Welcome to the world of AI overview and no-click searches. We’re increasingly seeing users gather all the information they need to make enrollment decisions without ever visiting your website.
Why? Because they’re struggling to navigate university sites and find what’s most important to them. If information like cost, acceptance rates, financial aid, and course requirements aren’t clearly and readily available on your site, prospects will depend on external search to give them these answers.
And that’s not good! When prospects aren’t clicking through to your site, you’re losing your chance to shape the narrative around this information. And your ability to tell your university’s story is your biggest opportunity to differentiate your school from your competitors.
Luckily, even in our age of no-click search, there’s a solution. You need to pair answer-first content with an emotional narrative that answers prospects’ biggest questions and builds trust.
Step 1: Think About FAQs
To incorporate answer-first content into your site, you’ll want to create clear, skimmable content that’s informed by keywords and common search queries, while still reflecting your brand voice.
In practice, this can look like FAQ-style headlines and subheads that break up content and directly answer common prospect questions. So, imagine a subhead on a program detail page that reads, “What courses will I take in the BS in Accounting?” or a subhead on the tuition and fees page that answers, “How much will my total tuition cost?”
Ultimately, this approach is a win-win. Answer-first content isn’t only helpful to search, it’s a great way to get important information that’s easy to find and digest to prospects and their families.
Step 2: Get Personal With Your Content
Answer-first content is important, but your website can’t be all search and no story. When you neglect the personal aspect of the college search, you’re not forming a connection with prospects. You’re not giving them a reason to trust that you’re the best choice for them. You need to balance appeasing search with telling an authentic story that will appeal to prospects and their families.
Remember, for prospects, a sense of belonging begins long before enrollment. You need to establish a bond with them before they even apply. Belonging is both a feeling and a signal, and it’s communicated through your website.
One of the best ways to build this sense of authenticity and belonging is to utilize testimonials, student stories, and video
Include quotes from students and alumni talking about their college experience on your homepage. Promote faculty stories on program detail pages so prospects know who they’ll be learning with. Craft videos with internal talent to provide support with registering for courses or applying for financial aid.
Showcasing your students, faculty, and staff helps prospects picture themselves as members of your community. It humanizes your college. Prospects and their families are making a huge decision about their future. You’re providing proof points that give families a reason to believe their child will be safe, happy, and successful at your institution.
Step 3: Start Small and Build
Ready to get started? The good news is you can start small and build the content you need over time.
Start by taking an audit of your assets. Do you have the student stories, testimonials, videos, etc. that you need to bring those proof points onto the page? If yes, compile them in one place so they’re easy to find and utilize. If no, start working to collect those.
Next, turn to your top 10 pages based on search traffic and/or enrollment goals and focus on refreshing that content. Break up long-form text, add in those search-focused subheads, and consider creating on-page FAQs. Fit in those authentic stories and content pieces as you’re able and make note of where they might need to be created.
Combining search-oriented content with real stories helps prospects truly picture themselves as members of your community. And the more prospects (and their parents) can visualize themselves at your school, the better chance you have of turning them from prospects into enrollments.
