Do you remember the process of applying to college? It’s unlikely you simply Googled “best colleges near me” and clicked “apply now.” To be fair, the internet might not have even existed back then!

Humor aside, marketing to prospective students is constantly evolving alongside technology, and at a rapid pace. With search engines playing a key role in their research and mobile devices becoming increasingly crucial, higher education marketers need to keep up.

I know it’s hard to accept, but summer is ending soon. As summer trips and beach days fade, prospective students begin thinking about their futures, researching educational programs, and potentially applying before September deadlines. This is where things get tricky for education marketers using PPC advertising.

Let’s delve into the biggest challenges marketers face in this distinctive field:

PPC Challenges in the Education Industry

High Keyword Costs

Education is a widespread aspiration and often a necessity in today’s world. This huge demand naturally leads to expensive keywords. A quick glance at Google’s Keyword Planner reveals the suggested bid prices for some degree-related keywords.

That’s right! When you’re paying over $40 per click, you need to ensure it’s worth the investment from your Google Ads budget.

A recent nexus-security study found that MBA-related keywords were the 8th most expensive category on Bing. Searches like “Best MBA programs” and “MBA in Marketing” can cost over $60 per click. Diploma-related keywords aren’t far behind, averaging over $50 per click.

Lengthy and Unpredictable Sales Cycles

Converting applicants involves many factors beyond your control. High school students are easily swayed by peers and often unsure about their future plans. Remember your own mindset at 18? Exactly.

When I applied to college, my choices were influenced by my parents, counselor, and friends, not necessarily by online research and independent thinking. My main criteria were a nearby beach, an active social scene, and small class sizes. Plenty of colleges fit the bill, so simply ranking first in search results wouldn’t guarantee more applicants.

While this doesn’t mean you should ignore online search (especially in our tech-driven world), it highlights the importance of other factors like reputation, positive media coverage, local events like college fairs, and cultivating alumni ambassadors to spread the word.

Navigating Advertising Regulations

Before 2011, almost any keyword was fair game in ad text. However, Google implemented rules prohibiting schools (especially state schools) from using words like “employment” in their ads. This is because Google wants to prevent misleading claims about guaranteed employment, so avoid stuffing your copy with job-related keywords unless you want a potential lawsuit.

Hanapin’s Jeffrey Baum advises, “Ensure your ad messaging complies with regulations. Stuffing keywords is not worth the risk of fines and legal issues.”

So how can you overcome these obstacles and attract qualified applicants through Google? Let’s explore seven strategies every higher education marketer should employ for PPC success.

#1: Skip Bidding on Branded Terms

Usually, bidding on your own brand terms is worthwhile. Costs are generally low, click-through rates are high (boosting Quality Scores and lowering prices), and it prevents competitors from outranking your brand. However, education is different. Current students often use Google to access their school’s website.

nexus-security client Adam Higgins, marketing manager at Fisher.edu, learned this firsthand.

“Unlike other businesses, you get many existing customers, faculty, and staff using the website as their primary resource hub,” Higgins explains. “Students search ‘Fisher College,’ click the paid ad, and you pay for clicks without conversions to justify the expense.”

You’re likely to appear in branded searches anyway, so don’t waste your budget on already-converted individuals. With keyword costs so high, prioritize campaigns that deliver a return on investment.

As you can see, Fisher College already dominates the entire top half of the page organically on Google.

#2: Target Your Most Promising Audience

Given the high costs and often limited budgets, focus on the audience most likely to generate a profit through paid search. Adam realized that targeting high school students wasn’t optimal and shifted his PPC approach to specifically target continuing education applicants.

“We do some college applicant advertising, but 90% of our copy targets continuing education,” Adam explains. “High schoolers receive information directly, so they do less comparative research. They typically arrive organically through branded searches, like following their counselor’s recommendations. Adult learners, on the other hand, are often starting from scratch.”

Adam emphasizes the difference between ads targeting high schoolers versus those aimed at continuing education prospects.

“For college applicants, we might highlight the excitement of downtown Boston, but for continuing education, we emphasize time management, convenience, and flexibility.”

This demonstrates the importance of understanding your target audience’s perspective when crafting PPC ad copy.

#3: Structure Your Account Around Specific Programs, Not General Keywords

Your Google Ads account structure is crucial for paid search. When marketing colleges, private schools, or continuing education programs, the best way to attract qualified, convertible leads is to structure your campaigns around the specific programs offered.

This might seem obvious, but a common mistake is bidding on broad terms like “bachelor’s degree” or “MBA,” leading to wasted spending due to a lack of search specificity.

“People researching education are looking for specific programs,” Adam notes. “They’re not simply Googling ‘associate’s degree’ or ‘graduate degree,’ but rather focusing on a specific field like ’nursing program.’”

Conversions often stem from queries related to concentrated fields of study, not general degree types, as the searcher’s intent is much more defined.

Structure your campaigns around your programs. For example, a nursing campaign might have ad groups like “nursing program (general),” “pediatrics nursing program,” or “becoming a hospice nurse.” Each ad group should contain relevant keywords paired with ads and landing pages that address the searcher’s specific program of interest.

#4: Tailor Your PPC (and Social Media) Strategy for Top-of-the-Funnel Searchers

In education, people seeking schools or degree programs often begin with top-of-the-funnel research. As they progress down the funnel, they’re less likely to use Google and more likely to visit specific websites directly. Therefore, it’s crucial to align your keyword bidding, ad copy, and landing pages with these early-stage searchers.

Instead of directing them to an “apply now” page, Adam recommends a content-heavy approach to nurture and inform these prospects, as a hard sell might deter them.

“Recognize their stage in the funnel,” Adam advises. “I opt for a content-driven approach because they are still casually exploring. They might be open to a short form, but I avoid overly aggressive offers.”

This is even more critical for educational social media ads.

“People scrolling through social media aren’t suddenly inspired to apply for a serious degree,” Adam says. “They are even further from the point of conversion compared to search users.”

Adam has found success with content-driven Facebook campaigns, leveraging the platform’s advanced targeting options.

“Social media provides a wealth of data on clicks, behavior, interests, etc., allowing you to pinpoint your target audience.” Adam has successfully promoted informational blog content with calls to action. “I once turned a relevant trending topic into a blog post, included a form at the end, and spent $400 to generate 11 conversions at a low $36 CPA,” he shares. “If you have valuable content, social media can be very effective. However, a sales-heavy approach is unlikely to yield good results.”

#5: Find the Right Balance with Form Length

Considering the prevalence of top-of-the-funnel searchers, education marketers should avoid overwhelming PPC leads with lengthy forms.

“We want detailed information about potential students, but finding the right balance is key,” says Adam. “I started with 12 form fields but had to reduce it to the bare minimum. Twelve questions were too daunting for search-driven leads.”

Once these leads are captured, Adam nurtures them through remarketing, email, articles, ebooks, and other content.

“Remember that these individuals can easily be scared off,” Adam warns. “I’ve witnessed the difference between sending a hard sell email versus a blog article, and content consistently outperforms.”

Adam has observed response rates below 1% for hard-sell emails but 10% or higher for content-based outreach.

#6: Prioritize Mobile Optimization

We all know mobile optimization is essential, but how critical is it for the education industry? According to Adam, it’s paramount.

“We’ve seen mobile traffic peaks as high as 80% during certain periods,” he reveals.

Here are some mobile optimization steps:

• Start with YOUR data! Analyze device segmentation in Google Ads to determine your mobile traffic share. Explore cross-device behavior in Google Analytics. Understand your mobile audience before implementing major changes.

• Ensure a mobile-friendly website. Access your homepage, key PPC landing pages, contact page, etc., on your smartphone. Does it require excessive zooming and squinting? If so, consider a website overhaul to prevent a poor mobile experience from driving away potential students.
• Adjust mobile bids. If a significant portion of your traffic comes from mobile devices, like Adam’s, bid higher on mobile.
• Optimize ads for mobile users. Use concise, impactful ad copy, set up ad extensions, and keep forms brief.

#7: Increase Budgets During Peak Summer and Winter Periods

The end of summer signals the return of school buses and rush hour traffic. We instinctively associate education with September, leading to peak search traffic for educational terms in July and August.

Whether it’s parents seeking schools for their children or professionals aiming to enhance their careers, education is top of mind. The same applies to winter, particularly January.

“August and January are consistently our busiest enrollment periods, so we allocate more budget during those months,” Adam shares. “While our ads run year-round due to ongoing continuing education enrollment and multiple start dates, August and January consistently see the highest traffic.”

There’s still time to optimize your PPC strategy for the upcoming academic year. Implement these tips and be ready for a surge in prospective student inquiries.