In higher education, SEO can often get pushed aside or thought of as a “set it and forget it” strategy. However, with Google changing its algorithm constantly and new features being added to search results regularly, colleges and universities need to think about SEO on an ongoing basis in order to stay visible.
One of the biggest SEO trends where higher education currently falls behind is special SERP (Search Engine Results Page) features. So few schools are actually optimizing their sites for these and are losing out on valuable Google real estate as a result.
While it’s good to show up in the regular organic listing in the SERP, it’s even better to take up an entire box or section that better grabs the user’s attention. However, there are many special SERP features that simply aren’t relevant for higher education institutions. Here, we’ve outlined the top special SERP features for colleges and universities and how to optimize for them.
For each type of special SERP feature, there are specific strategies you can put into place to increase your chances for visibility. With that being said, there are also best practices you should follow across the board to optimize your site for all types of special SERP features and even regular organic listings. Most notably, you want to ensure that each web page has a unique title tag and meta description that targets specific keywords and adheres to Google’s best practices for length and formatting. You can read more about other top SEO content best practices here. Furthermore, always check Google Search Console to make sure your content isn’t being flagged for any mobile usability issues, which can affect your ability to show up for special SERP features.
