Search Influence is proud to announce that CEO and Co-Founder Will Scott has been named to the UPCEA Board of Directors as Corporate Partner Representative for a one-year term (2026–2027).
His appointment reflects his leadership in higher education digital marketing and Search Influence’s longstanding collaboration with UPCEA, the leading association for online and professional education.
Serving on the UPCEA Board
UPCEA elected new officers and directors in November, with appointments taking effect at the conclusion of the 2026 UPCEA Annual Conference in New Orleans on April 17, 2026. As Corporate Partner Representative, Will will serve as a liaison between corporate partners and institutional members, contributing insight from the evolving landscape of higher education digital marketing.
UPCEA leadership emphasized the importance of strategic, forward-thinking expertise during a pivotal moment for online and continuing education. As institutions adapt to AI-driven search behavior, enrollment shifts, and increased competition, the role of data-informed digital marketing has never been more essential.
About Will Scott, AI SEO Expert
Will Scott is a recognized leader in digital marketing and is credited with coining the phrase “barnacle SEO” in 2008. A founding faculty member of Local U, Will frequently presents at national conferences and contributes to major online marketing publications. With a Master of Architecture from Tulane University, he approaches marketing as a systems problem, solving for visibility, measurement, and long-term impact.
Since launching his first website in 1994, Will has overseen teams that have developed thousands of websites, produced hundreds of thousands of directory pages, and generated millions of visits through search.
Strengthening the Search Influence + UPCEA Partnership
Will’s appointment to the UPCEA Board of Directors reflects more than an individual milestone. It represents the continued alignment between Search Influence and UPCEA’s shared commitment to research-driven innovation in higher education digital marketing.
As a Platinum Partner of UPCEA, Search Influence has worked alongside the association to produce actionable, industry-leading research that helps institutions adapt to shifting search behaviors and evolving enrollment strategies. Together, we have collaborated on three major national studies:
- AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, which revealed how frequently prospective students are using AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews in their decision-making process.
- Marketing Metrics Research Report: What Gets Measured Gets Managed, providing insights into how institutions track and measure marketing performance.
- 2023 SEO Readiness Research Study, which benchmarked how prepared colleges and universities are for the demands of modern search visibility.
Through conference sessions, webinars, and ongoing thought leadership, the UPCEA x Search Influence partnership delivers practical frameworks for institutions looking to strengthen their visibility, improve ROI, and future-proof their higher education digital marketing strategies.
Learn More About Higher Education Digital Marketing
Will’s appointment reflects the deep alignment between Search Influence and UPCEA’s mission to expand educational access and outcomes.
To learn more about our partnership or to discuss how your institution can strengthen its higher education digital marketing strategy, contact Search Influence today.