How Personalized SEO Keeps Your Site at the Top of Student Searches

Published August 2, 2024 | Categories: Higher Education

In the competitive landscape of higher education, reaching more prospective students is more crucial than ever. To keep your college or university from tumbling over the enrollment cliff, it's imperative that your website is found by the broadest, qualified audience possible. It might seem simple, but as search engines like Google become less predictable, having a dedicated search engine optimization (SEO) expert is essential to stay ahead of the game. By applying and maintaining strong, relevant SEO practices, you're sure to stay at the top of search results, right where your future students are looking. 

As digital marketing evolves, so do our strategies that drive successful SEO. We recently sat down with Tricia Levi, one of Beacon's Digital Marketing Specialists, for an inside look at how our SEO services benefit higher education institutions.

Q&A

Q: With certain search engines becoming less accurate, how has the approach to SEO and analytics shifted?

A: To better face the dynamic nature of search engines, we adopt a personalized approach to SEO. Our team crafts custom meta content ("data that describes data") that highlights our clients' unique offerings, while using detailed analytics data—like user traffic, engagement and key events—to align with algorithm updates. 

Q: The personal touch makes a difference! As search engines continue to evolve, how does Beacon keep clients at the forefront of search results?

A: We are constantly researching changes being made in how search engines rank sites, display content, and more. Our SEO team often implements these updates, like Google's AI Overviews, as soon as they're announced, keeping our clients ahead of the curve!

 GA4 allows us to specify how we use client data, creating custom metrics and reports based on our clients' needs and the priorities of their sites. The increased accuracy of GA4 allows our team to optimize site performance on a more granular level than ever before. 

Q: How has Google Analytics 4 (GA4) impacted your approach to SEO? 

A: While there have been challenges transitioning from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, namely the conversion of historic data, the insights from GA4 are invaluable at both the site and page levels. Specifically, the data we collect in GA4 is different for every client, which has been especially useful for creating custom metrics and reports. This allows us to tailor our strategies and solutions to each client, as well as precisely address any areas of concern.

Q: What is the difference between content and technical SEO, and how do you approach each?

A: Content SEO refers to what users see in search engines, while technical SEO relates to how search engines view your site. Both are crucial for success. Our team carefully integrates these aspects to deliver a seamless blend of technical and content SEO by optimizing content for readers, and ensuring it aligns with the meta data for search engines to read. Whether you need compelling content or technical fine-tuning, we've got you covered!

Personalization and research are key elements in our approach to SEO. We value our clients' needs and goals as we work together to achieve the best results.

Q: How does the Beacon SEO team ensure effective SEO that goes above and beyond?

A: We consistently exceed expectations by collaborating closely with our clients and conducting in-depth research projects to inform our SEO strategy. For example, we commonly run detailed heatmap reports, which analyze user behavior on program pages and provide valuable insights into how visitors interact with the site.

Collaboration also plays a big role in our approach. Each member of our team offers a unique perspective on SEO, so we love sharing our ideas with each other. Consisting of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, everyone brings a fresh perspective when solving problems, providing feedback and sharing knowledge to continuously improve our work. But most importantly—we take the time to listen to client goals and preferences while applying our own knowledge and experience to ensure the best possible outcome!

the search is over!

Want to elevate your institution's search rankings and outshine the competition? Partner with Beacon and our team of SEO experts. Contact us today to discover how we can help your site gain the recognition it deserves through our full range of digital marketing services!