With most prospective parents and students likely turning to search engines for information, it’s crucial to ensure that your SEO game is strong. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) plays a vital role in improving a school’s visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs) and driving organic traffic to their website. In this blog, we will explore nine effective SEO tips for schools to enhance their online visibility and attract prospective students and parents.
Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research:
Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. Identify the keywords and phrases that prospective parents and students are likely to search for when looking for schools in your area, such as ‘private school Scotland’ or ‘best schools in Kent’. Tools such as Moz or SEMrush are excellent in finding relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition.
What to consider when conducting keyword research
– Start typing your search into the Google search bar and take note of recommended searches
- Don’t target keywords which have too low a volume, or you’ll be working hard without seeing much of a return.
- Analyse what keywords your competitor private schools are targeting
- Ensure keywords are being used in titles, meta descriptions, headings, and throughout the body copy on the page that you’re targeting for that term.
Optimise Website Structure and Navigation:
Ensuring your website has a well-organised structure and intuitive navigation is key for a successfully optimised site. A user-friendly website structure helps search engines crawl and index your content effectively. Use clear and descriptive URLs, and create a logical hierarchy of pages. Implement internal linking to establish connections between relevant pages and make it easy for users and search engines to find and navigate your website.
Create Engaging and Relevant Content:
Develop high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target audience. Create pages that highlight your school’s unique selling points, academic programmes, extracurricular activities, and department expertise. Write informative blog posts addressing common questions and concerns of parents and students. Ensure your content is well-written, error-free, and optimised with relevant keywords.
Optimise On-Page Elements:
Optimise your website’s on-page elements to improve its search engine visibility. Each page should have a unique title tag and meta description that accurately describes its content while incorporating relevant keywords. Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and make it more scannable for both users and search engines. Include alt tags for images to improve accessibility and provide search engines with context.
Include a video on your website:
Video is a brilliant way to improve your SEO. Not only does it help users engage better with your website and, therefore, stay longer on a page, but it also appears in the search results for some searches. Therefore, perform keyword research to understand what topics video is shown on and create video content around these searches.
Implement Local SEO Strategies:
As a private school, targeting local search is crucial. Optimise your website for local SEO by including your school’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on every page, preferably in the footer or header. Create a Google My Business profile for your school and ensure it is complete and regularly updated. Encourage satisfied parents and students to leave positive reviews, as they can significantly impact your online reputation and search rankings.
Leverage Social Media Channels:
Social media platforms provide excellent opportunities to engage with your target audience and drive traffic to your website. Create profiles on popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Regularly share engaging content, school news, and updates. Encourage social sharing and interaction with your posts. Social signals, such as likes, shares, and comments, can indirectly impact your search engine rankings.
Build Quality Backlinks:
Backlinks, or incoming links from other websites, are a crucial factor in SEO. Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant sources. Seek opportunities for guest blogging on educational websites or partner with local businesses, community organisations, or alumni associations for collaborations. Building relationships and providing valuable content can lead to natural backlinks, improving your website’s authority and visibility.
Optimise for Mobile Devices:
With the increasing use of mobile devices, optimising your website for mobile responsiveness is imperative. Ensure your website’s design is responsive and adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes. Test your website on various mobile devices.
These are just a few of the many ways to set your school website up for success when implementing SEO. Getting in front of your target audience, when they’re actively searching for you is hugely effective. If you’d like to chat with the Small Films team about how content can support your SEO strategy, then do get in touch.
