With an ever-growing number of colleges and universities in Houston, the biggest challenge they face is finding high-quality students in a digital-first (also called ‘online’) environment. Although traditional recruitment methods still hold value, students are increasingly using the Internet to research schools before they apply. Therefore, it is critical for colleges and universities to use SEO in order to attract new students and stay competitive with other institutions.

The Student Journey Begins with Search

Research shows that 92% of all prospective students use some form of search engine to help them find schools. Students will typically visit 7-10 school websites before making their decision. If you have a Houston area senior searching for "Top Engineering Programs In Texas" or "universities close to me," you want to show up as high as possible in the search results and then convert the visitor into an applicant.

That’s why it’s important to partner with an experienced SEO agency that focuses on working specifically with higher education institutions. Using generic SEO tactics won't solve the unique issues that universities are up against. For instance, universities have multiple audiences to consider (students, parents, alumni, faculty), large complicated web sites (thousands of pages) and need to rank for both local and national keywords.

Web Design: The Backbone of SEO for Universities

To be successful at university SEO, a Houston web design agency recognizes that the functions of college and university websites are different than corporate websites. Your homepage needs to appeal to many different audiences all at once, such as 17-year old Gen Z students, the concerned parent researching safety and outcomes of your university, an international student trying to find out how to get a visa, and a potential graduate student comparing program rankings to decide where to go for his/her master's degree.

• Mobile-First is Non-Negotiable: Over 73 percent of prospective students look up universities on their mobile devices. If your program pages do not load quickly or properly on someone’s mobile device, you are losing out on many qualified applicants before they see any information about you. Assigning mobile-first indexing means that if someone has an adverse mobile usability experience, any SEO efforts targeting universities will be negatively impacted.
• Intuitive Navigation for Multiple Audiences: When prospective college students go to your website, they want to find the admissions requirements, program details and campus-life information within seconds. Parents want to be able to easily access financial aid information, safety statistics, and job placement statistics. A Houston web design agency experienced in higher education creates logical navigation structures that allow students and parents to easily find what they are looking for without overwhelming a single group.
• Program-Specific Landing Pages: Generic "Academics" pages do not rank well, or convert well. Each program, from Petroleum Engineering to Health Administration, needs a tailored landing page designed singularly around that particular program. Each landing page should have relevant keywords incorporated in the page title, meta description, and body copy, compelling content, and a clear call to action. Contact an SEO Services Houston agency for assistance.

The Conversion Process: Turning Visitors into Students Enrolled at School

The phrase "1st in Search Results for Houston University" only has value if the user does something next after going to your site. To increase the likelihood that someone who visits your site will become a student you should follow these 3 rules of webpage design:

• Visible CTAs (Call To Action): Be certain every page includes a clearly defined "Request Info," "Schedule a Tour" and or "Apply Now" Button with an appropriate amount of real estate surrounding the button(s).
• Use of Virtual Tours: Virtual Tours are a fantastic form of student engagement and serve multiple educational purposes. Colleges can create digital interactions for prospective students to help them visualise where they will go to school. Having virtual tours available is integral to achieving better digital engagement metrics, which in turn will result in improved SEO rankings.
• Website Speed: During the college search process, many prospective college students are comparing multiple colleges at the same time so your site must be fully optimised for fast loading time due to the many content management systems and/or plugins that universities often use.
• Accessibility of Your Website: Providing accessible websites has SEO benefits. Additionally, making your website accessible to everyone is a matter of law (ADA compliance). Websites that provide accessibility features are able to serve more customers and that's a signal of quality to search engines.

Comparative Strengths of Houston.

Houston is home to many different types of people and many different types of jobs. Because of this, there are many opportunities for Universities in Houston. Universities will be able to SEO local students who are looking for affordable, quality education near home and will also be able to SEO out-of-state and International students that are drawn to Houston for its energy, medicine and technology sectors.

An experienced Houston web designer can use local SEO strategies such as optimizing for searches related to a specific neighborhood, showcasing local industries where their universities have partnerships, and promoting Houston's cultural diversity, while also being visible nationally for their university's specialized programs.

Tracking What Counts.

SEO Services Houston for universities can measure the effectiveness of their SEO efforts with more than just rankings. They can measure:

1. The number of applications submitted via organic search traffic.
2. The cost of enrollments as compared to paid advertising.
3. The number of unique visitors to the website based on their geographical location.
4. Engagement on program pages and length of stay.
5. The number of completions of virtual tours.

Key Takeaway

In a competitive Houston higher education marketplace, SEO for Universities using strategic web design is more than just a preference; it's required to be successful with enrollments. Schools that work with an SEO Agency Houston and a modern Houston web Design Agency to enhance their rankings also change the way students find, evaluate and make decisions on which school to attend.