Recently, I published a blog on my School Webmasters website about how administrators and schools can use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to gain traffic, higher enrollment, and a better reputation when people search online. Ever wonder how a certain school shows up when you type “school near me” or “classes near me”? That’s the focus of our subject today.
There are a few basic things to remember if you are a school or touch any part of marketing for your organization.
First off, it’s not as hard as it looks. Following some guiding principles on your school’s website, you can get a lot more traffic from people searching for a school in your area.
Second, this is an ongoing effort. So learn a bit, and check this list again every month.
Use this guide as a start to creating something awesome! A more visible school in your neighborhood can be as much a gathering place for ideas online as it is in the real world.
Step 1: Do some keyword research
Find out what people are searching in your area when they look to choose a school. You’ll be surprised by all of the different search terms people are using. To help, try using a free tool by Google called Google Keyword Planner.
Step 2: Make sure your content includes the keywords you found
Google will never show your website for a search term unless the pages on the site talk about it. Take a look at the different sections on your site, and make sure the words on your pages include these terms. Don’t stuff them in where they don’t belong, but make sure they are there.
Step 3: Responsive website design
If your website doesn’t show up nicely on phones, tablets, desktops, and everything in between, Google probably won’t show you to people searching. You’ll want to contact a school website design company that knows what they’re doing to make your site responsive.
Step 4: Make sure your website is well managed
Using keywords in your page titles and descriptions is a great way to show Google that they should show your site when people search online. When possible, use a page title with one of the top keywords in it, and you’ll have a better chance of showing up in a Google search. The same goes for page descriptions.
For more info on this, check out this full explanation about titles and descriptions.
Step 5: Claim your location
When done right, Bing, Yahoo, and Google should have a business listing for your address. Claim that, and start asking people to leave reviews of the school. This way, you are more likely to show up higher when people search for a local school.
If these steps seem overwhelming, choose a few pages of the website (like the home page), and start following the steps. You’ll start to see more traffic on your website. As a bonus item, you can install Google Analytics (it’s free) on the site to track your website visitors.