Ideas, insights and inspirations.

The most effective college enrollment marketing strategy is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is a set of techniques college marketers employ to secure page one rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines. Choosing the right set of keywords and creating content infused with those keywords is how college marketers achieve coveted page one rankings for their programs and schools. Elliance works with higher education marketers to not only map the right set of keywords across the prospective student journey, but also to optimize their website and social media to secure Google page one rankings for those keywords. We undertake this task regardless of whether the objective is to increase enrollment for undergraduate, graduate, online, adult, or international students. To make a college decision, prospective students and their families move through a logical set of steps. At each stage of their journey, students and families use a unique set of keywords on Google and Bing to search for information. AWARENESS … Continue reading

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Search engine optimization (SEO) is the greatest equalizer amongst higher education marketing tactics. Using smarts, underdogs become wonder dogs and Davids defeat Goliaths. All our college and university clients have ambitions for increasing and growing their undergraduate, graduate, adult, online and international students. Following are a sampling of seven success stories of our SEO clients: 1. Underdog Wins: William Woods University Located in mid-Missouri, two hours from Saint Louis and three from Kansas City, William Woods boasts a combination of me-too and distinctive programs. Just by dominating Google page one in all four corners of Missouri for its commodity programs, we doubled their online enrollment and grew their graduate enrollment by 25 percent over a 3-year period. For its distinctive equestrian science and ASL programs, we secured national Google page one rankings which began attracting students from across the US. They never looked back. 2. Small Giant Leaps: St. Edward’s University Located in eclectic Austin, Texas, surrounded by big publics, … Continue reading

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In the past 30 years, Elliance has deployed SEO strategies for more than 100 colleges, universities and higher education institutions in service of growing their enrollment, endowment and reputation. Why have we insisted on recommending SEO to our higher education marketing clients? For two reasons. First, because Google/Bing page 1 is destiny. Trusted page one organic rankings and high visibility for your social media content equate to owning the world’s hottest real estate. 90% of users never go beyond page 1 of search results. Organic rankings (i.e. the top 10 natural search results) are clicked 9-folds more, trusted more, and convert three-folds better than paid ads.  Second, being found on page 1 is the best means for finding, getting, keeping and growing right-fit students, faculty, and staff as well as nurturing relationships with alumni, foundations corporate partners and media. We recommend our clients begin the SEO journey by crafting an intentional plan powered by a Keyword Lexicon that contains clusters … Continue reading

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As a top SEO agency for colleges, universities and higher education institutions, we begin their SEO journey by conducting a 12-point SEO audit to assess their websites.

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This SEO basics guide was written to help under-resourced, small to medium colleges, universities and higher education institutions who can’t compete in the marketing arms race and yet need to out-wit and out-smart the deep-pocketed Goliaths.

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Colleges and universities can deploy these 9 Higher education SEO agency strategies to grow undergraduate, graduate, online, adult and international enrollment.

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Google page 1 is destiny. 90% of users never go beyond page 1. Organic rankings are trusted more, and convert 3X better than paid ads. 10-Step SEO plan for colleges, universities and higher education institutions to secure coveted Google page 1 rankings.

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Colleges and universities can take the following 8 SEO steps to grow their undergraduate, graduate, and online enrollment.

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Top performing higher education SEO agencies help their clients realize that fortune smiles on colleges and universities that pursue and achieve top organic rankings. Prosperity takes many shapes and forms for colleges ranked on page #1 of search engines.

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Gods smile on colleges and universities that pursue and achieve top organic rankings on Google, Yahoo and Bing. Prosperity takes many shapes and forms for colleges ranked on page #1 of search engines. e.g. 1. Prospective Students find the college, inquire, show up at open houses, apply and enroll. 2. Prospective Parents find the college and suggest their kids apply there. 3. Prospective Talented Faculty and Staff find and apply for open job postings at the college. 4. Corporations, Nonprofits and Government Agencies recruit graduates and connect with faculty for consulting engagements and R&D. 5. Enrollment Officers boast a low acceptance rate and shape classes making the college more exclusive. 6. Financial Aid Officers extend aid by design not compulsion. 7. Media and Journalists find faculty experts. 8. Ranking and Rating Agencies discover rank the colleges higher in their rankings. 9. Presidents and Cabinet Members are invited to speak at top conferences for their genius. 10. Vice Presidents for Advancement see … Continue reading

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