Search Engine Optimization (seo)

Be Found by Future Students

Search is one of the most important ways students discover colleges, universities, and programs—but visibility alone isn’t enough. Carnegie helps institutions show up with clarity, credibility, and purpose through search engine optimization designed for higher education. We combine technical SEO, content strategy, and student-centered insight to ensure your institution is found, understood, and chosen.

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Our Approach

At Carnegie, SEO isn’t just about rankings—it’s about connection. We help colleges and universities improve search visibility by aligning technical performance, content, and user experience with how real students search, explore, and decide. Every strategy is grounded in higher ed expertise and built to support enrollment growth, institutional reputation, and long-term sustainability.

Strategic Support That Gets You Seen and Selected

Content & Copywriting

Bring your brand to life with storytelling that connects emotionally and ranks strategically. Our SEO-optimized content helps prospective students find you, feel something, and take the next step, turning discovery into meaningful connection.

Technical SEO Audits & Consulting

Strong visibility starts with a healthy foundation. Our technical SEO experts uncover what’s holding your site back and guide your team to lasting performance improvements, ensuring your higher education website is fast, crawlable, and ready to connect with students wherever they search.

Program Name + Keyword Analysis

The right program name can make all the difference. We analyze real student search behavior to help your programs show up clearly and competitively—aligning naming, keywords, and intent so prospective students can find, understand, and choose what you offer with confidence.

Google Business & YouTube Optimization

From search results to video feeds, visibility depends on meeting students where they are. We optimize your local and video presence to showcase your institution’s personality, strengthen credibility, and inspire engagement across every digital touchpoint.

How it Works

Identify What’s Limiting Visibility and What Improves It

We start with a comprehensive SEO audit, examining your site structure, content, metadata, and competitive landscape. This analysis reveals where rankings are slipping, where opportunity exists, and how your institution can better connect with prospective students searching for programs like yours

Strengthen the Technical Foundation Search Depends On

Strong SEO starts under the hood. We address technical issues that impact crawlability, speed, accessibility, and indexing, ensuring your website is built to perform at scale, even across large, complex higher education sites.

Optimize Content for How Students Actually Search

We refine and create SEO-optimized content that reflects student intent, from program pages to admissions content and stories that build trust. The result: clearer pathways, stronger engagement, and higher-quality organic traffic.

Sustain Performance Through Ongoing Strategy and Insight

Search behavior and algorithms evolve constantly. Our ongoing SEO consulting, analytics, and training help your team adapt, improve, and stay ahead, so visibility doesn’t spike and fade, but grows steadily over time.

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A Strategic SEO Foundation That Reached More High-Intent Students

Reed College partnered with Carnegie to strengthen its search visibility, resulting in millions of new organic impressions and deeper engagement with key academic programs.

Featured SEO Case Study

“Carnegie truly partnered with us, taking the time to understand Reed College’s unique spirit and helping us transform our outdated website into a beautiful and welcoming online home.”

Sheena McFarland
Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Reed College

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Reed College

A website revamp captures student spirit and boosts performance

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Research

The Search + Social Media Habits of Prospective Graduate Students

Graduate student marketing in higher education has undergone significant shifts in recent years. We surveyed over 750 graduate students about how the internet informs their search for a graduate program.

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Our Thoughts on SEO

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Digital Advertising

Digital Workshop | Search Experience Optimization: The New SEO

Watch

Digital Advertising

Search Experience Optimization is the Future of Higher Education SEO

By Mia Pang

Digital Advertising

Why Longer Academic Program Pages Are Essential for SEO and Student Experience in Higher Ed

By Cody Barnaby

Digital Advertising

How Universities Can Use Data-Driven SEO to Win Over New Students

By Ross Simmonds

Build the Ecosystem Behind Every Click

AEO

Help students get clear answers about your institution wherever AI shapes discovery. Our higher education AEO services strengthen visibility, accuracy, and credibility in AI-driven search, influencing early perception and student choice.

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Web Development

Your website is your most visible brand experience. We design and build higher education websites that reflect your personality, connect with your audiences, and turn curiosity into conversion.

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Paid Search Marketing

Drive high-intent traffic and maximize ROI with targeted campaigns that turn curiosity into clicks, and clicks into conversions.

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Social Media Marketing

Engage students across every platform with authentic storytelling, creative precision, and campaigns built for real connection.

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Ready to Redefine Visibility?

When students can find you easily, understand you clearly, and trust what they see, institutions thrive. Let’s build an SEO strategy that helps students discover—and choose—your institution.