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Tag: UPCEA

Search Influence and UPCEA to Present at the 2023 UPCEA MEMS Conference
This year at UPCEA’s 32nd annual MEMS Conference, Search Influence Director of Sales & Marketing Paula French will present “SEO Straight Talk: True Stories From Your Peers and How They Found Success” alongside:
- Drew Larose, LSU Online & Continuing Education Associate Director of Digital Marketing
- Christa Payne, Tulane SoPA Chief Business Officer
- Stephanie Platteter, UMN CCAPS Executive Director of Marketing and Enrollment Management
This year’s Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success Conference (MEMS) will take place at the Hilton Portland Downtown from November 29th – December 1st.

The conference offers all who attend networking opportunities, engaging programs, and a chance to learn the latest higher ed marketing strategies from energized thought leaders.

Higher Education SEO Session Description

Paula French and the other industry experts mentioned above will discuss a critical gap in higher education digital marketing: PCO units lack SEO strategies to attract new adult learners and nurture them down the recruitment funnel.

Thankfully, our experienced higher education marketing presenters offer solutions.

To address this gap, universities must prioritize SEO tactics that make it easy to access information about their programs or certificates via search.

During the presentation, our presenters will review real-world examples of SEO strategies and tactics that addressed this gap for Search Influence, LSU, Tulane SoPA, and the University of Minnesota.

The higher education SEO strategies and tactics they will explore include:
- Using blogs to increase lead-to-application conversion
- Leaning on keywords and content when launching new degrees
- Using blogs to drive new website users
- Utilizing profiles and public relations to build links
- Leveraging tools for direction and monitoring
- Using core web vitals to measure SEO health
Learn More About Higher Education SEO With Search Influence

Since becoming an UPCEA Platinum Partner in 2022, Search Influence and the PCO industry leader have worked diligently to help higher ed marketers bridge the SEO gap.

From our higher ed research study to our MEMS presentation in 2022 and now this year, we are dedicated to pushing higher education SEO to new heights.

Contact us today to learn more about all our SEO services, or download our SEO workbook to identify three months of SEO techniques you can execute immediately.
November 27, 2023
Search Influence and UPCEA to Present Webinar: “The Power of CPI to Measure Higher Ed Success”
On Tuesday, October 24, Search Influence and UPCEA will host the live webinar, “The Power of CPI to Measure Higher Ed Marketing Success.”

Join us for a discussion on all things cost-per-inquiry (CPI), calculating this metric, and what it means for your institution’s bottom line.

The Power of CPI in Higher Education

In higher education digital marketing, your CPI assesses your success. When you take the time to measure it, you can determine whether:
- Your marketing spend derives the outcomes you’re after
- Your results are competitive in the broader industry
- Your promises from third-party vendors are realistic
One roadblock: Many higher ed marketers don’t know where to start and where to go when calculating their CPI.

Search Influence joined forces with UPCEA to bridge this gap and designed a comprehensive CPI roadmap in our upcoming webinar, “The Power of CPI to Measure Higher Ed Marketing Success.”

What You Will Learn

Attend the live webinar and learn:
- The multiple ways to measure CPI and the best method for your institution
- How to take existing data and use it in your calculation
- Pro tips on navigating challenges when capturing your CPI
All attendees gain access to a free worksheet that helps you calculate your CPI more easily.

Plus, we’ll key you in on a survey in progress by UPCEA and Search Influence aimed at establishing a benchmark for higher ed CPI. We’ll share how you can be a part of this sweeping discussion, set to revolutionize the way we measure higher education marketing success.

Your Presenters

Join us to hear from higher education marketing veterans:
- Jim Fong, Chief Research Officer, UPCEA
- Bruce Etter, Senior Director of Research and Consulting, UPCEA
- Paula French, Director of Sales and Marketing, Search Influence
- Alison Zeringue, Director of Account Management, Search Influence
Attend Live for the Chance to Win Big

Live attendees will also have the exclusive chance to win two prizes! Join our live webinar and get automatically entered in our giveaway of:
- A $200 credit to a global reward catalog with 1,000+ gift cards, prepaid cards, and charitable donations
- A FREE, professional CPI analysis with Search Influence. Our marketing experts will help you identify data for your calculations, interpret it, and compare your results against our industry-grade benchmarks.
Pioneering Advancements in Higher Ed Marketing

Search Influence has been a proud Platinum Partner of UPCEA since 2022.

We’re excited to take our partnership to new heights with “The Power of CPI to Measure Higher Ed Marketing Success,” another initiative that helps higher ed marketers think smarter, not harder, about their success.

Watch the recording to see what calculating your CPI can do for your marketing strategy.
October 10, 2023
Higher Ed SEO Metrics Must Be a Priority: Unpacking Paula French’s UPCEA Blog
Data is the key ingredient of any successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. But for many higher ed institutions, tracking and reporting of the proper metrics falls to the wayside, and the consequences are more than just deans and directors left in the dark. Failing to use data properly means your institution may be wasting funds and missing opportunities to engage with prospective students.

In our latest blog for our partner UPCEA, Search Influence Director of Sales and Marketing Paula French discusses the importance of leveraging the right higher ed SEO metrics to inform both your team and strategy informed.

Paula French’s Take on Vital SEO Metrics

As we found in our 2023 Higher Ed SEO Research Study conducted with UPCEA, institutional leadership often lacks SEO reporting. 62% of institutional leaders want reporting on SEO metrics, but just 31% receive regular updates.

SEO success and health metrics, two crucial pieces of trackable data, have a direct impact on how well you perform in search results. When you don’t track or report on them, you miss out on valuable insights you can strategically use to your institution’s benefit.

In her blog post, French demonstrates how this neglected priority can affect your success in generating inquiries and increasing enrollment. Read the full blog to learn:
- The key SEO metrics for higher ed digital marketing
- How SEO success metrics and SEO health metrics differ
- Tools for tracking the right SEO metrics
- Tips for leveraging SEO metrics to set goals and create more informed strategies
Search Influence’s Platinum Partnership With UPCEA

In 2022, Search Influence partnered with UPCEA, the leading association for professional, continuing, and online (PCO) education. Together, the pair shares their industry expertise on how higher education institutions can use SEO to drive more qualified prospects to their digital marketing channels.

Smarter SEO for Better Results With Search Influence

Investing in SEO yields long-term results, but neglecting to track vital metrics could stall your progress.

At Search Influence, we specialize in monitoring and reporting higher education digital marketing metrics, empowering you to convert insights into actionable strategies.

Do more with your institution’s SEO. Contact our team today to get started on your path toward better search tracking, reporting, and performance.
September 19, 2023
Search Influence Director of Sales and Marketing Paula Keller French Appears on Suds and Search Podcast
On June 8, 2023, Paula Keller French, Director of Sales and Marketing at Search Influence, made her second appearance on SearchLab’s Suds & Search podcast to discuss higher education SEO.

Suds & Search is a weekly podcast that features digital marketing experts who have in-depth conversations on all things search.

In this episode, Paula and SearchLab Founder and CEO Mark Bealin sit down to discuss key takeaways from “Slipping Through the Cracks: Understanding PCO Unit SEO Capabilities,” a collaborative study between Search Influence and UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association).

Paula French’s Feature on Suds & Search

“Slipping Through the Cracks: Understanding PCO Unit SEO Capabilities” brought telling findings to the world of higher ed SEO.

During the 30-minute Suds & Search episode with Paula, Mark and listeners get an insider glimpse into the three-part research study, with a main focus on:
- The importance of a solid higher education SEO strategy
- How the higher ed target audience is rapidly changing
- The impact of the Search Influence + UPCEA study on the current industry
“Search Influence partnered with the non-profit group UPCEA to generate the most comprehensive study I’m aware of for how higher ed institutions are handling their SEO,” said Mark Bealin. “The nice way to put it is that the study found that there’s a lot of opportunity.”

To get exclusive access to the research’s most impactful findings, download the full SEO research study here.

Dig Deeper Into Your Higher Ed SEO Strategy With Search Influence

51% of universities don’t have an established SEO plan. Does yours?

Whether you’re new to SEO or need help refining your current strategy, Search Influence has the higher education digital marketing expertise to turn your most valuable prospects into enrolled students.

Get in touch with us today to see how you can optimize your institute’s fullest potential with the help of SEO.
June 26, 2023
Search Influence and UPCEA Present, “Higher Education SEO Research Study – How to Impact Your Enrollment”
About the Webinar:

Watch the recording here.

Join us for a discussion of the latest findings from UPCEA’s Center for Research and Strategy led by UPCEA Chief Research Officer Jim Fong, Senior Director of Research and Consulting Bruce Etter, and UPCEA Platinum Partner Search Influence.

UPCEA and Search Influence collaborated on a three-part higher education research study to understand institutional and marketing leaders’ perspectives on search engine optimization (SEO) and evaluate the SEO readiness of professional, continuing, and online education (PCO) units.

The research indicates that while higher education marketing leaders and institutional leaders value SEO as a tactic, 51% of respondents said that their unit does not have an established search engine optimization plan or strategy.

The webinar will cover how universities like yours prioritize SEO and how peer websites rank. The data reveals good news: higher education marketers have an underutilized tactic that will make a significant impact on their recruitment ecosystem.

Learning Objectives for the Higher Education Webinar:
- The most significant findings from the research study
- An understanding of the study’s implications on recruitment strategies
- Recommendations for leveraging this critical opportunity to drive more students to your programs
April 25, 2023
Search Influence to Present at the 2022 UPCEA MEMS Conference
At UPCEA’s 31st Annual MEMS Conference, Search Influence’s Director of Account Management Alison Zeringue will co-present “Beat Brand Boredom: Aligning Brand With Student Experience to Reinvigorate Interest in Your School,” alongside Alicia Jasmin, Shiela Flatz, and Nico Rose — higher education marketing experts from the Tulane School of Professional Advancement (Tulane SoPA) and the University of Florida Online.

For over 100 years, UPCEA has been the leading association for the advancement of Professional, Continuing, and Online Education (PCO) for public and private higher ed institutions across North America.

This year’s MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success conference will be held on November 30–December 2 at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans. The conference marks the first in-person UPCEA MEMS session since 2019.

Attendees will get an insider glimpse into how to combat today’s higher-ed digital marketing challenges and grow student enrollment with data-driven strategies and proven tactics.

Higher Education Digital Marketing Session Description

Today, prospective students expect a minimum of flexibility, connection, and communication from their school.

With student learning expectations continuing to steepen, the pressure is on digital marketers to adapt their brands and quickly catch up to speed.

In “Beat Brand Boredom: Aligning Brand With Student Experience to Reinvigorate Interest in Your School,” higher education marketing firms and universities will learn how to put the student experience at the forefront of their marketing tactics. When equipped with a student-centric approach, marketers will better connect with prospects in all stages of enrollment to drive digital advertising success.

“Digital advertising success can have a huge impact on your marketing plan, but it can be challenging for marketers to navigate the nuances of advertising technology,” said Search Influence’s Director of Account Management Alison Zeringue. “We’re excited to share our knowledge with the continuing education community so they can benefit from our experience.”

Learn from higher education marketing specialists at Search Influence, the Tulane School of Professional Advancement, and the University of Florida Online to see how you can beat brand fatigue and boost enrollment with updates to your:
- Brand messaging
- Brand positioning
- Media mix
- Visual identities
UPCEA MEMS 2022 Conference Speakers

In the 2022 UPCEA MEMS session, “Beat Brand Boredom: Aligning Brand With Student Experience to Reinvigorate Interest in Your School,” attendees will learn higher education marketing strategies from:
- Alison Zeringue, Director of Account Management, Search Influence
- Alicia Jasmin, Director of Marketing & Communications, Tulane School of Professional Advancement
- Sheila Flatz, Assistant Director, Operations, University of Florida Online
- Nico Rose, Chief Operating Officer and Associate Director, University of Florida Online
  UPCEA and Tulane Partnerships
UPCEA and Tulane Partnerships

In 2022, Search Influence became a Platinum Partner of UPCEA. Through this partnership, Search Influence shares how higher education marketing institutions can optimize, measure, and track their search engine optimization and paid ad strategies to drive more qualified prospects to their marketing channels.
For six years, Search Influence has worked with Tulane SoPA to improve their online visibility and drive quality inquiries, providing services including search engine, paid digital ads and email marketing.

To learn more about Search Influence’s higher education marketing services, visit our website or call (504) 336-3379.
November 28, 2022
UPCEA Publishes Blog Post by Search Influence’s Alison Zeringue
On October 28, 2022, UPCEA (the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education) published the blog post “SEO & Digital Advertising: Jet Fuel for Your Higher Education Marketing Strategy,” by Search Influence Director of Account Management Alison Zeringue.

For over 100 years, UPCEA has served public and private colleges and universities across North America with a focus on:
- Professional and continuing education
- Alternative and non-degree credentials
- Marketing and enrollment management
- And most recently, online leadership and administration
Alison Zeringue’s UPCEA Blog Post

In her blog, Alison discusses how the demographics of Professional, Continuing and Online education units’ students have evolved along with the demand for online education options — creating a new challenge for high ed marketers.

She discusses how expertly crafted SEO and digital advertising can give higher education marketers a leg up in a constantly changing field.

“In my tenure as a marketer, there is a theme that rings true: Search engine optimization (SEO) and digital advertising — both paid search and digital display — work in tandem to deliver consistent, qualified inquiries to fuel your pipeline,” Zeringue said in the post.

UPCEA and Search Influence’s Partnership

In 2022, ROI-focused digital marketing agency Search Influence became a Platinum Partner of UPCEA.

Through this partnership, Search Influence shares how higher education marketing institutions can optimize, measure, and track their search engine optimization and paid ad strategies to drive more qualified prospects to their marketing channels.

Learn More From the Higher Education Marketing Experts at Search Influence

Since 2006, Search Influence has been crafting digital marketing campaigns for higher ed institutions that show proven results.

Contact us today to learn more about our digital marketing services.
November 17, 2022
Search Influence to Present at the 2022 University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) South Region Conference
Search Influence will co-present “The Devil’s in the Details: Using Technical SEO to Solve Your Website Woes” at the 2022 University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) South Region Conference, along with fellow higher education marketing specialist, Alicia Jasmin, the Director of Marketing & Communications for the Tulane School of Professional Advancement (SoPA).

Since 1915, UPCEA has been a leader in the continuing education space, working with private and public universities across North America. Now based in Washington, D.C., UPCEA continues to be the leading association for professional, continuing, and online education.

At the 2022 UPCEA South Region Conference, marketing professionals will get the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in higher education marketing.

Higher Ed Marketing Session Description

According to The Evolllution, the student experience starts with a university’s website — making the need for concise and user-friendly web pages more important than ever before.

Higher education institutions put their search visibility and website traffic at risk when big, and even sometimes nominal, changes are made to their websites.

In Search Influence and Tulane SoPA’s UPCEA session, “The Devil’s in the Details: Using Technical SEO to Solve Your Website Woes,” higher-ed marketers will learn how to avoid costly mistakes that may unknowingly impact search ranking and traffic by gaining an understanding of technical SEO.

“Technical SEO helps Google better process your site,” said Search Influence’s Director of Sales and Marketing Paula French. “We want higher education marketers to understand its importance, so they don’t risk their search rankings and traffic when they make site updates.”

Join Search Influence and the Tulane School of Professional Advancement to learn:
- How website structure can hurt or help rankings
- The impact of subdomains and microsites
- How to pull off a seamless website migration
Higher Education Digital Marketing Speakers

Director of Marketing & Communications for the Tulane School of Professional Advancement (SoPA), Alicia Jasmin

Alicia Jasmin is a native of New Orleans with expertise in higher education, strategic communications, and community relations.

From 2007-2019, Alicia held several roles in the Tulane University Office of Marketing and Communications, where she helped shape the university brand and promote positive university messaging. In her last position at Tulane as the Assistant Director for News, she played a major role in upholding the university’s reputation through the daily management of external university news.

Prior to rejoining Tulane as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the School of Professional Advancement, Alicia led community relations efforts at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the largest cancer center in the United States.

Search Influence Director of Sales & Marketing, Paula French

Paula French has developed strategic digital marketing solutions for clients since 2009 when she joined Search Influence — then a 9-person team.

Paula contributed to the company’s rapid growth by building and training effective account and sales strategists. She has led strategy on SEO & digital marketing projects for hundreds of businesses across the country.

Today, Paula plays online marketing matchmaker by identifying the right marketing solutions to match business goals and help companies in almost any industry optimize their potential, with an emphasis on education, healthcare, and tourism.

Paula speaks about digital marketing in her hometown of New Orleans and on the road, including past panels at MozCon Local in Seattle, Pubcon Las Vegas, and Engage in Portland.
November 1, 2022