, ensuring your content is referenced in AI-generated responses helps increase visibility and establish authority.

    AI search engines/chatbots and brand recognition

    Some AI platforms, like Perplexity, consistently provide citations in their responses, while others, such as ChatGPT, vary in how they attribute sources. Free-tier models may offer only basic references, while premium versions provide more detailed citations, pulling from multiple sources and adding contextual annotations.

    When these platforms do cite sources, being included is a valuable opportunity to increase your credibility. Even if users don’t click through to your site, being cited in responses helps you gain your audience’s trust as a trusted source of information.

    The connection between traditional SEO and AI visibility

    Ranking well in organic search directly impacts the likelihood of being referenced in AI-generated responses. AI search engines prioritize authoritative, high-ranking sources when generating answers, making a strong SEO strategy essential for increasing visibility within these platforms.

    Many core SEO principles still apply to AI search strategies, including understanding user intent, structuring content around entities, and maintaining high-quality information. However, AI-driven search shifts the focus from backlinks and keyword targeting to citations and specificity. The more detailed and entity-rich your content, the better AI models can reference it. 

    While SEO helps content rank, ensuring it is clear, credible, and easily retrievable increases its chances of appearing in AI-generated results.

    What Is Generative Engine Optimization?

    Generative Engine Optimization explained

    Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the process of optimizing content for AI-generated responses, increasing visibility in Google’s AIOs and AI-powered chatbots or search engines. While traditional SEO focuses on ranking web pages, GEO tailors content for AI models that extract and present direct answers.

    By aligning content with how AI processes and prioritizes information, GEO helps marketers maintain authority, improve engagement, and capture opportunities across evolving search platforms.

    How to Get Featured as an AI Source

    A successful GEO strategy means getting included as an AI source, whether that’s in an AIO or a Perplexity response. Use these tactics to strengthen your AI visibility:

    Improve your E-E-A-T

    Google is more heavily emphasizing brand authority when ranking content and generating AIOs. Instead of solely optimizing for rankings, brands need to focus on strengthening Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) to improve visibility.

    AI models prefer sources that demonstrate credibility, which means establishing strong brand authority is essential. To improve E-E-A-T:

    • Demonstrate expertise and experience: Highlight author credentials, industry insights, and first-hand knowledge.
    • Maintain accurate business and directory listings: Ensure consistency across platforms like Google Business Profile and industry directories.
    • Ensure content transparency: Properly cite sources and reference factual, verifiable data.

    Focus on relevant, high-quality content

    AI favors concise and informative content, meaning readability and structure are just as important as accuracy. Google’s passage ranking feature allows AI models to pull specific sections of your content to answer queries directly, so structuring information in a clear, digestible way improves its chances of being referenced.

    To make your content more AI-friendly:

    • Anticipate user intent and provide concise and informative responses that align with what users are searching for. AI-driven search prioritizes content that directly answers queries with detailed, structured, and context-rich information.
    • Write in conversational language, using a natural, direct writing style and concise phrasing. AI models rely on natural language processing (NLP) to interpret and generate human-like text, making them more effective at understanding content that mirrors everyday speech. Overly complex or formal wording can create friction in processing, while clear, natural phrasing ensures better readability.
    • Break down complex information into digestible, skimmable formats, such as bullet points or numbered lists, with clear subheadings.
    • Include FAQ sections, as a structured Q&A format can help AI identify relevant insights quickly. 
    • Leverage multimedia content with schema markup, since AI increasingly references videos and images in responses.

    Leverage long-tail keywords

    AI-generated search results are more likely to pull from content that matches specific, detailed queries. Long-tail keywords — phrases that are longer and more precise than broad search terms — help target the kinds of questions AI models reference in responses.

    Search intent plays a crucial role when optimizing for long-tail keywords. While informational-intent keywords trigger AIOs 99.2% of the time, commercial and transactional queries only generate AIOs 10% of the time. 

    To best capitalize on long-tail keyword opportunities:

    • Review “People Also Ask” (PAA) questions to identify commonly searched queries that AI models may prioritize.
    • Analyze AI search engines like Perplexity to see what types of queries generate responses.
    • Optimize for natural, conversational queries that reflect how users phrase searches in AI chatbots and voice search.

    A quote from Michelle Boyd about AI-driven search

    Optimize content for entities

    AI models process content using entities — specific people, places, organizations, and concepts — rather than just keywords. While keywords are the words or phrases users type into search engines, entities act as nodes in a knowledge graph, helping AI understand relationships between concepts and generate more relevant responses.

    To improve AI-driven visibility, structure your content to clearly define and connect entities:

    • Use Schema.org structured data: Define entities such as businesses, products, authors, and services to help AI recognize key concepts.
    • Link to authoritative sources: Reference Wikipedia, industry databases, and government sites to align with established entities AI understands.
    • Leverage co-occurrence: When two or more words, phrases, or entities frequently appear together in content, AI models — especially LLMs like ChatGPT without search — become more likely to generate them. Strategic co-occurrence helps reinforce associations between key concepts.
    • Utilize co-citation: When two entities (brands, websites, or sources) are cited or linked from the same source, it strengthens their perceived relationship in AI models, even if they aren’t directly connected.
    • Structure content with semantic triples: AI processes information in subject-predicate-object statements (e.g., “Apple manufactures the MacBook Pro”), so clearly defining these relationships enhances AI comprehension.
    • Enhance entity salience: Ensure that the most important concepts stand out within your content. Salience determines how relevant an entity appears in AI-driven searches and conversations. Think of it as a more structured way to signal significance without relying on keyword stuffing.

    Prioritize your technical SEO

    Strong technical SEO helps AI models better interpret, index, and surface your content. Without a solid technical foundation, even well-written and authoritative content may struggle to appear in AIOs or AI-driven search results.

    To improve your technical SEO:

    • Use schema markup to structure data: Properly coded structured data helps AI search engines understand key business details, such as operating hours, services, and locations, increasing the chances of being included in AIOs.
    • Optimize title tags and meta descriptions: Clear, well-crafted metadata improves indexing and can enhance how AI models retrieve your content.
    • Improve site navigation and internal linking: AI favors well-structured sites where information is easily accessible and logically organized.
    • Ensure fast page speed and mobile usability: A slow, poorly optimized website signals low trustworthiness to search engines, reducing the chances of being referenced.

    Monitor your standing in AI search

    As AI-powered search evolves, tracking your visibility in AI-generated results is just as important as traditional SEO monitoring. New and existing tools now offer AI search tracking features, helping you understand how your content appears in AIOs and other AI-driven search responses.

    To stay ahead, leverage these AI search tools to track your rankings, analyze competitor performance, and identify opportunities for optimization:

    • Recent AI search entrants: Semrush AI Toolkit, Otterly, Rankscale, Profound, xfunnel, Peec.ai
    • Existing tools adding AI metrics: Semrush, Advanced Web Ranking, Ahrefs

    Does Bing Matter in AI SEO?

    While Google dominates search, Bing still holds a significant share of queries, particularly in the U.S. Bing powers 28.3% of online searches when factoring in Yahoo and Microsoft voice searches, making it an important platform to consider.

    Here’s how to pay attention to Bing in your AI SEO efforts:

    • Submit your site to Bing Webmaster Tools (BWT) to ensure proper indexing and visibility.
    • Monitor Bing rankings: While brands ranking on page 1 of Google strongly correlate (~0.65) with AI mentions, Bing rankings also play a role (~0.5–0.6).
    • Stay updated on Bing’s algorithm changes: SEO best practices currently align with Google, but keeping an eye on potential Bing-specific shifts ensures continued optimization.

    SEO and AI Impacts: Is SEO Still Important? 

    Short answer: yes. While AIOs and AI-driven search platforms are changing how users find information, traditional SEO remains the foundation of search visibility. 

    Research shows that 52-73% of AIO sources come from pages already ranking in the top 10 organic search results. This means that if your site isn’t ranking well in traditional searches, it’s unlikely to be referenced in AI-generated responses. 

    At the same time, only 10% of middle to low-funnel keywords trigger an AIO, meaning AI-generated results are not replacing the most valuable searches — those tied to users actively looking for a business, product, or service.

    SEO is even more critical for local businesses. Searches for local goods, services, and businesses rarely populate an AIO, making local SEO tactics essential for maintaining visibility. 

    What’s more, the highest-volume AIO keywords average just 150 searches per month, while non-AIO keywords drive an average of 29,000 searches. This means that despite AI-driven changes, organic search remains the dominant traffic driver. Businesses that prioritize SEO are still best positioned to reach high-intent users, capture search demand, and drive meaningful engagement.

    Stay Ahead in the Age of AI With Search Influence

    AI search is evolving every day, reshaping how users find and engage with content. To stay visible, you need a nimble, data-driven approach that keeps up with both traditional SEO and AI-powered search trends. 

    That’s where partnering with an experienced agency can make all the difference. 

    At Search Influence, we continuously track organic traffic, click-through rates, and AI-related search shifts to help our clients adjust their strategies and maximize their visibility in an AI-driven world.

    SEO Roadmap for Higher Ed



    Drive more students with a personalized SEO strategy  

    For higher education marketers, our SEO Roadmap is designed to ensure your program pages remain competitive — even as AI-driven search changes the way students explore their options. 

    This customized, three-month strategy provides clear, actionable recommendations you can implement right away. It helps you improve rankings, strengthen visibility, and optimize for AIOs and AI-powered platforms. We factor in AI’s impact from the start, ensuring your content is structured for both organic search and AI-driven discovery.

    Whether you’re refining an existing SEO strategy or building one from the ground up, Search Influence helps you stay ahead of AI search shifts so your brand remains visible where it matters most. 

    Let’s build a strategy that works for the future of search.

  • Will Scott to Lead Two-Day AI for SEO Master Class at SMX & LocalU Workshop

    Will Scott to Lead Two-Day AI for SEO Master Class at SMX & LocalU Workshop

    This March, Search Influence Co-Founder and CEO Will Scott brings his SEO expertise to two major conferences, leading in-depth sessions designed to help marketers harness AI for search.

    First, he’s hosting a two-day workshop for SMX’s Master Class series, Generative Engine Optimization, on March 10-11. This live and on-demand event will focus on helping marketers optimize their content for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms while maintaining strong search visibility. 

    Then, on March 26, he’ll take the (virtual) stage at LocalU Global to present The AI Shortcut to Local SEO Domination, a must-attend session for marketers looking to leverage AI for local search success.

    These sessions will provide actionable strategies and expert insights to help you build ROI-driven campaigns in the era of AI.

    Will’s SMX Master Class Presentation

    AI search is changing how and where people search.

    Will’s SMX Master Class session will provide you with strategies to adapt to these changes. 

    Attendees will gain practical, actionable insights on:

    • Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Fundamentals: Learn how AI-driven search differs from traditional search engines and the key ranking factors that impact AI visibility.
    • Content Optimization for AI Platforms: Discover how to format and structure content to enhance visibility in AI-generated responses while keeping human readers engaged.
    • Keyword Strategy for AI & Natural Language Processing: Adapt your keyword approach, focusing on conversational AI queries while maintaining relevance in traditional search.
    • Competitive Analysis for AI Rankings: Get hands-on experience evaluating how competitors perform in AI-driven results and identify opportunities to strengthen your own presence.
    • Building Brand Authority & Trust Signals: Explore how AI platforms assess authority and learn strategies to establish your brand as a recognized, credible source.
    • Tracking Performance & Future-Proofing Your Content: Learn the latest tools and metrics to monitor AI search performance and adjust your strategy as AI search evolves.

    This two-day intensive training is perfect for SEO professionals, content strategists, and digital marketers who want to gain a competitive edge in the AI-powered search landscape. 

    Will’s LocalU Global Presentation

    Will Scott’s presentation at LocalU Global is a must-attend event for marketers looking to optimize local search rankings with AI-driven strategies.

    The AI Shortcut to Local SEO Domination presentation is designed to help business leaders and marketers leverage AI to streamline their local SEO efforts and achieve better visibility.

    His session will dive into actionable insights, including:

    • Optimizing Local Content for AI & Search: Learn how AI tools can enhance your content strategy, ensuring local relevance while improving search visibility.
    • AI-Powered Google Business Profile (GBP) Posts: Discover how AI-driven automation can help businesses generate engaging, keyword-rich GBP posts effortlessly.
    • AI-Generated Local Videos: Explore how AI-powered tools can streamline video creation, making it easier to create engaging content that connects with your audiences.
    • Scaling Local SEO With AI: Understand how AI frees up human resources, allowing marketing teams to focus on strategy, planning, and high-impact decision-making.
    • Implementing Local Schema With AI: Get insights on how AI can simplify schema markup, helping search engines better understand and display local business information.

    Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how AI can transform your local SEO strategy by creating efficiencies that improve results and free up human resources. . 

    About Will Scott

    With decades of experience in SEO and digital advertising, Will Scott is a recognized industry leader known for his expertise in search optimization, AI-driven strategies, and local search marketing. 

    He is credited with coining the term “barnacle SEO” in 2008, a widely adopted strategy that helps businesses improve visibility by leveraging high-authority platforms.

    As Co-Founder and CEO of Search Influence, Will has spent two decades leading teams in creating thousands of websites, optimizing millions of search visits, and developing data-driven marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes. 

    Since launching Search Influence in 2006 with his wife, Angie Scott, they have built the agency into a trusted name in SEO, helping clients navigate the ever-evolving digital space.

    Will’s thought leadership extends beyond his agency. He is a full-time faculty member of LocalU and a frequent contributor to top marketing publications. 

    His insights have been sought after by industry leaders across various sectors, and he has delivered expert presentations at some of the most renowned marketing conferences, including Pubcon and. 

    Learn More About AI for SEO With Search Influence 

    Don’t miss your chance to gain expert insights into AI for SEO at two premier virtual events this March:

    Sign up today to discover AI-driven strategies that will help you optimize content, automate local SEO tasks, and scale your efforts for greater impact.

    With a passion for educating marketers, business owners, and industry professionals, Will continues to push the boundaries of SEO — especially in the era of AI-driven search.

    As a leader in AI for SEO, Will Scott continues to develop innovative products and services that help businesses stay ahead in this evolving landscape. 

    AI search and other SEO trends are transforming the higher education landscape. Recognizing this shift, Search Influence developed the SEO Roadmap—a strategic guide designed to help universities navigate and succeed in this new era of search.



    Drive more students with a personalized SEO strategy  

    Our SEO Roadmap provides a personalized plan that dives deep into one top program or degree, delivering immediate, high-impact recommendations you can implement immediately.

    Ready to build a future-proof SEO strategy? 

    Contact Search Influence to learn how we can help you optimize for success.

  • Higher Education SEO Trends in 2025: How to Compete

    Higher Education SEO Trends in 2025: How to Compete

    Key Insights

    • AI-Driven Search Requires Adaptation

      Emerging technologies like Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping search visibility. Universities must optimize content for AI retrieval, emphasizing depth, authority, and structured data to stay competitive.

    • Social Search Is Reshaping Discovery

      Younger audiences increasingly use social platforms for search. Universities must integrate SEO strategies with social media, prioritizing engaging, visual content to enhance discoverability.

    • SEO Roadmap Ensures Long-Term Success

      A structured SEO roadmap helps universities systematically improve rankings. Key actions—keyword research, content updates, and link-building—align institutions with evolving search algorithms.

    SEO IS THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY

    Why Is Higher Education SEO Important?

    Higher education SEO ensures universities stay visible in search results, attracting prospective students.

    With students relying on search to research programs, strong SEO improves rankings, enhances discoverability, and increases enrollment opportunities. Optimizing for AI search, social search, and evolving algorithms is critical for maintaining a competitive edge.

    Yet, according to our recent Higher Ed SEO Research Study developed with UPCEA, 51% of universities lack an established SEO plan.

    This oversight in strategy puts institutions at a disadvantage when it comes to improving search engine rankings and standing out in a crowded market.

    For universities ready for export guidance for 2025, an SEO roadmap serves as a crucial starting point to bridge this gap and develop a program-focused SEO strategy that incorporates upcoming trends.

    Search Influence’s SEO roadmap provides a customized guide for one key academic program including recommendations for:

    • Keyword strategy
    • Content strategy
    • Link building
    • Technical SEO optimizations

    But before you climb the Everest that is search engine visibility in 2025, you should know what to expect.

    In this blog, we’ll explore the key SEO trends impacting higher education and discuss how universities can develop a strategy to improve their search engine rankings and connect with prospective students.

    SEO Higher Education Trends in 2025

    Small animated rocket flying away from 3D computer browser windows, charts, and data

    Impact of AI Overviews on higher ed SEO

    As search continues to evolve, higher education digital marketers must leverage generative engine optimization (GEO) to reach their target audiences. Understanding AI Overviews is the first step in mastering this new form of search.

    In May 2024, Google introduced AI Overviews as part of its Search Generative Experience at Google I/O. This new feature leverages Google’s generative AI model, Gemini, to provide users with quick answers to their queries. AI Overviews generate brief snippets based on Google AI’s understanding of the question and relevant content from across the web.

    Alongside the generated answer, Google includes links to resources, allowing users to dive deeper into the topic if they choose.

    Possible challenges of AI Overviews

    • Informational content pushed down: Blog posts or general content on university websites are often pushed lower in search results by AI-generated responses, impacting traffic that universities previously earned from organic search results..
    • Limited visibility for non-featured websites: Educational institutions not featured in AI Overviews may struggle to gain online visibility, even if they rank well on traditional search engine results pages (SERPs).
    • Lack of content attribution: AI Overviews pull content from various sources without clear attribution, making it harder for universities to gain proper recognition or build brand awareness.
    • Reduced prominence of featured snippets: As AI Overviews take up more space in search results, traditional featured snippets may become less visible, reducing visibility for universities who worked hard to gain this placement.

    Strategies to overcome AI Overview challenges

    • Create detailed, well-researched content: AI Overviews often provide brief, surface-level answers. Universities can encourage users to click through and engage with the full material by developing in-depth content that offers more comprehensive insights.
    • Target long-tail keywords and specific queries: Focus on relevant keywords and highly specific searches that AI Overviews do not fully address. These keywords can help drive organic traffic from users seeking more detailed information, particularly for degree programs and specialized content.
    • Offer interactive content and direct user engagement: AI Overviews can’t replicate the value of user-driven experiences. By providing downloadable resources, webinars, or interactive tools, universities can offer unique value that sets them apart and builds stronger connections with prospective students.

    How social search is changing SEO for universities

    Social search is rapidly gaining traction, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials, who increasingly use social media platforms to find information, discover products, and learn about services. This shift away from traditional search engines like Google is transforming how universities must approach recruitment SEO. Social search leverages the dynamic, interactive nature of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where user-generated content (UGC) and real-time interactions play a significant role in how information is consumed and shared.

    Beyond social platforms becoming an alternative to traditional search, social content itself has started to rank higher in Google search results. This means that what universities post on social platforms impacts their visibility on social media and plays a crucial role in their overall SEO strategy.

    Possible challenges of social search for universities

    • Changing search habits: As Gen Z and Millennials shift towards social search, traditional SEO tactics designed for search engines like Google may not be as effective in capturing their attention. As social search continues to grow, higher ed websites must adapt to maintain visibility.
    • Limited control over rankings: Unlike traditional search engines, social search algorithms prioritize engagement over keyword optimization, making it harder for universities to rank higher based solely on incorporating relevant keywords. Social platforms are unpredictable, with ever-changing algorithms that often favor highly engaging content like likes, shares, and comments.
    • Engagement-driven visibility: Social search tends to favor content that generates high engagement, which can be difficult for universities to achieve organically without paid promotions. Smaller schools or institutions with less interactive content may find it challenging to compete with more popular or active brands.

    Strategies to overcome social search challenges

    • Repurpose content for social media: Universities can repurpose existing website content into highly shareable formats such as videos, infographics, or student testimonials on social media. This helps maintain a consistent message across platforms while catering to the content preferences of younger audiences.
    • Focus on visual content: Social platforms like Instagram and TikTok prioritize visual content, particularly videos. Incorporating multimedia into your digital marketing strategy is essential for keeping content relevant and visible for longer.
    • Boost engagement: To rank higher on social platforms —where algorithms prioritize engagement — universities need to focus on creating content that encourages interaction. Developing content that sparks discussions and encourages likes, shares, and comments can increase visibility in social search algorithms. For example, interactive posts like live Q&A sessions can help universities capture more organic search traffic from social platforms.

    Optimize “People Also Ask” to answer prospective students’ queries

    The “People Also Ask” (PAA) section in Google search results displays a list of questions related to the user’s original query. Each question can be expanded to reveal a brief answer, typically pulled from relevant websites. While PAA helps users quickly find information, it presents both challenges and opportunities for universities looking to attract prospective students through SEO for higher education.

    Competition for visibility is fierce, as the PAA box often pushes traditional organic search results further down the page. Even websites ranking on the first page may struggle to gain traffic. That’s why optimizing for PAA is critical. Prospective students increasingly rely on search engines to discover university programs, and the PAA box provides a valuable way to capture their attention.

    The good news is that structuring your content to answer PAA questions clearly and concisely also supports AI Overview visibility. This dynamic approach ensures that your educational website stays relevant in search results.

    Possible challenges of People Also Ask

    • Click-through rate (CTR) impact: Users may find their answers directly in the PAA section without needing to click through to a website, potentially lowering CTR even for high-ranking pages.
    • Answer quality control: Google pulls content for PAA from various sources, meaning the quality or accuracy of the answers won’t always reflect the expertise of your site, even if you provide more in-depth information.
    • Unpredictability of ranking in PAA: Google’s algorithm dynamically chooses which content to feature in PAA, making it difficult to guarantee your content will appear in this section.
    • Content cannibalization: If your content ranks both organically and in the PAA box, users might click on the PAA result, which offers less interaction and brand recognition than a direct visit to your site.

    Strategies and insights to overcome People Also Ask challenges

    • Provide concise answers to common questions: To increase the chances of appearing in the PAA section, create clear, concise answers within your content. Use structured headings and bulleted lists to make it easier for search engines to identify and feature your content.
    • Focus on long-tail queries: Target niche topics and long-tail keywords that have less competition. This can increase the likelihood of your content being featured in the PAA for specific questions related to your degree programs or student services.
      Build content around your expertise: Enhance the authority of your answers by including references to credible sources, expert quotes, and in-depth insights. This builds trustworthiness and improves your chances of being featured in PAA.
    • Use structured data: Incorporate technical SEO strategies such as structured data to help search engines better understand your content and increase its chances of appearing in the PAA box.

    Utilize video SEO to boost engagement with your audience

    Is video SEO the future of search?

    According to Hubspot, 96% of people say they watch explainer videos to learn more about a product.

    Let that sink in — 96% of people watch videos to learn more about a product!

    This underscores the importance for higher education institutions to create engaging video content.

    Video SEO involves optimizing your video content to rank higher in both search engine results and video platforms like YouTube and TikTok. This process includes targeting relevant keywords, optimizing video descriptions, transcribing videos, and creating high-quality content that engages viewers. Video SEO aims to increase visibility, drive organic search traffic, and boost audience engagement — all of which can improve your institution’s brand awareness and conversions.

    Not only does video SEO help with audience engagement, but it also contributes to improving your website’s search rankings, benefiting your overall SEO strategy.

    Possible challenges of video SEO

    • Competition: Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are highly competitive, with millions of videos uploaded daily, making it difficult for your content to stand out.
    • Time and resources: Creating and optimizing video content requires significant time, effort, and resources, more so than text-based content.
    • Technical SEO elements: Ensuring proper video metadata, schema markup, and fast loading speeds can be challenging, particularly when embedding videos on your site.
      User behavior: While video can be engaging, some users may prefer quick text results.

    Strategies and insights to overcome video SEO challenges

    • Create short-form videos: Whenever possible, create short, TikTok-style videos to answer users’ questions quickly. While longer videos can be valuable, short-form content is especially effective in the era of social search.
    • Keyword research: Focus on long-tail keywords specific to your audience’s search intent. This can help you target less competitive niches in the higher education space and boost your video content’s visibility.
    • Use engaging thumbnails and titles: Eye-catching thumbnails and compelling, keyword-rich titles can increase your click-through rates and overall engagement.
    • Include video transcripts: Transcripts make your content more accessible and provide search engines with additional text to crawl, improving your video’s SEO performance AND your website’s SEO. Transcribing your videos on your website also ensures you reach potential searchers who prefer reading content over watching a video.
    • Encourage engagement signals: Encourage viewers to like, share, comment, and subscribe. These engagement signals indicate to search engines that your content is valuable, increasing its chances of ranking higher.
    • Implement schema markup: Use proper schema markup to help search engines better understand your video content. This increases the likelihood of your video being featured in search results, especially in video carousels.
    • Consistent content creation: Regularly upload videos and promote them across multiple platforms, including your website. This consistency keeps your institution relevant and boosts your SEO efforts over the long term.

    Even universities need to prove E-E-A-T

    With AI Overviews as a dominant feature in search results, universities must focus more on creating authoritative, trustworthy content. Luckily, the search engine Goliath has laid out criteria for SEOs to do exactly that: Google E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).

    These are the key factors Google uses when human reviewers evaluate the quality of content, especially for websites dealing with sensitive topics like higher education.

    E-E-A-T ensures that your institution’s content is accurate, well-researched, and delivered by credible sources — a must for higher education websites looking to thrive in today’s search engine results pages

    Leveraging authority and trustworthiness online is essential for universities to attract prospective students and build partnerships with academic and research institutions.

    Possible challenges of establishing E-E-A-T

    • Maintaining consistency: With various contributors producing content, ensuring that all pages across the university’s website meet E-E-A-T standards can be challenging.
    • Building authority: Smaller universities or newer programs often find it difficult to compete with established institutions in search rankings.
    • User trust: Consistently delivering accurate and up-to-date information is critical. Any outdated or incorrect content can damage the trustworthiness of the university.
    • Dynamic content: Frequent changes to curricula, research publications, and academic programs can make maintaining content relevance and authority resource-intensive.

    Strategies and insights to overcome E-E-A-T challenges

    • Highlight expertise: Feature content authored by faculty members, ensuring their credentials, academic achievements, and research experience are clearly showcased. Author bios and academic qualifications reinforce the expertise of your institution.
    • Enhance trustworthiness: Include student testimonials, case studies, and partnerships with respected organizations to build trust with prospective students and academic partners.
    • Content review process: Implement a rigorous content review and update schedule to ensure all information remains accurate, relevant, and aligned with the institution’s authority in the field.
    • Leverage user-generated content: Encourage reviews and success stories from current students and alumni. This content demonstrates real-world experience and fosters trust with your target audience.
    • Structured data and transparency: Use structured data to help search engine crawlers better understand the content on your site. Transparency in policies, admissions, and course details will enhance trust and improve your organic traffic.
    • Third-party mentions: Gaining citations or backlinks from respected educational sources, government websites, or reputable media outlets can help boost your university’s authority in search rankings.

    How an SEO Roadmap Can Help You Stay Ahead of SEO Trends

    In the ever-evolving world of higher education marketing, staying ahead of the latest trends is critical for attracting more prospective students.

    But how do you know where to start for an institution that’s attracting thousands of students to sometimes hundreds of programs?

    An SEO roadmap offers a strategic guide to ensure your university’s website remains visible and effective in search engine results.

    Here’s how an SEO roadmap will help fast-track your enrollment journey:

    Optimize for student search behavior

    An SEO roadmap provides valuable insights into how prospective students are searching for degree programs and other academic offerings. By understanding the keywords and phrases potential students use, your institution can adapt content to match their queries more effectively, helping you connect with a broader audience of prospective students.

    Adapt to algorithm changes

    Google’s search algorithms are constantly changing, which can impact your university’s website performance. An SEO roadmap ensures you stay on top of these changes by addressing updates like core algorithm shifts, mobile-first indexing, and search ranking signals. This helps your site maintain strong visibility in organic search results, keeping your content in front of more potential students.

    Stay ahead of emerging trends

    An effective SEO roadmap also accounts for emerging trends in the digital landscape, such as voice search, mobile-first indexing, and AI-generated results. These trends are crucial for reaching tech-savvy students who rely on the latest technology to find educational institutions. By adapting your SEO strategy to incorporate these changes, your university will stay competitive and relevant.

    Improve your content strategy

    An SEO roadmap offers actionable insights into what content updates your website needs and highlights new topics to address. It also identifies new types of content — such as videos, infographics, or interactive tools — that will help you engage your audience more effectively. This ensures your content marketing strategy aligns with both search engine algorithms and student interests, driving more organic traffic to your site.

    Gain authority through link building

    Building authority is key to ranking higher in search results, and an SEO roadmap helps identify valuable link-building opportunities. You’ll learn which websites your program should be featured on to gain credibility and boost your search rankings. Additionally, internal links can enhance the user experience and improve your site’s functionality, leading to better SEO performance.

    Stay Ahead of the Latest SEO Trends With Search Influence

    A screenshot of Google Analytics, showing 102 users for an unknown site in the last 30 minutes

    Uncover new opportunities to improve your educational website’s visibility and performance with an SEO roadmap tailored to your institution’s needs.

    At Search Influence, we provide actionable recommendations that align with the latest SEO for higher education strategies, ensuring your institution remains competitive in search results.

    Our team of SEO experts monitors evolving search engine trends and algorithm changes, so you feel confident that your strategy is up-to-date. With nearly two decades of experience, we understand the unique challenges faced by higher education institutions, and our SEO roadmap will help you capture the right search intent, increase rankings, and boost traffic.

    Looking for even more higher ed marketing insights?

    Don’t miss my presentations at the 2024 UPCEA MEMS conference in Philadelphia this December.

    My session, “Visibility is Vital: Maximize Enrollment by Tracking Marketing Metrics,” presented alongside Bruce Etter of UPCEA, will give valuable insights into which marketing metrics matter the most and how to use those metrics to optimize campaigns, maximize budget allocation, and improve conversions.

    I will also be presenting a 10-minute session “Practical Magic: How to Navigate 2025 SEO Trends” that will take a more in-depth look at all the higher education SEO trends covered in this blog.

    Contact our team today to learn more about all our digital marketing services.

    Images

    Unsplash and Unsplash

  • Improve Page Rankings for Your University With a Hybrid SEO Team

    Improve Page Rankings for Your University with a Hybrid SEO Team

    Key Insights

    • Achieving top rankings for your program pages is no easy feat, especially when managing SEO in-house. It takes advanced skills and consistent effort to outpace growing competition.
    • A hybrid SEO team empowers your in-house staff to focus on their strengths, as an agency handles the higher-level SEO tasks that drive measurable improvements in your program’s visibility.
    • Whether you need immediate help for a specific project or long-term strategy support, working with an agency gives you the flexibility to scale your SEO efforts as needed.
    • Take Search Influence’s Higher Ed SEO Quiz to determine whether combining your in-house strengths with agency expertise is the best way to optimize your program rankings.

    You’ve spent weeks perfecting your program pages and refining the messaging to speak directly to prospective students. You know the ins and outs of your institution, its values, and what makes it unique. Despite your best efforts, your pages still aren’t ranking near the top of the search engine results, where visibility matters most.

    Sound familiar?

    Growing competition in higher ed and a shrinking pool of traditional 18-year-old college students have made it harder to reach and capture the attention of the right prospects.

    Your program pages need to rise above the digital clutter — yet, without advanced SEO skills, all your hard work may never pay off.

    If your in-house team is hitting a wall with SEO, collaborating with an agency gives your strategy the push it needs while ensuring your team’s impact stays integral to the approach. With a hybrid team, you’re rewarded with the best of both worlds: the strengths of your in-house insights and the technical expertise of an agency.

    The Expertise an Agency Brings to the Table



    Quiz: Higher Ed SEO – In-House or Outsource

    Agencies provide the technical muscle and fresh strategies needed to elevate your SEO efforts beyond what your in-house team can accomplish alone.

    Broader sector experience

    SEO agencies work with clients across industries, including higher ed, healthcare, and hospitality. This diversity means agencies bring ideas and strategies from sectors beyond education, offering new perspectives to your team.

    They know what works in SEO, what doesn’t, and will advise on how to approach your strategy accordingly.

    Dedicated SEO focus

    Unlike your internal team, which juggles multiple institution-wide priorities, an agency has dedicated experts focused specifically on your SEO strategy. With decades of combined experience among their digital marketing specialists, they know all the tricks of the trade and the latest trends.

    Their specialized knowledge keeps your strategy moving forward — whether it’s fine-tuning content, solving tricky technical issues, or outsmarting algorithm updates.

    Advanced technical SEO

    Agencies bring a laser focus to technical SEO, tackling tasks like site structure improvements, crawlability fixes, and schema markup implementation. By uncovering and resolving hidden technical errors, they eliminate barriers that could drag down your rankings.

    This targeted expertise ensures your site performs at its best and captures the attention of both search engines and users.

    Effective link-building strategies

    According to recent research by Backlinko, a website’s link authority closely correlates to its ranking success. Agencies know how to build links that matter, connecting your website with high-authority sources to improve your domain’s credibility and rankings. By incorporating authority-building tactics into your strategy, an agency will improve your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and generate more links back to you.

    Think of it as networking for your website — building relationships that get your university noticed by the right audiences.

    Sophisticated analytics and tools

    SEO tools like SEMrush and Screaming Frog uncover powerful insights into keyword and listing management opportunities, plus on-site issues like broken links, but it takes expert analysis to turn those insights into results. Agencies excel at transforming raw metrics into strategic actions that deliver measurable outcomes.

    Through clear analytics tracking and reporting, they make complex data easy to understand and even easier to act on.

    Understanding the Strengths of Your Internal Team

    With a strong grasp of your university’s inner workings, your in-house SEO team members know what to prioritize to meet your institution’s most pressing goals.

    Familiarity with institutional culture

    Your internal team knows your institution better than anyone — its mission, values, and branding guidelines. They ensure your SEO strategy aligns with institutional priorities, making your content feel genuine while keeping your messaging consistent across every channel.

    Relationships with faculty and departments

    From individual staff members to college departments, your team has built the relationships needed to uncover stories and insights that bring the best of your university online. They know how to facilitate internal collaboration for creating academic program pages, research highlights, and in-depth faculty profiles.

    On-the-ground understanding of priorities

    Your internal team has a pulse on what’s important to everyone: prospective students, current students, faculty, and alumni. They know exactly when to spotlight admissions deadlines, open houses, and other seasonal priorities to grab the attention of your target audience.

    Local knowledge of audiences

    Targeted marketing works best when it’s backed by a clear understanding of your audience. Your team knows the local culture, regional trends, and demographic factors that shape the interests and behaviors of prospective students, alumni, and the community.

    This helps you connect with your prospects in a way that feels authentic and relevant.

    A quote about SEO skills and tools from the SI team

    How to Decide If a Hybrid SEO Team Is Right for Your Institution

    Combining your in-house strengths with an agency’s expertise creates a well-rounded SEO strategy, but the balance must meet your institution’s needs.

    So, how do you decide if this approach works for you?

    And, more specifically, what tasks should remain in-house vs. outsourced?

    Questions to ask yourself

    To determine if a hybrid model is right for your institution, check your priorities, skill level, and overall capacity to take SEO head-on. Ask yourself and your broader team these questions:

    • Are we ranking competitively for key academic programs and university pages?
    • Do we have the in-house expertise to manage technical SEO challenges?
    • Are we consistently tracking and analyzing our SEO performance?
    • Do we have the resources and bandwidth to focus on SEO long-term?

    If any of your answers expose gaps, a hybrid SEO team will help mend them with the full focus and time dedication your strategy deserves.

    Indicators that a hybrid approach will work

    If you think a hybrid approach is ideal for you, but are not sure if it will play out the way you’re hoping, here are some signs it’ll work:

    • You have a small but knowledgeable in-house team that needs support in technical areas.
    • You’re looking to scale your SEO efforts without overloading internal staff.
    • You’re struggling to keep up with competitors’ online visibility.

    The most successful collaborations happen when you focus on what you do best and leave the heavy lifting to a dedicated SEO team.

    Examples of tasks to keep in-house

    If you’re set on a hybrid approach, now you need to decide which SEO tasks to handle in-house vs. with an agency. Because your internal team has a unique understanding of your university’s mission and culture, some tasks may make more sense to keep in-house. These include:

    • Writing content like course descriptions, faculty profiles, and blogs that showcase your inner knowledge of your institution’s strengths and values.
    • Managing faculty and departmental collaboration.
    • Leading university-wide projects tied to institutional priorities, such as alumni engagement initiatives.

    Note: While these tasks may stay in-house, an agency is uniquely positioned to provide strategic oversight, ensuring all efforts align with a cohesive SEO plan. Agencies bring a fresh perspective to your internal initiatives and offer valuable insights that enhance the overall impact of your efforts.

    Examples of tasks to outsource

    While your team focuses on internal collaborations and managing university priorities, there are certain SEO strategy must-haves best handled by experts. These include:

    • Conducting technical audits and fixing issues like site structure, crawlability, and broken links that affect search performance.
    • Securing backlinks and implementing off-site strategies to increase your site’s domain authority and rankings.
    • Tracking SEO performance and generating detailed reports to provide actionable insights for ongoing strategy improvements.

    By handling these tasks externally, your team has more time to dedicate to strategic initiatives while maintaining a strong SEO strategy.

    Benefits of Hybrid SEO Teams for Higher Education

    With the power of your hybrid marketing team, you’ll gain the following benefits:

    Comprehensive SEO strategies

    This approach lets your in-house personnel bring the heart of your university’s story to life while the agency works behind the scenes to boost your SEO, build links, and monitor your most important analytics. With a collaborative SEO strategy for your university, you’ll have a dynamic, comprehensive framework that strengthens your university’s online visibility for sustained impact.

    Optimized use of resources

    You create a powerhouse of efficiency by combining your team’s insider knowledge with an agency’s data-driven tools and SEO skills. Tasks get done faster and smarter, with to-do’s distributed based on skill sets and priorities. This creates a streamlined system that optimizes your resources without wasting time or effort.

    Enhanced flexibility

    A hybrid SEO team will ramp up your university’s efforts for key campaigns or dial them back for long-term projects — whatever the moment calls for. This flexible approach evolves with your priorities and adjusts to the fast-paced world of higher ed trends, keeping your SEO relevant and effective.

    Is a Hybrid SEO Partnership Better for Short-Term or Long-Term Goals?

    Whether you’re looking for a one-and-done partnership or a years-long commitment, an agency works with you to tailor the right level of support for your needs and goals. Here’s how to determine which path will deliver the best results for your university.

    When a short-term engagement makes sense

    A short-term engagement is the perfect fit when your university needs a quick boost or targeted support. Consider this option for:

    • Addressing specific issues, such as conducting site audits or executing link-building campaigns, with the support of experienced SEO professionals.
    • Launching a new academic program or marketing initiative that requires a focused, short-term SEO push to generate immediate visibility.

    Benefits of a long-term partnership

    A long-term, outsourced SEO partnership sets your university up for sustained success and growth. This option is best when you need:

    • Continuous monitoring and fine-tuning of your SEO strategy, so you’re always optimizing and staying ahead of the competition.
    • Dynamic, ongoing support that adapts to your university’s evolving goals, whether it’s launching a new program or adjusting to shifting priorities.
    • A roadmap designed for long-term success, keeping your SEO strategy on track for consistent results.

    Collaborating With Search Influence

    At Search Influence, we adapt to how you work, sharing SEO duties in a way that makes sense for your team. Some examples of what this looks like:

    For one client, we provide the SEO strategy, optimize program content, and handle off-site SEO while their in-house team focuses on blog content and PR. We regularly collaborate to ensure that their in-house marketing efforts support their SEO rankings.

    For another client, we provide topic and keyword strategy and technical SEO recommendations, while their in-house team writes and publishes content and implements technical updates.

    No matter how hands-on you want to be, we’ll collaborate to ensure your SEO efforts are on par with your expectations.

    Leverage a Hybrid SEO Team to Maximize Your University’s Potential

    Keep your higher ed SEO efforts on track without overloading your internal team.

    With the combined strengths of a hybrid SEO team, you’ll improve your program rankings and attract more students, faculty, and donors.

    Discover whether a hybrid SEO team is the ideal approach for your university. Our Higher Ed SEO Quiz takes the guesswork out of deciding between an in-house, outsourced, or hybrid SEO team. After completing just five questions, you’ll receive personalized recommendations that help you make informed staffing choices and optimize your resources.

    Take the SEO Quiz today, and let us guide you on your way to improved program page rankings.

  • Accelerate Your Higher Ed Program Enrollment With Our SEO Roadmap

    Accelerate Your Higher Ed Program Enrollment With Our SEO Roadmap

    Get your SEO Roadmap for Universities by Search Influence

    Imagine this: You’re part of a university marketing team tasked with boosting visibility for a new program. You know SEO is critical, but with so many options and resources to consider, figuring out where to begin feels overwhelming. 

    You’re not alone — according to our higher ed research study we conducted with UPCEA, 51% of higher ed marketers report not having an SEO strategy in place.

    Here’s where Search Influence’s SEO Roadmap will help. Designed to provide a clear, actionable plan for your institution, our SEO Roadmap focuses on one top program or degree, delivering custom recommendations you can implement immediately.  

    The value of implementing an expertly developed SEO strategy cannot be understated. Consistent online visibility is the key to maintaining and growing enrollment for your programs. An SEO Roadmap gives you the tools you need to build that online presence while exploring the value of agency support without a long-term commitment.

    Our higher education SEO Roadmap is ideal for launching a new program or refreshing an existing one, providing a budget-friendly entry point that gives your institution a strategic edge in the crowded higher ed landscape. 

    Read on to discover how our SEO Roadmap will drive meaningful results for your program. 

    What Is an SEO Roadmap for Higher Education?

    Educational websites are large, complex entities, often involving many voices — from marketing teams to IT, communications, and even department heads. 

    Each team has its own ideas about how to increase enrollment and make an impact, leading to a multitude of directions without a unified strategy. 

    This is why a detailed, custom SEO roadmap is essential. You need an action plan tailored to the unique strengths and opportunities of your program, rather than a generalized report from a basic SEO tool. 

    Backed by a deep understanding of higher ed audiences and how they search, the SEO Roadmap from Search Influence provides actionable insights specifically designed to help you reach and connect with more prospective students.

    Stats about higher education marketing - Search Influence

    SEO Roadmap vs. Audit: Which Is Right for Me?

    An SEO roadmap may be right for you if…

    • You want to understand the SEO opportunities for a specific program, degree, or credential 
    • You recognize the need for external SEO support
    • You want to understand what expertise you are missing in your SEO strategy 
    • You want to make a case for SEO to your team or boss 
    • You want to see what it’s like to work with Search Influence 
    • You want to try working with an SEO agency without a long-term commitment

    Search Influence’s SEO Roadmap is ideal for higher ed marketers who recognize the need for dedicated SEO support but need a little extra help developing their strategy. 

    An SEO audit may be right for you if…

    • You have a strong in-house SEO team and want an expert opinion on your performance 
    • You want dedicated external SEO support and are ready to dive deep into improving your website as a whole as well as focus on program-specific enrollment
    • You have worked hard on your SEO, but the rankings and traffic aren’t improving 
    • You have concerns about the navigation and user experience on your site 
    • You believe your website setup may be holding you back 

    Search Influence’s SEO Audit is perfect for…

    • Experienced in-house marketers looking to refine their strategies and tackle challenges that limit their website’s SEO effectiveness
    • Marketers who want dedicated external SEO help to dive deep into improving their entire website as well as focus on program-specific enrollment

    A breakdown of what you get with Search Influence's SEO Roadmap

    Search Influence’s SEO Roadmap

    Experience the value of working with Search Influence through our SEO Roadmap — a targeted, customized strategy designed to elevate one of your institution’s top programs or degrees. This Roadmap provides a firsthand look at our proven SEO approach and delivers expert recommendations you can implement right away that will make a real impact on visibility and enrollment.

    Our SEO Roadmap covers the essential pillars of an effective SEO strategy, giving you a comprehensive taste of the results we will achieve together:

    • Keyword Research: Discover what prospective students are searching for and uncover the key terms that position your program front and center.
    • Content Strategy: Receive tailored insights to optimize your existing content, create engaging new pieces, and reach students on and off your website.
    • Technical SEO: Understand the technical steps needed to enhance your site’s performance, ensuring a smooth user experience that search engines reward.
    • Authority & Link Building: Build credibility through targeted link-building strategies and connections to trusted sources that strengthen your program’s authority online.

    This Roadmap is more than a one-off solution — it’s a glimpse into the level of expertise and dedication our team brings to every partnership. Powered by 20 years of SEO success, your Roadmap reflects our deep commitment to helping institutions like yours thrive in the digital arena.

    For only $1,497, you’ll get:

    • SEO Roadmap for 1 Key Degree or Program – A $3,000 value
    • Expert Review and Consultation – A $1,500 value
    • SEO Workbook – A $500 value
    • Bonus: Higher Ed SEO Research Study Report

    We’ll also schedule a one-on-one review meeting, to guide you through each recommendation and ensure you feel confident in implementing each step. 

    This Roadmap is an opportunity to see what’s possible when Search Influence is in your corner. Get started today, and together we’ll build a path to long-term success.

    Learn More About Our SEO Roadmap

    Search Influence has helped countless higher education institutions boost their online presence and attract more students.

    This includes longtime client, Tulane SoPA, who saw a 569% increase in keywords ranking in Google’s top spots and a 445% rise in organic traffic after working with us. 

    Our SEO Roadmap gives you an actionable plan to achieve top search rankings and greater visibility — just as we’ve done for Tulane SoPA and countless other higher ed institutions.

    We continue to research and adapt to the latest search trends, including the impact of AI-generated search and social search on student behavior. Watch our joint webinar with UPCEA for expert insights and recommendations on these subjects.  

    Get started on the Higher Ed SEO Roadmap with our easy online checkout, or reach out to schedule a call with our team to explore how we will support your goals.

  • How to Market a New Program: Make SEO the Foundation of Your Higher Ed Marketing

    How to Market a New Program: Make SEO the Foundation of Your Higher Ed Marketing

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    Key Insights

    • Alternative credentials and other innovative program offerings are reshaping higher education. To successfully launch these programs, your institution needs a strategic approach tailored to its unique structure, appeal, and audience.
    • SEO ensures your program is visible to prospective students at the start of their search, putting your institution on their radar early and making it a critical component of your launch strategy.
    • A well-executed higher ed SEO strategy drives sustained traffic, boosts enrollment, and amplifies the impact of your other marketing efforts, all while saving time and resources down the road.
    • Our SEO Roadmap provides a step-by-step plan to help you market your new program effectively. It ensures maximum visibility through proper keyword research, content strategy, technical SEO, and link building. 

    Higher education institutions are adapting to meet workforce demands and shifting learner interests. This evolution introduces entirely new offerings, including microcredentials — short-term programs designed to provide flexibility, affordability, and career-aligned skills.

    Despite their growing popularity, many universities lack a clear, institution-wide strategy for effectively marketing these programs. Unlike traditional degrees, marketing credentials require a different approach — one that reflects their shorter duration, lower cost, and the fact that they are often purchased directly rather than requiring an application.

    To successfully promote any new academic offering, whether it’s a four-year degree or an alternative credential, search engine optimization (SEO) must be the foundation. This ensures the program gains visibility where today’s learners begin their search: online.

    If you’re launching a new program, here’s how to market it using SEO as the framework.

    Why Use SEO to Promote New Academic Programs

    SEO is your marketing foundation

    SEO isn’t an optional tactic; it’s the cornerstone of a successful higher education marketing strategy. As highlighted in our UPCEA webinar, “Top Trends for Your 2025 SEO Strategy to Attract the Modern Learner,” universities must change their view of SEO and integrate it from the start. 

    At its core, higher ed SEO focuses on improving your website, which is the central hub for all marketing activities. The student journey always leads back to your site, whether students arrive through paid search, social media, or email campaigns. A strong SEO foundation aligns your website with institutional goals, helps prospects find the information they’re looking for, and delivers measurable outcomes. 

    Adding SEO later or tackling it piecemeal limits your program’s reach and engagement potential.

    When you prioritize SEO from the outset, you save time and resources, eliminating the need to retrofit a more expensive website later.

    SEO reaches learners at the beginning of their search

    Search engines are a prime starting point for most learners exploring education opportunities. For example, according to EducationDynamics research, 70% of online college students rely on search engines as their first source of information when researching higher education institutions. 

    Failing to invest in strategic SEO for your new program means missing out on early-stage prospects, leaving your competitors to dominate the organic search results.

    SEO puts your institution on your prospect’s radar during the awareness stage. In the consideration stage, it fills a critical gap in being present when your prospects are actively searching for educational offerings. 

    SEO supports long-term growth

    SEO is one of the most sustainable strategies for promoting new programs.

    Unlike paid advertising, which stops driving traffic when campaigns end, SEO continues to deliver long-term advantages. Strong search engine rankings drive consistent website traffic and leads, even after the initial optimization work is complete. 

    SEO also enhances the success of your advertising campaigns. Your paid advertising efforts drive traffic to your website, where strong SEO ensures users find valuable, well-optimized content that encourages them to take the next step. 

    Combine SEO with other marketing efforts to create a synergistic strategy that boosts enrollment and maximizes your ROI.

    For instance, a prospective student may see your ad, conduct a follow-up Google search for your program, and land on your well-optimized page. Without SEO, they might struggle to find your program in search results, reducing the return on your ad spend. 

    SEO sets the stage for site-wide success

    Optimizing your new program page benefits your entire website. 

    SEO improvements made for one program can inform strategies for other pages, creating a ripple effect of improved rankings and organic traffic. For example, a student researching a credential in digital marketing might discover related offerings like a certificate in data analytics, increasing the likelihood of enrollment in multiple programs.

    Start by optimizing your new program page and testing the results. Then, use the valuable insights gained to refine your approach and apply successful strategies to other program pages. 

    Over time, your collective SEO efforts will compound, leading to exponential growth in visibility and enrollment.

    How to Market a New Program FAQs

    SEO is the core of your new program launch, but getting started may lead to more questions than initially accounted for. If you’re finding it troubling to develop a marketing strategy that reaches prospective students, these FAQs may help.

    What marketing strategies do colleges use?

    Digital marketing for universities involves a myriad of strategies to attract students and guide them toward enrollment. Your new program marketing strategy should include:

    • SEO: Optimize your website so students can easily find programs through search engines.
    • Paid Search Advertising: Place targeted ads to reach prospective students actively searching for programs.
    • Social Media Marketing: Connect with students on the social media platforms they already use, such as Instagram and LinkedIn.
    • Email Campaigns: Share personalized updates about programs, deadlines, and events directly with prospects.
    • Content Marketing: Create blog posts, videos, and other resources that build trust and answer student questions.

    These strategies work best when combined with a cohesive marketing plan tailored to your audience and overall goals.

    How do I plan a marketing campaign for a single degree?

    Planning a campaign for one degree starts with understanding your audience. Who are you trying to reach, and what matters most to them? 

    For example, if you’re marketing microcredentials, focus on professionals and career changers who prioritize flexibility, affordability, and specific skills over prestige. Create program pages that cover key details like career outcomes, professional development opportunities, ROI, and other unique benefits. 

    Make sure your new program page is optimized for SEO so prospective students can find it online. 

    From there, build a funnel that matches the student’s journey and decision-making process. Include relevant marketing channels like digital advertising, social media, and email to build awareness and drive traffic. Your campaign should lead back to your program page or dedicated landing page, where students can take the next step.

    Then, ensure a nurture strategy is in place (with an automated email nurture strategy at a minimum), and ideally include texts and personal outreach. 

    How can my higher education institution optimize my website for SEO?

    Proper site optimization relies on a solid site structure. 

    Is it mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and free of broken links? Once the foundation is strong, focus on creating informative content that speaks directly to what students are searching for. Research relevant keywords they use and incorporate them naturally into your pages. Make navigation easy so students can find what they need without frustration, and build credibility by earning backlinks from trusted sources. 

    With these steps, your website becomes a resource students can count on — and a tool that drives enrollment.

    How can I create high-performing program pages?

    Think of a program page as more than just an information source. It’s ultimately where students decide if your program is right for them. 

    Start with the basics: Include program outcomes, costs, and timelines, but present them clearly and engagingly. If you’re marketing microcredentials, lean on testimonials and success stories that emphasize quick, tangible results (e.g., “Gain advanced coding skills in just 4 weeks!”) 

    Remember to use action-oriented CTAs to guide students down the funnel, whether that’s requesting more information or applying. For microcredentials, skip the long admissions cycle and simplify your sales funnel with direct CTAs like “Enroll Now.”

    Aligning your messaging with your audience’s specific needs ensures your program page converts interest into action.

    How can I measure the success of my new program marketing?

    Measuring your program’s marketing success is about seeing how well you connect with prospective students. 

    Do students find your program when they search online? Tools like Google Analytics can show you how much traffic your program page gets and what keywords drive it. Next, look at how students engage — do they spend time on the page, exploring other areas of your site, or clicking on CTAs? Most importantly, check if they take action, like filling out an inquiry form. 

    By monitoring these higher education metrics, you will see what’s working and what isn’t and make adjustments that bring you closer to your goals.

    A person pointing to SEO data on a screen

    SEO Roadmap for Marketing New University Programs

    Marketing a new program requires a strategic plan, but many institutions struggle to find the time or resources to develop one. Our SEO Research Study revealed that 51% of higher education institutions don’t have an established strategy — severely limiting their ability to compete online. 

    At Search Influence, our SEO Roadmap provides a clear and practical solution designed to address how to market a new college program. This three-month plan includes easy-to-implement recommendations for one top program, allowing you to build an SEO basis for your new launch.

    With your SEO Roadmap, you’ll receive an actionable higher ed SEO strategy from our team of seasoned strategists, covering:

    • Keyword Research: A comprehensive analysis of the terms prospective students use to find programs like yours.
    • Content Strategy: A framework for building a program page that resonates with your target audience.
    • Technical SEO: An assessment of site speed, mobile usability, and technical factors affecting search rankings.
    • Authority & Link Building: Recommendations for improving credibility and search visibility through high-quality backlinks.

    This Roadmap provides a focused starting point for improving your program’s visibility and impact online. Use it to test the waters, refine your approach, and expand the marketing tactics to your other program pages.

    Ready to market your new program in a way that effectively converts? Request your personalized Roadmap today to master SEO for college programs!

    Image Sources:

    Pexels
    Pixabay

  • The December Influencer: SEO & Metrics You Can’t Ignore in 2025

    Stay ahead in digital marketing with The Influencer, Search Influence’s monthly newsletter covering SEO, digital advertising, and content strategy. Get top tips to fuel your online growth, expert insights from the Search Influence team, and our latest company news. Don’t miss out!

    Search Influence - Effective strategies during a national Crisis

    Should You Be Marketing During a National Crisis?

    ALISON ZERINGUE | 10-MINUTE READ

    Marketing during a national crisis helps your brand stay the course in the face of adversity. Explore budget-friendly strategies with Search Influence.

    Read More

    SEO Higher Education Trends in 2025: How to Compete

    SEO Higher Education Trends in 2025: How to Compete

    PAULA KELLER FRENCH | 15-MINUTE READ

    Discover the top SEO higher education trends in 2025. Learn how to improve rankings, attract students, and stay ahead with a tailored SEO roadmap.

    Read More

    Effective SEO Strategy Must-Haves: Why Partner With Search Influence

    Effective SEO Strategy Must-Haves: Why Partner With Search Influence

    PAULA KELLER FRENCH | 11-MINUTE READ

    Effective SEO strategies demand an approach that accounts for a business’ goals and challenges. In this blog post, we’ll share the benefits of a personalized SEO strategy and pull the curtain back on our process.

    Read More

    Track and Report the Right Higher Ed Marketing Analytics to Improve Your Strategy

    Track and Report the Right Higher Ed Marketing Analytics to Improve Your Strategy

    ALISON ZERINGUE | 8-MINUTE READ

    Discover how Search Influence leverages higher education marketing analytics to optimize strategies, boost enrollment, and track key metrics effectively.

    Read More

  • WEBINAR: Top Trends for Your 2025 SEO Strategy [Search Influence and UPCEA]


    About the Higher Ed SEO Trends Webinar

    Search Influence and UPCEA hosted the joint webinar “Top Trends for Your 2025 SEO Strategy to Attract the Modern Learner.”

    AI-generated search results and social search have transformed user behavior, including how prospective students research and apply to institutions. As higher education marketers, our job is to make it easy for prospective students to find the information they need. Therefore, failing to adapt to these higher ed SEO trends could result in losing prospects to more visible competitors in 2025.

    In this webinar, we explored a new way to think about SEO that will future-proof your strategy in a time of changing search behavior. UPCEA’s Chief Research Officer Jim Fong and Senior Director of Research Bruce Etter, joined UPCEA Platinum Partner Search Influence to share a blueprint for a 2025 SEO strategy that attracts and guides more students through the funnel.

    Learning Objectives for the Higher Ed SEO Trends Webinar

    • How AI-generated search results and social search impact your institution’s visibility
    • The key components of a higher ed SEO strategy built to outlast trends
    • How to communicate to your team about this new way of thinking about SEO 

    How to Watch the Webinar

    Watch the webinar recording to learn how to build your 2025 SEO strategy to attract and engage the modern learner.

  • Will Scott Talks Higher Education Schema in Seer Interactive Guest Blog

    Search Influence - Will Scott on schema for Seer Interactive

    In a June guest blog for B-Corp certified digital marketing agency Seer Interactive, Search Influence Co-Founder and CEO Will Scott breaks down a fundamental, yet often overlooked, higher education SEO tactic: schema markup.

    Schema markup for higher education websites is a form of microdata added to a website’s HTML to help search engines better understand the content. It uses a semantic vocabulary (i.e., code) known as Schema.org to annotate various webpage elements with metadata. By crawling your schema, search engines can get a better sense of who you are and surface your site in the SERPs in response to relevant search queries.

    Schema markup is the back-end roadmap for your higher ed website. It guides search engines, like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, through the campus of your content via structured data that’s easy to understand and follow. This helps streamline your site’s crawlability, boost your chances for rich snippets, and improve your visibility in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

    How do you know if your institution’s schema markup is up to par? See Will’s blog, “Higher Education Schema – How Your School Can Win Google,” for tips to better speak search engines’ language.

    Key Takeaways From “Higher Education Schema – How Your School Can Win Google”

    Schema is much beyond just simple code. In “Higher Education Schema – How Your School Can Win Google,” Will goes deep into this core technical SEO concept, offering insights on:

    • The Fundamentals of Schema Markup: Understand the basics and why it’s essential for higher education websites.
    • Step-by-Step Implementation: Detailed instructions (with a template) on how to apply schema markup using Schema.org, tailored specifically for educational institutions.
    • Practical Examples: Real-world applications and examples to illustrate how schema markup can be effectively used.
    • Impact Analysis: Insights on how schema markup can grow your institution’s online presence and drive more prospective students to your enrollment funnel.

    Search Influence - High Education Schema for Seer Interactive

    Dive Deeper Into Higher Education Schema

    2024 research from Schema App found that 1 in 5 digital marketers have trouble showing the value of their schema markup. If you’re unsure whether your school’s schema is truly search engine fluent, do your part in helping Google to translate it.

    See Will’s full article on Seer Interactive for more “higher ed schema 101” and how to optimize your site for search engines

  • Get Ahead With AI for SEO: Will Scott on “Make Marketing Make Sense” Podcast

    A Search Influence Graphic outlining the of the article

    Search Influence Co-Founder and CEO Will Scott made his first appearance on the Make Marketing Make Sense podcast to share how marketers should utilize AI to supercharge their SEO efforts.

    Make Marketing Make Sense is a weekly podcast hosted by Comfy Stone Films Co-Founder and Account Manager Josh Owen. The podcast invites entrepreneurs and marketing experts to simplify the latest trends in this ever-evolving industry.

    Comfy Stone Films helps businesses grow by making effective online video content on such topics as video marketing strategies and production tips.

    Watch the full podcast below to gain valuable insights into how AI can take your SEO strategies to the next level.

    AI for SEO Insights From Will Scott

    Since putting his first website online in the mid-90s, Will has worked through countless evolutions of SEO. Few advancements have had the same impact as Artificial Intelligence.

    During his guest appearance in Make Marketing Make Sense, on the episode Utilizing AI for SEO, Will discusses:

    • How AI can streamline SEO content creation
    • How to combine AI with a human touch using the “AI sandwich” method
    • How to prompt AI to create SEO-optimized content

    A Search Influence graphic depicted the "AI Sandwich"

    The SEO vet also explains how tools like Wave.video and Make.com can help you create worthwhile video content and automate your workflows.

    Looking for more ways to use AI to boost your marketing efforts?

    Read blogs from Will Scott to dive even deeper into the robot revolution.

    Learn How to Use AI for SEO With Search Influence

    Harness the power of AI to elevate your SEO and digital advertising strategies with Search Influence.

    Our team of experienced digital marketers has spent almost 20 years at the forefront of the industry.

    Contact us to take the first step towards supercharging your marketing efforts.