Following my well-received but slightly controversial post last week about the top college websites for SEO, I wanted to offer guidance to colleges facing challenges in search engine optimization (SEO). This guide will provide insights into optimizing websites for higher education search verticals and attracting more students through search engine marketing. NOTE: This SEO for College Websites guide is divided into two parts.

Optimizing College Degree Pages for SEO Success

College websites typically host diverse content, spanning administrative pages, course catalogs, campus news, research microsites, and more. However, degree and certificate programs are their core offerings. Universities are fundamentally in the business of education, and degrees represent their products.

Whether you aim to rank a personal blog or the Organic Baby Onesie page for a children’s clothing store, SEO fundamentals remain consistent: content and links are key. This principle applies to college degree web pages as well. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help colleges optimize their degree pages for SEO.

Keyword Research is Crucial

Keywords form the bedrock of search marketing. Poor keyword selection will undermine all your efforts, including title tag strategy, content creation, and link building.

Effective keyword research can be approached in a few ways:

• Keyword suggestion tools (good): Leverage third-party tools for keyword ideas.
• Competitor site analysis (better): Analyze competitor keywords, but remember that their success doesn’t guarantee yours.
• Actual keyword or query data (best!): Utilize your keyword analytics or server log files for proven keywords.

Using keywords from your data provides insights into what actually drives prospective students to your site. This allows you to refine existing degree pages and create new, relevant content based on real user searches.

While I advocate for data-driven keyword selection, suggestion tools still have value for:

• Initial keyword research: New websites without search history can benefit.
• Keyword discovery: Explore keyword variations and modifiers for content, titles, and link building.

To assist in your research, we’ve created The FREE Keyword Tool.

Title Tag Optimization

Title tags are crucial for SEO success. Placing keywords strategically within degree page title tags significantly impacts search engine rankings.

Stanford University’s MBA program page demonstrates effective title tag usage. Let’s examine their approach:

Stanford’s approach, while good, could be improved. Repeating “MBA Program” is redundant and wastes valuable space that could accommodate additional relevant keywords.

A more effective title tag for Stanford’s MBA page might be:

This revised format eliminates duplicates and introduces new terms, creating more ranking opportunities for related MBA program queries, such as:

• Two-word queries: MBA degree, business degree, graduate degree
• Three-word queries: MBA degree program, MBA program Stanford, MBA graduate program, MBA graduate degree, graduate business degree

I recommend that universities experiment with various title tag formulas, identify a winning approach that boosts rankings and traffic, and apply it consistently across degree pages.

Each page should have a unique title tag reflecting its specific content, whether it’s a Ph.D. or an associate’s program. For colleges, I suggest: [Degree]: [Secondary keywords, keyword variations] | [University name]

While some in academia might disagree with placing the university name at the end, prioritizing primary keywords is more effective for search rankings. If your school name is lengthy, include it in the meta description for branding (like Stanford does below).

Even though Google truncates titles after 70 characters, up to 95 characters are indexed, ensuring your brand is still factored into ranking signals.

The best approach is to test and analyze. If you prefer placing your school name first, do so based on evidence. Experiment with different placements and monitor the impact on rankings and click-through rates to determine the most effective formula for your degree pages. Incorporate Geo Modifiers State schools, community colleges, or commuter schools should utilize geo-targeted keywords in their titles to target local searches. For example, including “Boston” in a Regis College listing would be beneficial:

Currently, Regis College’s undergraduate nursing program page uses a less effective title tag:

Instead of the more relevant “Boston,” Regis includes their physical location “Weston, MA,” which is rarely used in searches. The higher search volume for “Boston nursing degree” is evident in Regis’s paid advertising efforts:

Regis could potentially reduce advertising costs by optimizing their title tag and content with “Boston” and building links using “Boston nursing degree” as anchor text. Regardless of their physical location, geographic proximity to Boston makes this a relevant keyword.

Remember, it’s not about your location on a map; it’s about your location in search results. SEO Guide for College Websites, Part Two: Learn about optimizing college degree page content and the significance of inbound links.