Higher Ed Marketing Insider

How Schools Are Rethinking Marketing, SEO, Branding & AI - Blog Roundup April 24, 2025

• Will Scott

Share episode

This week's blog roundup: How Schools Are Rethinking Marketing, SEO, Branding & AI

This episode shares practical marketing strategies for colleges and universities. Learn how schools are adjusting to changes in student search behavior and how artificial intelligence is reshaping SEO. We cover clear steps to improve online visibility, build trust with prospective students, and stay competitive in a crowded education market.

The discussion also covers brand reputation, segmentation, and how email and budget planning support enrollment growth—especially for adult learners and continuing education. We also review important updates to federal funding, including changes to Pell Grant rules.

Absolutely — here’s the updated timestamp section with each description reduced to roughly half the original length, while keeping key terms for SEO and clarity:

Topics Covered:

00:00 – Intro
Quick intro to higher ed marketing in 2025.

00:44 – Student Search Trends
Students ask specific questions—answers must be clear.

01:33 – How AI Affects Search
AI changes how content appears in search.

02:11 – SEO for Higher Ed
Structure content for both AI and search.

04:50 – Local SEO
Location terms and reviews help private colleges.

06:46 – Brand Building
Consistent visuals and proof build trust.

08:40 – Grad Program Differentiation
Show value: careers, flexibility, faculty.

10:31 – Email Marketing
Email still drives action and engagement.

11:53 – Marketing Budgets
Track ROI to guide smarter spending.

13:38 – Adult Learners
Offer flexible formats and clear outcomes.

15:04 – Pell Grant Changes
New rules impact aid messaging.

15:58 – Wrap-Up
Key takeaways and next steps.

Learn more about the Higher Education Marketing Institute:

  • Website: https://highereducationmarketinginstitute.com/
  • X: https://x.com/HEMInstitute
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/higher-education-marketing-institute/
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HigherEducationMarketing
Jack:

Welcome everyone. We're exploring the, uh, really dynamic world of higher education marketing today. It's definitely a challenging space right now.

Jill:

Absolutely. Standing out is tough with all the competition and, you know, student expectations keep changing. Plus there's always that pressure to show your marketing is actually working, demonstrating that ROI.

Jack:

Right? So today we're looking at some recent reports and articles trying to pull out key insights. We've got sources covering everything from like. SEO tactics specifically for private schools to broader trends and how students search, and even whether email is still relevant.

Jill:

Yeah, quite a mix. The goal really is to provide some actionable takeaways, some things to think about to help higher ed marketers. Well stay ahead of the curb a bit.

Jack:

Okay, so let's start with how students are actually searching. Simpson Scarborough had some interesting findings suggesting the landscape is changing quite a bit. It's not just Google anymore.

Jill:

No, definitely not. Students are all over the place. Um, think about TikTok for that quick visual vibe of a campus or Reddit for those really unfiltered student opinions. And then you've got AI tools popping up for quick answers. It's much more fragmented at

Jack:

fragmentation. Sounds like a real challenge.

Jill:

It is. And what's really interesting is seeing some schools have success with like short unpolished videos from actual students on TikTok. Sometimes those perform better than the. Slick produced marketing stuff.

Jack:

Hmm. So authenticity really cuts through,

Jill:

it seems like it, that peer-to-peer influence, that raw, relatable voice. It really resonates. It suggests a shift in who students trust.

Jack:

That brings us neatly to AI's impact on search. EA B's been talking about this quite a bit. Google's AI overviews chat, GBT Bing copilot.

Jill:

Yeah, and the big thing EAB points out is how these tools prioritize giving concise, direct answers right there on the results page. This could lead to what they're calling a zero click environment.

Jack:

Zero click. Mm-hmm. Meaning students might not even need to visit the university website.

Jill:

Exactly. If they get their answer directly from the AI summary, why click through? So this fundamentally changes how we need to think about SEO. Marketers have gotta figure out how to get their key messages into those AI summaries.

Jack:

Okay, so how do we do that? EAB offered some specific advice for optimizing.edu sites for this AI world. First point was about targeting questions, not just keywords

Jill:

precisely. So instead of just optimizing for say, MBA program, you create content that directly answers a question like, is an MBA worth it in 2025? It's about matching the user's intent more directly. Right,

Jack:

and you could use tools like Answer the Public or SEMrush to find those questions people are asking.

Jill:

Yeah, exactly. Those tools are great for uncovering the actual language and questions perspective students use. It gets you closer to their mindset,

Jack:

E B's. Second point was about building content authority beyond just the basic program pages. What does that look like in practice?

Jill:

It means becoming a go-to resource. For a cybersecurity program, maybe you create career guides showing different job paths or detailed FAQs, addressing common worries or articles highlighting industry partnerships. Mm-hmm. Even like thought leadership pieces on new cyber threats, it shows both AI and students that your institution really knows its stuff. It's an authority.

Jack:

Okay? And the third rule was optimizing content specifically for featured snippets and those AI overviews. How do we make our content more likely to be picked up?

Jill:

Conciseness is key. Aim for clear factual answers. Maybe in that 40 to 60 word sweet spot. Use really clear subheadings that almost mirror the questions people ask.

Jack:

Makes sense.

Jill:

Structure your content logically too. Use bullet points, numbered lists, clear definitions. And definitely implement Schema markup.

Jack:

Schema markup. Remind us what that is. Again,

Jill:

it's like adding hidden labels to your web content that tell search engines exactly what each piece of information is. This is an event date. This is a program description. This is an application deadline. It helps'em understand and feature your content better.

Jack:

Got it. So for something like how to apply as a transfer student, you'd use clear numbered steps and simple language.

Jill:

Exactly. Make it super easy for the AI to pull out the key information.

Jack:

And EABs. Final point on SEO was about measurement. If we're getting fewer clicks, how do we measure success?

Jill:

Right. Traditional click-through rates might not tell the whole story anymore. We need to look at visibility. Are we showing up in those AI overviews? Are people seeing our brand mentioned in the summaries? Yeah. Yeah. We should also track overall impressions in Google Search console and look at onsite engagement. For the clicks, we do get like, how long are people staying? Are they scrolling down the page? It needs a more holistic

Jack:

view. She almost sounds like going back to basics, focusing on brand awareness and visibility first.

Jill:

In a way, yes. Visibility within those AI answers becomes a primary goal. Again, forcing us to adjust how we track effectiveness.

Jack:

Okay. Shifting gears slightly, but still on SEO, Dina Salazar put together a guide specifically for private schools. How does her advice differ? Or maybe reinforce what EAB said.

Jill:

Well, a lot of lines, but she really emphasizes things critical for private schools like local SEO, since they often serve a specific geographic area, getting that NNP name address. Phone number consistent across all online directories is huge.

Jack:

Right. Like Google Business profile, Yelp, those kinds of places.

Jill:

Exactly. And encouraging reviews from local parents, building that local trust and visibility that's vital for them.

Jack:

She also mentioned keyword research, distinguishing between short tail and long tail keywords. Can you give an example?

Jill:

Sure. A short tail keyword might be something broadly. Private elementary school, Boston, pretty general. Okay. But a long tail keyword is much more specific. Like affordable Montessori Elementary school in back Bay, Boston with afterschool tutoring, someone searching that has a much clearer idea of what they want.

Jack:

Gotcha. More specific intent.

Jill:

Right. And Salazar also covers the on-page SEO basics, things we shouldn't forget,

Jack:

like optimizing title tags and meta descriptions.

Jill:

Yes, making them compelling and keyword rich. Using headers, H ones, H twos, to structure the content logically, making sure URLs are clean and descriptive, adding good alt text to images, using internal links to connect related pages. It's all foundational stuff that helps search engines understand your site

Jack:

and content. Of course, high quality content is always key.

Jill:

Absolutely. Salazar stresses, creating content that really speaks to prospective families. Think blog posts answering common parent questions, authentic testimonials, maybe virtual tours, detailed FAQs, covering curriculum, tuition, applications,

Jack:

all things that build trust and provide value.

Jill:

Exactly. Keep publishing fresh, relevant stuff. It signals to search engines that your site is active and useful.

Jack:

Okay, let's pivot now to branding. Scotter has a strong take on this arguing that brand reputation isn't just nice to have anymore. It's fundamental.

Jill:

He really emphasizes that, especially in this market share driven environment. A strong brand isn't just for enrollment. It's crucial for fundraising too. It helps you cut through all the noise.

Jack:

He outlines four key elements for a strong higher ed brand. The first is story over facts. What's the idea there?

Jill:

Well, oand notes that universities often lead with rankings, stats. You know the facts. I. Which are important. Sure. But he argues a stronger brand elevates the emotional story, the student transformations, the faculty's passion, the impact of alumni. The facts then support that story.

Jack:

So connecting on an emotional level first,

Jill:

kind of, yeah. Yeah. Making it more resonant, more memorable than just a list of achievements.

Jack:

Okay. The second element is distinction. How do you stand out when so many schools seem to say similar things?

Jill:

That's the challenge, right? Ochen stresses. You have to really dig deep to find and articulate what genuinely makes your institution different from competitors. What's your unique edge? You have to be crystal clear about it.

Jack:

Third element, human expression. Making the brand feel more.

Jill:

Yeah,

Jack:

human.

Jill:

Exactly. Injecting personality and emotion into communications. Showcasing the real people, students, faculty, staff, letting the institution's core values shine through in how you talk and interact.

Jack:

And the last one is personalized segmentation. So tailoring the message,

Jill:

right? Moving away from those one size fits all campaigns. O Chand advocates for a central brand message, but then expressing it in highly personalized ways for different audiences, undergrads, grad students, alumni, donors. It needs to be data informed.

Jack:

Makes sense. Build the core story, then tell it differently depending on who you're talking to.

Jill:

Precisely. It allows for much more meaningful engagement.

Jack:

Yeah. The EAB drawing in Val Fox's work looked specifically at differentiating graduate programs. Why is that particularly challenging right now?

Jill:

Well, there's just massive growth in the number of grad programs available. Fierce competition plus students are maybe applying to fewer schools than before, doing more research upfront.

Jack:

Ah. The stealth applicants you mentioned earlier.

Jill:

Exactly. They do a ton of online digging before they ever contact you. So your unique value has to be super clear online right from the start to even get on the radar.

Jack:

So how do you define that differentiation for a grad program? Fox suggests starting with competitor analysis.

Jill:

Yes, a deep dive. What are competing programs offering curriculum, faculty focus, career outcomes? Where are their weaknesses? Where can your program offer something distinct? You need to know why someone might pick them over you.

Jack:

And then understanding your target audience for that specific program.

Jill:

Critically important. What are their career goals? What kind of learning environment do they want? What challenges are they facing? You need to tailor the program and the messaging directly to their needs.

Jack:

And finally, she says, take an honest look at your own institution's strengths,

Jill:

right? What assets can you leverage? Is it your location specific faculty expertise? A really strong alumni network. Industry partnerships. You need to build on what you genuinely do. Well,

Jack:

Fox also had criteria for what makes a true value proposition, not just a feature.

Jill:

That's a great point. It needs to be truly relevant to the audience. First off, it needs to be difficult for competitors to copy easily. It should apply to a good chunk of your potential students, not just a tiny niche. And crucially, it has to be provable. You need evidence, alumni outcomes, testimonials, third party rankings or recognition.

Jack:

So not just saying you're innovative. Showing how through tangible proof.

Jill:

Exactly. It has to be credible.

Jack:

Let's switch gears to a channel that always seems to spark debate. Email marketing. Is it dead? EAB recently argued, well, maybe not.

Jill:

Yeah, their 2025 student communication preferences survey had some frankly surprising results. Despite everything else, email is still the top preferred way. Students wanna get info from colleges, especially as they get deeper into their search.

Jack:

Really still number one, still

Jill:

number one preference. And it's not like they aren't checking it.

Jack:

How often are they checking

Jill:

the data? Showed a big majority check email at least once a day and over half check it multiple times a day. So the inbox is definitely still an active space.

Jack:

Interesting. EAB called this the responsive opportunity. What do they mean by that?

Jill:

Basically, since students are checking email frequently, institutions that can respond quickly when a student shows interest, maybe fills out a form, downloads something, and then communicates consistently via email, they can gain a real edge speed and consistency matter.

Jack:

But EAB also acknowledge email isn't without its problems. Right? Oh,

Jill:

definitely. Deliverability can be tricky. Tracking engagement is getting harder. With privacy changes, AI might filter things out. Yeah, those are real challenges. Yeah. But their point is when email is done well, when it's timely, personalized, actually helpful, it still holds significant value for connecting with prospects. It's not dead, just maybe harder to do. Right.

Jack:

Okay. Let's look at the bigger picture of marketing investments and trends. The 2024 UPC EA marketing survey focused on online and professional continuing education units. What did it find regarding budgets and revenue?

Jill:

It showed pretty substantial average annual gross revenues for these units, and the median was significant too. But interestingly, it also highlighted a growing gap in marketing budgets, both in dollar amounts and as a percentage of revenue. Some are investing a lot more than others.

Jack:

And what about staffing for marketing in those units?

Jill:

There was a slight increase in the average number of full-time marketing staff compared to previous surveys. It suggests institutions are recognizing these programs need dedicated marketing expertise,

Jack:

but even with more staff, did marketing leaders feel they had adequate budgets?

Jill:

Not really, no. Only a minority felt their current budgets were enough to hit their goals and not many more expected big increases soon. Mm. Yet there was a strong expectation that they'd need to target new student segments. So the pressure is on to do more potentially without huge budget bumps.

Jack:

What strategies are these units using? The survey confirmed Digital is dominant.

Jill:

That's right. The core is a mix of email, social media, SEO, and content marketing. But the survey also really highlighted the growing importance of personalization, using data analytics to make smarter decisions, and definitely optimizing for mobile.

Jack:

Did traditional marketing still play a role?

Jill:

Yeah, it seems so The survey noted some continued use of traditional methods alongside digital, and another key trend was growing collaboration between marketing and admissions departments. Oh.

Jack:

Breaking down those silos

Jill:

exactly. Recognizing it's a shared goal and requires integrated effort.

Jack:

So we've talked a lot about attracting students. What about keeping adult learners engaged once they enroll, particularly in continuing education. Ray's article looked at micro learning and and gy.

Jill:

Yes, this is super important. Adult learners just have different needs and frankly, less time than traditional undergrads. Tailoring the learning is key.

Jack:

So microlearning first. What are the benefits there?

Jill:

It's about delivering content in small focused chunks, bite-sized information. This fits much better into busy adult schedules. It lets them focus on specific skills they need right now, and it can actually help with retention, learning a bit, applying it, then learning the next bit

Jack:

makes sense for people juggling work and family and and, and drag aji the principles of adult learning.

Jill:

Right. Andragogy recognizes that adults are usually self-directed. They come with a lot of life and work experience, so effective learning for adults taps into that experience, gives them some autonomy and focuses on solving real world problems, making the learning directly relevant.

Jack:

So how do micro learning and andragogy work together effectively?

Jill:

Well, you can use micro learning to deliver concise, relevant content that respects their time, but design those micro lessons based on andr principles. Let them build on existing knowledge. Encourage them to apply it immediately to their context. Give them some choice in their learning path.

Jack:

So it's about the format and the philosophy behind it.

Jill:

Exactly. That combination can really boost engagement and help adults stick with the program and actually get value from it.

Jack:

Finally, let's touch on something more operational, but very important. Pell Grants. Mike Keen's article highlighted some upcoming changes.

Jill:

Yeah, some significant ones. Institutions need to prepare for Pell eligibility is being restored for incarcerated individuals, which is a major shift. The maximum award amount is increasing. Eligibility is also expanding to cover students in some shorter term certificate programs, not just longer degree programs. And importantly, DACA recipients will become. Eligible.

Jack:

Wow, those are quite a few changes. What do institutions need to do?

Jill:

They really need to get proactive. Update financial aid policies. Update their systems. Update their communications. It's crucial to get the word out to current and prospective students so they know about these new opportunities and eligibility rules. Right.

Jack:

Ensure people who might now qualify actually know they can apply.

Jill:

Exactly. It could open doors for a lot of potential students.

Jack:

So looking back at everything we've discussed, a few themes seem to keep popping up.

Jill:

Definitely there's this clear need for a marketing strategy that's, um, really holistic and adaptive. Recognizing how fragmented things are online now.

Jack:

Yeah. And the enduring power of good, relevant content and making genuine connections seems more important than ever.

Jill:

Absolutely. And just fundamentally understanding who your perspective students are, what they need, what they value. That's gotta be the foundation.

Jack:

So clear messaging, personalization, driven by data. Being smart about adopting new tech like ai. These seem like non-negotiables now

Jill:

for sure, and especially for graduate programs as we discussed. Really nailing down and proving that unique value proposition is just vital in such a crowded field.

Jack:

So a final thought for the higher ed marketers listening, I. In this constantly shifting landscape, how does your institution go beyond just being seen to becoming truly indispensable to your target audience?

Jill:

That's the big question, isn't it? Which of these insights really hits home for the challenges you're facing right now? It's probably worth digging into the original sources we talked about for more detail on the areas that resonate most.