The higher ed recruitment game is changing fast. Fewer prospective students, changing search behaviors, and increasing competition mean schools can’t rely on the same old tactics anymore.

At Manaferra, we’ve seen firsthand how content marketing has transformed from a “nice-to-have” into an essential enrollment strategy. When 84% of higher ed marketing leaders identify prospective students as their top-priority audience, it’s clear that enrollment growth remains the foundation of institutional success.

This guide will walk you through practical strategies for using content marketing to boost your enrollment numbers in 2025 and beyond. No fluff, no jargon—just actionable insights based on what’s actually working for colleges and universities right now.

Why Content Marketing Matters More Than Ever

Traditional recruitment methods aren’t cutting it anymore. Purchasing contact lists has seen conversion rates fall from 0.13% to just 0.043% in recent years. Meanwhile, the pool of college-bound teens is shrinking, with hundreds of thousands fewer names expected by 2027.

Content marketing works differently. Instead of interrupting students with ads or emails they didn’t ask for, you’re creating valuable resources they actively seek out. When a prospective student finds helpful information from your school, they begin to trust you—and that trust translates into applications.

Take University of the Potomac as an example. After revamping their content and SEO strategy, they saw a 447% increase in organic traffic and a staggering 1,423% jump in SEO-driven leads, plus added $125,000 in monthly traffic value. That’s not just more website visitors—that’s more actual students in the pipeline.

Content marketing also creates what we call a “flywheel” effect rather than relying on a linear funnel. As one higher ed VP puts it, “advancing our institutions must start with enrollment, and end with engagement and philanthropy”. This approach focuses on continuous engagement rather than blunt outbound pushes.

The Student Journey and How Content Shapes It

Today’s prospective students experience a range of emotions throughout their journey—fear, excitement, doubt, and anticipation. As one higher-ed SEO expert notes, “marketers should provide them with good information so that… students will think, ‘That University is really helpful…’ This sets the stage for a more impactful brand impression at the consideration/decision stages”.

Creating content that answers students’ questions and eases anxieties positions your institution as a supportive authority when it’s time to choose a school. Content marketing is now seen as an essential strategy for driving enrollment and building your institution’s reputation, not just a marketing fad.

Georgia State University understood this journey when they created an AI chatbot for incoming freshmen. This “Pounce” chatbot exchanged over 50,000 messages with students, and the results were impressive: a 21.4% reduction in “summer melt” and a 3.3% increase in enrollment yield. What’s more, 94% of students recommended that the next year’s class also get the chatbot because they found it so helpful.

Content Types That Actually Drive Enrollment

Thought Leadership Content

Thought leadership content on your blog remains incredibly effective when done right. Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) built an extensive content library answering common student questions like “What is a BSN degree?” and “Is a BSN worth it?”—queries searched hundreds of thousands of times monthly.

This approach has helped SNHU generate over 1.3 million monthly organic visits, with approximately 77% coming from non-branded searches. That means people who weren’t looking specifically for SNHU found them through helpful content. In fact, SNHU’s organic traffic is so large that buying equivalent Google Ads would cost ~$5.7m per month.

Your blog strategy should focus on addressing real questions that align with your programs. When students start considering getting a degree, they don’t immediately search for specific programs like “master’s in cybersecurity” — they have tons of basic questions. By answering those questions, you bring students into your site and keep them engaged throughout their journey.

Video: More Than Just Campus Tours

Video has become non-negotiable for reaching today’s students. Research shows 82% of high school students watch videos on college websites, and 83% find them useful in their decision-making.

While virtual campus tours are important (73% of students have taken one, and 79% say it’s useful in their college search), don’t stop there. Short-form vertical video is now one of the highest-demand forms of content according to Inside Higher Ed.

Harvard’s admissions office uses TikTok for student Q&As about majors, accumulating tens of thousands of followers and likes. These brief, authentic videos create an emotional connection that polished brochures can’t match.

Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education identified that adult students needed help with career changes, so they created a “How to Ace an Interview” video and blog post. That evergreen content has amassed over 2.5 million YouTube views in eleven years, demonstrating the long-term payoff of addressing student pain points with helpful content.

Student Stories That Sell Without Selling

Nothing resonates with prospective students like hearing from people like them. Student and alumni stories add emotional resonance and credibility that marketing copy alone can’t match. Their testimonials can be a powerful part of your content marketing message.

Washington University in St. Louis has students take over their TikTok accounts, precisely to leverage peer influence and reach prospective students authentically (Inside Higher Ed).

Interactive Content That Engages and Converts

Interactive elements transform passive reading into active engagement. Net price calculators address the primary concern of affordability—in fact, “results from a financial aid or scholarship calculator” ranked among the top five resources students use when researching colleges.

There’s huge potential in using data visualizations and interactive content alongside text. Webinars and virtual events are also booming, with the virtual events market projected to grow ~30% by 2027 .

SEO Strategy: Getting Found When It Matters

Understanding How Students Actually Search

Search engines are often the first touchpoint between a prospective student and a university’s content. “Most students make their way to your website via search engines,” an EAB report emphasizes.

A 2024 survey of 6,000+ graduate and adult learners by EAB found the top five information sources were all digital (e.g., search engines, school websites, online directories, etc.). This reflects a broader trend of “stealth shoppers” — students who independently research schools without ever contacting admissions until they apply.

What’s particularly interesting is the emergence of social media as a search tool. According to Google’s own research, around 40% of Gen Z will use TikTok or Instagram to search for things instead of Google. This shift means universities need to consider how their content appears on these platforms too.

Beyond Branded Search Terms

Most schools focus primarily on branded search terms—their own name or programs tied to their school. While ranking for these terms is important, they typically only reach prospects who are already aware of your institution.

The real opportunity lies in non-branded search terms that capture prospects early in their journey. SNHU’s success story is telling: 77% of their organic traffic comes from non-branded searches. In SEO, this is the traffic you want… new audiences that haven’t engaged with your brand before.

For most higher ed institutions, the majority of organic traffic is branded traffic, meaning they’re mainly getting visitors who already know the school. This represents a missed opportunity to reach new prospects through non-branded content.

Technical Considerations That Matter

Even great content won’t perform well if technical SEO fundamentals aren’t in place. Having your main (root) website serve primarily as a marketing asset can do wonders for your SEO. SNHU’s blog lives under snhu.edu, which concentrates SEO authority and is one reason their site performs so well in search results.

Beyond site structure, page speed, mobile responsiveness, and technical SEO hygiene (proper redirects, meta tags, schema markup) are all increasingly part of content strategy in higher ed. University of the Potomac once experienced a 70% drop in organic traffic after a website redesign disrupted their SEO, until we fixed the issues (read the full case study here).

Creating Content That Actually Converts

Value-First Approach

Today’s students are savvy consumers who can detect marketing-speak a mile away. They’re also making one of the most significant investments of their lives, so building trust is essential.

Google’s guidelines explicitly reward content that is “people-first” and useful. Universities should make sure their content provides genuine value rather than feeling like an ad.

National University’s blog articles, for example, often include data, statistics, and detailed pros/cons — like one post that shares NCES data on online enrollment growth and a list of benefits and considerations of online vs. in-person learning. This kind of depth not only engages readers but signals to search engines that the content is thorough and authoritative.

Strategic CTAs and Personalization

Every piece of content should include calls-to-action that guide prospects toward the next appropriate step. 

One practical example is using dynamic content on “thank you” pages after a student requests info — instead of a generic thank you, the page might display a tailored next step based on their interests.

The rise of AI and personalization is dramatic in higher education, with 93% of higher ed staff expecting to expand their use of AI in their work over the next two years. AI is helping institutions connect more effectively with their audience, and make informed decisions, reshaping how they engage prospects in a competitive market.

Measuring What Matters

Without measurement, you can’t improve your content strategy. According to HubSpot, education industry customers see an average 215% increase in website traffic after 12 months of inbound marketing implementation. They also report a 310% increase in inbound leads during the same period.

University of Wyoming increased lead volume by 26% and achieved an 18% conversion rate to enrollment after refining their inbound content strategy. These metrics demonstrate the tangible impact of content marketing on enrollment outcomes.

A classic statistic in the field is that content marketing generates 3x as many leads as outbound marketing at 62% lower cost. For higher education, this means content (largely owned media) can reduce reliance on expensive paid student search.

The Future of Higher Ed Content Marketing

As we look toward 2025 and beyond, content marketing will only become more central to successful enrollment strategies. The challenges are real: Bain & Company found that organic traffic could drop 15-25% due to the rise of AI answers on search pages. This “zero-click” trend means universities will need to optimize not just for clicks, but for visibility within AI-generated answers.

According to Inside Higher Ed, “it’s getting more competitive in the digital space to reach a dwindling pool of students… efforts will take 3-5 years to take hold”. This means colleges must invest in long-term content assets now to secure their pipeline in the future.

The institutions that thrive will be those that view content not merely as marketing materials but as valuable educational resources that genuinely help prospective students navigate their decisions. By focusing on student needs first and institutional promotion second, you build the trust that ultimately drives enrollment choices.

Ready to Transform Your Higher Ed Content Marketing?

At Manaferra, we specialize in helping higher education institutions develop and implement data-driven content strategies that drive enrollment growth. Our team brings deep expertise in higher education SEO, content creation, and digital marketing.

Contact us today for a free content marketing assessment and discover how we can help your institution achieve its enrollment goals through strategic content marketing.

Higher education marketing is undergoing significant progress, with artificial intelligence (AI) playing a pivotal role. Marketers are embracing AI tools to save time, connect more effectively with their audience, and make informed decisions. These AI tools for higher education are not just improving efficiency—they are reshaping how institutions engage with prospective students in a highly competitive market.

The Progress of AI in Higher Education Marketing

AI has transitioned from a futuristic concept to a practical tool widely used by marketers, with 93% of higher ed staff expected to expand their AI use for work over the next two years.

AI is helping institutions personalize student experiences, optimize their outreach, and achieve meaningful results. With the demand to attract and retain students increasing, AI tools provide innovative methods to stand out and deliver value.

Why AI Tools Are Essential for Higher Education Marketers

Marketers in higher education face unique challenges. The need to differentiate their institutions and connect with students in authentic ways is crucial. AI tools simplify repetitive tasks, make data analysis more reliable, and help create targeted strategies.

Whether generating content, improving enrollment efforts, or analyzing trends, AI has become an indispensable resource for achieving impactful results.

This post explores 20 top AI tools designed for higher education marketers, divided into four key categories:

• Content Creation: Tools that help craft engaging and useful materials.
• Enrollment Optimization: Solutions to streamline admissions and attract prospective students.
• Data & Analytics: AI-driven platforms for smarter, data-based decisions.
• Personalization & Engagement: Tools to improve student engagement through customized experiences.

Each section highlights five top tools, their benefits, and real-world applications to help you choose the best resources for your strategy. To make this guide even more actionable, we’ve included a downloadable list of 100 AI tools for higher education marketers at the end of the blog. This exclusive resource will help you explore even more options tailored to your needs.

AI Tools for Content Creation

Crafting engaging and impactful content is at the heart of every successful marketing strategy. In higher education, this means creating materials that resonate with prospective students, parents, and other stakeholders. AI tools have revolutionized the way content is planned, written, and optimized, allowing marketers to focus on creativity while automating repetitive tasks.

How AI is Transforming Content Creation

AI tools help marketers streamline content production by analyzing audience preferences, identifying trending topics, and optimizing content for search engines. These tools ensure that the content is not only high-quality but also tailored to meet the specific needs of your target audience.

For higher education marketers, this translates to creating program descriptions, blog posts, social media content, and email campaigns that drive engagement and action.

Top AI Tools for Content Creation

Here are five AI tools that stand out in their ability to assist higher education marketers with content creation:

Jasper

• What It Does: Generates marketing copy, blog posts, and even program descriptions with a focus on clarity and relevance.
• How It Helps: Saves time and ensures content remains consistent with your institution’s tone.
• Use Case: Crafting social media captions or long-form articles for prospective students.

MarketMuse

• What It Does: Analyzes content gaps and suggests strategies to improve content performance.
• How It Helps: Ensures your content aligns with what prospective students are searching for.
• Use Case: Optimizing program pages for better rankings on search engines.

Copy.ai

• What It Does: Helps write engaging email subject lines, blog posts, and ad copy.
• How It Helps: Speeds up content creation and improves the appeal of your messaging.
• Use Case: Writing personalized email campaigns for student recruitment.

PathFactory

• What It Does: Guides users through personalized content journeys based on their behavior.
• How It Helps: Keeps prospects engaged with the right content at the right time.
• Use Case: Building content pathways to guide students from awareness to application.

Acrolinx

• What It Does: Ensures content aligns with your brand voice and meets quality standards.
• How It Helps: Enhances consistency across all content, from blogs to brochures.
• Use Case: Reviewing admissions brochures for tone and clarity.

Practical Applications

AI tools in content creation can be used in a variety of scenarios, including:

• Optimizing Program Pages: Tools like MarketMuse analyze content gaps to ensure your pages rank well for relevant keywords.
• Personalized Email Campaigns: Copy.ai can craft compelling subject lines and body text that resonate with prospective students.
• Social Media Content: Jasper makes it easy to create catchy captions and posts to engage with your audience.

AI Tools for Enrollment Optimization

Enrollment optimization is one of the most critical aspects of higher education marketing. Attracting the right students, guiding them through the admissions process, and ensuring a seamless experience can significantly impact an institution’s success. AI tools play a pivotal role in streamlining enrollment efforts, from lead generation to personalized outreach.

How AI Enhances Enrollment Strategies

AI tools simplify and improve the enrollment process by automating repetitive tasks, analyzing student data, and enabling personalized communication. These tools help admissions teams identify the most promising prospects, tailor their messaging, and provide timely follow-ups, ensuring a higher likelihood of conversion.

Top AI Tools for Enrollment Optimization

Here are five AI tools that can transform your enrollment strategies:

Element451

• What It Does: An AI-driven CRM that simplifies communication and automates admissions workflows.
• How It Helps: Reduces the workload for admissions teams by automating repetitive tasks.
• Use Case: Automating personalized email sequences for prospective students.

Halda

• What It Does: Optimizes web forms and captures data for better lead generation.
• How It Helps: Ensures that institutions capture high-quality leads effectively.
• Use Case: Streamlining inquiry forms on program pages to improve response rates.

PathFactory

• What It Does: Provides personalized content pathways to guide students through their decision-making process.
• How It Helps: Keeps students engaged by delivering the most relevant content at every stage.
• Use Case: Creating custom journeys for students exploring different academic programs.

Fireflies

• What It Does: An AI-powered assistant that records, transcribes, and organizes meeting notes.
• How It Helps: Improves team collaboration and follow-ups on student inquiries.
• Use Case: Capturing and summarizing discussions during virtual admissions meetings.

AdCreative.ai

• What It Does: Generates high-performing ad creatives for enrollment campaigns.
• How It Helps: Ensures campaigns are visually appealing and optimized for engagement.
• Use Case: Designing targeted ads for prospective students on social media platforms.

Practical Applications

AI tools for enrollment optimization can be used in various ways to improve admissions outcomes:

• Automating Follow-Ups: Tools like Element451 ensure every inquiry receives a timely response.
• Improving Lead Quality: Halda refines the lead capture process, allowing admissions teams to focus on high-potential prospects.
• Personalized Outreach: PathFactory enables institutions to deliver tailored content, increasing engagement and conversions.

By integrating these tools into your admissions process, you can attract more students and create a smoother journey from inquiry to enrollment.

AI Tools for Data & Analytics

In the world of higher education marketing, data is a powerful asset. From understanding audience behavior to measuring the success of campaigns, actionable insights derived from data can drive informed decisions.

AI tools simplify data collection, analysis, and interpretation, enabling marketers to focus on strategy rather than being bogged down by numbers.

Why Data & Analytics Matter in Higher Education Marketing

The ability to analyze trends, measure ROI, and predict outcomes is crucial for higher education marketers. AI-powered analytics tools make it easier to uncover insights from complex datasets.

They help institutions understand prospective students, optimize campaign performance, and allocate resources effectively.

Top AI Tools for Data & Analytics

Here are five AI tools that help higher education marketers leverage data for strategic decision-making:

Tableau

• What It Does: A data visualization platform that turns raw data into interactive dashboards.
• How It Helps: Makes it easy to spot trends and monitor campaign performance in real time.
• Use Case: Visualizing application trends across different regions to optimize outreach strategies.

IBM Watson Analytics

• What It Does: An AI-powered analytics platform that uncovers hidden patterns and predictive insights.
• How It Helps: Offers automated data analysis, reducing the need for manual work.
• Use Case: Identifying factors that influence student application rates.

Google Analytics

• What It Does: Analyzes website traffic and user behavior with AI-driven insights.
• How It Helps: Pinpoints key metrics like bounce rates and conversion rates to improve web pages.
• Use Case: Optimizing program pages to increase inquiries and applications.

HubSpot’s AI Tools

• What It Does: Provides AI-powered CRM and analytics features for marketing campaigns.
• How It Helps: Tracks campaign performance and automates reporting.
• Use Case: Monitoring email campaign open rates and refining strategies accordingly.

Salesforce

• What It Does: Manages student relationships throughout the educational journey.
• How It Helps: Provides predictive insights about leads and enrollment trends.
• Use Case: Forecasting enrollment numbers based on historical data.

Practical Applications

AI tools for data and analytics can enhance higher education marketing in several ways:

• Identifying Trends: Platforms like Tableau and IBM Watson Analytics make it easier to spot patterns in student behavior.
• Optimizing Campaigns: Google Analytics helps refine digital campaigns by identifying strengths and weaknesses.
• Predicting Outcomes: Salesforce Einstein’s predictive capabilities allow institutions to plan ahead with confidence.

By integrating these tools, higher education marketers can move from reactive to proactive strategies, ensuring that every decision is backed by data. 

AI Tools for Personalization & Engagement

In higher education marketing, building genuine connections with prospective students is essential. Personalization allows institutions to deliver tailored experiences that resonate with their audience, while engagement strategies keep students actively interacting with your content and messaging. AI tools make this process scalable, ensuring every interaction feels relevant and impactful.

How AI Improves Personalization and Engagement

AI tools help marketers understand individual preferences, tailor communication, and deliver content that aligns with a student’s journey. These tools analyze behavior, predict needs, and automate personalized interactions, creating meaningful connections that foster trust and engagement. For higher education institutions, this means improved student interest and higher enrollment rates.

Top AI Tools for Personalization & Engagement

Here are five AI tools that excel at enhancing personalization and driving engagement:

Acrolinx

• What It Does: Ensures content consistency by aligning with your institution’s brand voice.
• How It Helps: Creates a unified and professional tone across all communications.
• Use Case: Ensuring admissions emails and program brochures are consistent in tone and language.

Reword

• What It Does: AI writing assistant that personalizes communication based on audience insights.
• How It Helps: Refines messaging to resonate more effectively with different student demographics.
• Use Case: Customizing email campaigns to match prospective students’ interests.

Celtra

• What It Does: Helps create personalized digital ads with dynamic content.
• How It Helps: Boosts engagement by showing students ads that align with their behavior.
• Use Case: Delivering program-specific ads based on website activity.

Adobe Firefly

• What It Does: Generates visually stunning graphics and multimedia content personalized for target audiences.
• How It Helps: Engages students with dynamic and visually appealing content.
• Use Case: Creating personalized social media posts for specific programs.

Sprout Social

• What It Does: Analyzes social media interactions to guide engagement strategies.
• How It Helps: Improves responses to student inquiries and strengthens your online presence.
• Use Case: Monitoring and engaging with prospective students on platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

Practical Applications

AI tools for personalization and engagement can be used in a variety of ways, including:

• Custom Messaging: Reword tailors email campaigns to match student interests and preferences.
• Dynamic Ads: Celtra enables the creation of personalized ads that drive higher click-through rates.
• Social Media Engagement: Sprout Social helps track and respond to prospective students’ questions in real time.

By incorporating these tools, higher education marketers can build stronger relationships with students and keep them engaged throughout their decision-making journey.

Best Practices for Implementing AI Tools

While AI tools can transform higher education marketing, their effectiveness depends on thoughtful implementation. Institutions must align these tools with their goals, train their teams effectively, and regularly assess performance to ensure maximum value.

Assessing Institutional Needs

Before selecting AI tools, it’s crucial to understand your institution’s unique needs and challenges.

• Define Objectives: Determine whether you want to improve enrollment, boost engagement, or streamline operations.
• Identify Gaps: Evaluate your current processes to uncover inefficiencies or areas for improvement.
• Prioritize Features: Choose tools that address your most pressing challenges and fit within your budget.

Training and Development

AI tools are only as effective as the people using them. Proper training ensures your team can leverage these tools to their full potential.

• Onboard Thoroughly: Provide comprehensive training sessions for team members.
• Encourage Experimentation: Allow teams to explore tools and discover how they can optimize workflows.
• Foster Collaboration: Ensure marketing, admissions, and IT teams work together to maximize tool adoption.

Ethical Considerations

Using AI in marketing raises ethical questions that institutions must address.

• Maintain Transparency: Clearly communicate when AI-generated content is used.
• Protect Privacy: Ensure data collection complies with relevant privacy laws and respects student information.
• Avoid Bias: Regularly audit AI tools to prevent biases in targeting or personalization.

Measuring Success and ROI

It’s essential to evaluate the impact of AI tools to justify their costs and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Set KPIs: Establish key performance indicators for each tool, such as lead conversion rates or engagement metrics.
• Monitor Performance: Use dashboards and reports to track progress against goals.
• Adapt and Optimize: Continuously refine your approach based on insights from your data.

Practical Advice

• Start small: Implement one or two tools initially to test their effectiveness before expanding.
• Choose scalable solutions: Opt for tools that can grow with your institution’s needs.
• Seek vendor support: Work with vendors that offer excellent customer service and ongoing support.

By following these best practices, higher education marketers can ensure that AI tools not only integrate seamlessly into their workflows but also deliver measurable results.

Final Thoughts

AI tools are revolutionizing the way higher education marketers approach their work. From crafting engaging content to optimizing enrollment strategies, leveraging data, and personalizing engagement, these tools empower institutions to work smarter, not harder.

By integrating AI into your marketing efforts, you can stay ahead in a competitive landscape while delivering meaningful experiences to prospective students.

But adopting AI is not just about using tools—it’s about implementing them thoughtfully, training teams effectively, and continually measuring success. As you consider the tools mentioned in this guide, remember to align your choices with your institution’s unique goals and challenges.

Bonus: Full List

To make your AI journey even easier, we’ve compiled a downloadable list of 100 AI tools for higher education marketers.

This comprehensive resource includes tools for content creation, enrollment optimization, data analysis, personalization, and much more. Click here to download the list and explore the full potential of AI for your institution.

As President-elect Trump prepares to step back into office following the 2024 elections, the higher education sector is bracing for what his second term might bring. Based on his previous policies and campaign rhetoric, we can anticipate significant changes.

From potential funding cuts to stricter immigration laws and a renewed emphasis on vocational training, these shifts could impact colleges and universities of all types and sizes.

These proposals signal potential shifts that could redefine how institutions operate and how students access education in the United States.

Anticipated Challenges Under the Trump Administration

The change in leadership under the Trump administration heralded a period of uncertainty for colleges and universities, prompting concern about shifts in federal funding, policy priorities, and overall support for higher education.

In particular, potential cuts to financial aid, changes to diversity and inclusion policies, stricter immigration regulations, and a growing emphasis on vocational training collectively signal a transformed landscape

Funding cuts and Financial Aid reductions

The 2024 Trump campaign proposed restructuring federal financial aid to incentivize workforce-ready programs. Aimed at prioritizing vocational training and technical education, these changes could redirect funding from traditional four-year liberal arts programs. Pell Grants and federal student loans would be more closely tied to fields deemed critical for economic competitiveness, such as technology, manufacturing, and healthcare.

The campaign suggests introducing performance-based funding models for public colleges, holding institutions accountable for student outcomes such as graduation rates and employment statistics. While advocates argue this could improve efficiency, critics warn that it may disproportionately affect underfunded schools serving low-income populations.

Public institutions—already managing shrinking state appropriations—faced additional challenges in maintaining accessibility and affordability. This compounded the existing reliance on tuition revenue, as highlighted in studies by the Cato Institute, which documented the long-term trends of rising tuition costs coinciding with declining state support.

As increasing diversity and opportunity in higher education is highly important, reducing federal financial aid could severely limit universities’ ability to support a diverse student body. This may affect first-generation college students, low-income families, and underrepresented communities, potentially widening the gap in access to higher education.

Policy Shifts on Diversity and Inclusion

The campaign emphasized a merit-based approach to admissions, calling for the elimination of affirmative action policies. This stance reflects a broader shift away from diversity-focused initiatives, potentially affecting campus demographics and student opportunities.

Diversity brings campuses to life as students from different socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that deepen learning for everyone.

The Trump administration’s stance on diversity and inclusion initiatives could result in the rollback of policies designed to create and maintain diverse campus environments. Such policy changes might directly affect the recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups, thereby impacting campus culture and enrollment numbers.

Stricter Immigration Policies

Stricter immigration regulations are expected to make it harder for international students to secure visas, creating significant hurdles for those hoping to study in the U.S. This could lead to a noticeable drop in international enrollment, which would have far-reaching effects on both students and institutions.

Fewer international students mean more than just a hit to revenue—although the financial impact on universities could be substantial.

It also means a loss of cultural diversity, and without this global exchange, classrooms risk becoming less dynamic, and students lose out on the chance to connect with peers from different parts of the world who can help broaden their understanding of the world.

For international students, these tighter restrictions could mean putting dreams of a U.S. education on hold or even giving up on them entirely. The challenges expected are not only related to obtaining a visa; many students face uncertainty about their futures, which adds stress to an already daunting process.

Emphasis on Vocational and Technical Education

Trump’s 2024 campaign heavily promoted vocational education as a cornerstone of his higher education policy. Proposed measures include expanding apprenticeship programs, providing tax incentives for employer-led training initiatives, and reallocating federal funding to support community colleges and trade schools.

A shift toward prioritizing vocational and technical education over liberal arts programs could especially impact student preferences, decreasing demand for non-technical fields. As students gravitate toward career-focused education that promises immediate job opportunities, liberal arts programs may face declining enrollment.

This trend challenges institutions that pride themselves on offering a broad spectrum of programs. Colleges and universities may need to rethink how they position and promote their liberal arts offerings to highlight their value in developing critical thinking, communication skills, and adaptability, equally important qualities in today’s rapidly changing workforce.

For students, this change might limit exposure to diverse areas of study that promote creativity, cultural awareness, and a broader understanding of the world.

It could also deepen the divide between technical and non-technical fields, undervaluing the role of liberal arts in shaping well-rounded, innovative individuals who can thrive in various careers.

Travel Bans

During Trump’s first administration, several countries were subject to travel bans under executive orders. These restrictions, primarily justified on national security grounds, targeted specific nations. Notably, many of these bans were revised within the same year. However, certain countries with significant student populations, such as Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Mongolia, were not included in these travel bans.

Looking ahead, the 2024 campaign’s stance on travel restrictions remains unclear. However, any future policies targeting specific regions could have profound effects on higher education institutions, particularly those reliant on students from those countries. Stricter travel bans could deter prospective students, complicate visa processes, and disrupt established pipelines of talent, particularly in STEM and research fields. Institutions must, therefore, prepare for potential fluctuations in international enrollment due to policy changes.

Strategic Responses to Mitigate Enrollment Declines

With shifting priorities and evolving student expectations, institutions face mounting challenges to maintain robust enrollment. By diversifying revenue, aligning programs with current demands, and strengthening student support, colleges and universities can safeguard their future and foster continued growth.

1. Diversifying Revenue Streams

As many universities and colleges face the reality of the limitations that come with depending heavily on traditional federal aid, especially with the potential for fluctuations or cuts—they must find creative ways to broaden their financial foundation. To secure long-term stability and continue providing high-quality education, these institutions need to explore new revenue streams.

Expand Online Programs

By developing and promoting fully online degrees and certificate programs, institutions can attract a broader range of students, including working professionals and international learners, who might not otherwise have access to traditional on-campus programs.

As co-founder of Coursera, Daphne Koller, points out, “…for the millions here and abroad who lack access to good, in-person education, online learning can open doors that would otherwise remain closed.”

For universities, this expansion into online education means reaching a global audience, which, logically, means more opportunities to increase enrollment and, ultimately, new revenue sources. By embracing online education, colleges provide valuable opportunities for students and simultaneously build a sustainable financial future that’s less reliant on traditional revenue models.

Corporate Partnerships

Collaborating with local businesses through corporate partnerships provides universities and colleges with the opportunity to develop sponsored training programs and offer employee tuition assistance, thus creating alternative income sources.

For example, public universities can partner with technology firms and develop specialized courses together so the curricula remain relevant and graduates are well-prepared for the workforce.

These partnerships, in addition to generating additional revenue, strengthen the institution’s ties with the local community and industry leaders.

2. Enhancing Academic Offerings

Aligning academic programs with current market demands is also important for universities and colleges in order to remain attractive to prospective students and guarantee their graduates are well-prepared for the workforce. They can do so by focusing on offering in-demand programs (e.g. STEM, Healthcare) that lead to immediate career opportunities.

High-demand Programs

Introducing or expanding programs in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and business aligns educational offerings with prevailing job market trends.

A survey by ApplyBoard found that international students are increasingly interested in programs that align with in-demand careers, such as business, engineering, and health sciences. This suggests that institutions offering these programs can attract a diverse student body and address workforce shortages.

Interdisciplinary Courses

By blending elements from multiple fields of study, programs can appeal to students who have a wide range of interests and career goals. Students who might be passionate about literature, history, or philosophy can now access courses in data science, coding, or digital media.

Moreover, employers highly value this well-rounded skill set, as it equips graduates with the ability to think critically and adapt to new technologies—all of which are important in the workplace.

3. Strengthening financial support

As tuition costs rise and federal aid potentially shrinks, ensuring higher education remains affordable is more important than ever. This way, institutions must take proactive steps to ease the financial burden and make education accessible to all. 

Increased Scholarships

A recent report by RNL and ZeeMee found that 82% of future students are anxious because they don’t know if they will be able to pay for college or not.

Allocating more funds toward merit-based and need-based scholarships can open doors for students from diverse backgrounds and contribute towards minimizing anxiety and maximizing excitement about attending college. Scholarships not only provide financial relief but also act as a powerful tool for attracting top talent. Enhanced scholarship programs help institutions attract high-achieving students who might otherwise choose more affordable options. 

Expanding these programs shows a commitment to supporting students’ ambitions, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Flexible Payment Plans

Offering a variety of tuition payment options can be helpful for students and families managing tight budgets. Monthly installment plans allow students to spread out costs over time, while innovative solutions like income-share agreements (ISAs) enable students to pay based on their future earnings. 

Non-profit colleges, in particular, are leveraging ISAs to ensure their success is directly tied to their students’ outcomes, creating a partnership rooted in mutual benefit. 

4. Boosting Recruitment and Marketing

In today’s competitive higher education landscape, effective recruitment and marketing strategies are more critical than ever. With students having a wealth of options, standing out requires a personalized and strategic approach that resonates with prospective applicants and their unique needs.

SEO and Content Marketing

A strong online presence starts with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and compelling content marketing that targets future students, their parents, and adult learners. By optimizing your website to rank higher on search engines during all stages of the student college search process, especially when they search for your programs, you will drive brand awareness, leads, and, ultimately, enrollments.

Creating education-related content, success stories, and program highlights not only draws visitors to your site but also creates a lasting impression that builds trust and credibility. By optimizing your website with SEO best practices, you will see more changes from prospective students actively searching for your programs on different search platforms.

Digital Advertising

Digital advertising on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram allows your institutions to reach specific demographics, including local, national, and international markets. 

Social media ads can be tailored by interests, age groups, and location, ensuring the right message reaches the right audience. Institutions can also leverage platforms like TikTok to connect with younger audiences creatively and authentically, making recruitment efforts more relatable.

Personalized Outreach

Beyond general advertising, personalized communication can make a significant impact. Email campaigns tailored to a prospective student’s interests—whether it’s a particular program or campus activity—show that the institution values them as individuals. 

Additionally, hosting virtual open houses and live Q&A sessions allows prospective students to interact with faculty, staff, and current students, encouraging a deeper connection before they even step on campus.

5. Enhancing International Student Support

Supporting international students cultivates a diverse campus community and maintains strong enrollment numbers. These students enrich academic and cultural life and play a significant role in the financial health of institutions. To attract and retain international students, colleges must address their unique challenges and provide comprehensive support.

Streamlined Admissions

Navigating the admissions process can be daunting for international students, especially when paired with the complexities of visa applications. Simplifying the application process and offering clear, step-by-step guidance can make a significant difference. 

Many institutions are establishing dedicated international offices to provide personalized support for prospective students, assisting them with everything from document submission to understanding visa requirements. 

Cultural Integration Programs

Adjusting to life in a new country is no small feat, and offering programs that ease this transition is key to helping international students thrive. Comprehensive orientation sessions, mentorship programs, and peer networks can provide students with the resources and connections they need to feel at home. 

Institutions are also creating spaces for cultural exchange, where students can celebrate their heritage while learning about others. Initiatives like language support, mental health resources tailored for international students, and workshops on navigating U.S. academic expectations can help students overcome common challenges.

Ongoing Support and Advocacy

The needs of international students don’t stop after orientation. Regular check-ins, access to legal advice for visa-related concerns, and career services that understand their unique employment challenges are vital for their long-term success. 

6. Strengthening Community and Industry Partnerships

Cultivating meaningful connections with local businesses and industry leaders helps bridge the gap between academia and the professional world. This collaboration allows students to acquire practical skills while also improving their job placement opportunities.

Local Collaborations

When universities partner with local businesses, they create a win-win scenario: students receive hands-on learning experiences, and businesses gain access to fresh talent. For example, public universities are collaborating with healthcare providers to offer internships and apprenticeships that allow students to work alongside professionals in hospitals and clinics. 

Advisory Boards

Advisory boards composed of industry leaders play a key role in aligning academic programs with workforce demands. These boards bring valuable insights into market trends, emerging technologies, and skill requirements, enabling institutions to adapt their curricula to meet evolving standards. 

For example, a technology advisory board may suggest integrating AI training into computer science programs, ensuring graduates remain competitive in a rapidly changing field. This approach ensures students are equipped with relevant skills, making them assets to future employers while reinforcing the institution’s reputation for producing workforce-ready graduates.

7. Investing in Campus Infrastructure and Student Experience

Creating a vibrant and supportive campus environment goes beyond just aesthetics—it’s about promoting a space where students feel empowered, valued, and equipped to thrive academically and personally. Investing in campus facilities and student services enhances satisfaction, retention, and long-term success, making it a cornerstone of institutional growth.

Modern Facilities

A campus isn’t just a collection of buildings; it’s a hub of inspiration and innovation. Upgrading classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, equipping laboratories with cutting-edge tools, and creating inviting recreational spaces provide students with the resources they need to succeed and recharge.

Support Services

While upgraded facilities provide a physical foundation, strong student services address students’ emotional and academic challenges. Expanding access to mental health resources ensures students have the support they need during tough times, encouraging resilience and well-being. Academic advising and career counseling, meanwhile, help students chart a clear path forward, connecting their passions to meaningful careers.

8. Advocating and Engaging in Policy

Higher education institutions don’t exist in a vacuum—they are deeply affected by the policies and regulations shaping the educational landscape. By actively participating in policy discussions, institutions safeguard their interests and influence decisions that impact students, faculty, and the broader community. 

Lobbying Efforts

Collaboration is key when it comes to policy influence. By joining forces with higher education associations, universities, and colleges amplify their voices on critical issues such as funding, accessibility, and curriculum standards. 

For instance, lobbying for increased federal research grants can lead to breakthroughs in science and technology while also supporting institutional prestige. Similarly, pushing for better student loan policies can make education more affordable and accessible, directly impacting enrollment and retention rates.

Staying Informed

Policy changes can often feel like shifting tides, and staying informed is important to navigating them effectively. Institutions that monitor legislative developments can adapt quickly, ensuring compliance and avoiding disruptions to their operations.

This way, when new regulations affecting international students are proposed, institutions that stay ahead of the curve can adjust admissions strategies and provide timely support to affected students. 

9. Leveraging Data and Technology

By utilizing data and technology, universities and colleges can streamline operations, make informed decisions, and enhance the overall student experience. This approach improves efficiency while promoting innovation and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving landscape.

CRM Systems

Customer relationship management (CRM) tools have transformed how institutions interact with prospective students. These systems enable universities to track and manage student inquiries, applications, and engagement, creating a seamless and personalized communication journey. For instance, CRM tools can send tailored follow-ups based on a student’s interests, such as highlighting specific programs or scholarship opportunities.

Data Analytics

Data analytics has become a cornerstone of strategic decision-making in higher education. By analyzing enrollment patterns, demographic shifts, and market trends, institutions can make evidence-based decisions that align with student demand and industry needs. 

For example, if data reveals a growing interest in technology programs, a university might prioritize expanding its computer science offerings or introducing courses in emerging fields like AI and cybersecurity.

Moreover, analytics can optimize marketing strategies by identifying which campaigns generate the most applications, allowing institutions to allocate resources more effectively. 

10. Emphasize Value Proposition and Outcomes

For prospective students, choosing a college or university is one of the most significant decisions they’ll make. Institutions that clearly convey their unique benefits and the tangible outcomes they offer—like career readiness and personal growth during and after graduation—can stand out in a competitive environment. 

It’s more than marketing—it’s about showing students the bigger picture. What makes your campus unique? How does your curriculum prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges? And, perhaps most importantly, how will attending your institution help them achieve their dreams?

Career Success Stories

Nothing demonstrates the value of an education better than real-world success. Sharing alumni achievements offers prospective students a glimpse of the doors your institution can open. Whether it’s a graduate leading a Fortune 500 company, breaking ground in research, or making an impact in their community, these stories are powerful proof points.

ROI Transparency

Cost is often a primary concern for students and their families, making transparency about tuition, financial aid, and potential earnings essential. Providing clear information on these aspects allows prospective students to weigh their investment against the benefits they’ll gain. 

Transparent communication about return on investment (ROI) can also involve sharing data on average graduate salaries, job placement rates, and loan repayment options. For example, an institution could create a user-friendly online calculator that lets students estimate their potential earnings based on their chosen major and career goals. This can help students feel more confident about their decision to enroll.

Wrapping Up

If implemented, Trump’s 2024 higher education policies could accelerate a trend toward market-driven solutions and workforce-centric education. While these changes aim to improve economic outcomes, they may also intensify disparities in access and quality, particularly for underserved communities.

To maintain and grow enrollments, higher education institutions must adapt by finding new revenue sources, improving academic programs, and offering stronger financial support.

As policymakers and institutional leaders prepare for potential shifts, it will be crucial to balance economic priorities with the broader mission of higher education: fostering intellectual growth, promoting diversity, and ensuring equitable access for all students.

Every year, millions of students enroll in higher education, many of whom could be the perfect fit for your school and programs. Yet, despite their potential, countless prospective students never even have the chance to consider your institution.

Perhaps your school doesn’t appear in their search results, or maybe they visit your website but don’t find it compelling enough to stay. Some may even lack the critical information they need to take the next step. These missed opportunities highlight a gap that higher education marketing agencies aim to address.

To help you find the right partner, we’ve compiled a table of the best 14 higher education marketing agencies.

1. Manaferra – Best for SEO
2. Ruffalo Noel Levitz – Best for Donor Engagement
3. Eri Design – Best for Web & App development
4. EducationDynamics – Best for UX & CRO
5. Carnegie – Best for Brand Strategy
6. Archer – Best for Digital PR
7. Vital – Best for PPC Management
8. OHO Interactive – Best for Website Design
9. SimpsonScarborough – Best for Market Research
10. VisionPoint Marketing – Best for CRM Consultation
11. GMB – Best for Bond Planning/Referendum Communications
12. Echo Delta – Best for Email and Marketing Automation
13. Creative Communication Associates (CCA) – Best for Enrollment Marketing
14. Paskill – Best for Video & Motion Content

14 Best Higher Education Marketing Agencies

There are many higher education marketing agencies out there that provide different services to help elevate your school’s digital identity and engage prospective students. We’ve compiled a list of 14 higher education marketing agencies you can’t go wrong with. And, if you’re looking for specific services, many excel in specialized areas like SEO, branding, video content, and more.

1. Manaferra

Best for: SEO & Content Marketing

Headquartered in: Brooklyn, New York

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: University of North Dakota, Our Lady of the Lake University, University of the Potomac

Manaferra is a leading higher education SEO agency that specializes in SEO strategies to help colleges and universities dominate search engine rankings and achieve sustainable enrollment growth. Our aim is to help clients achieve organic growth through services such as SEO audits, keyword gap analysis, on-page optimization, internal linking improvements, and technical SEO enhancements. 

Manaferra also excels in content strategy and production, link building and outreach, and custom reporting and analytics.

A clear testament to Manaferra’s efficiency is our collaboration with the University of the Potomac—after a website redesign that caused a 70% drop in organic traffic during a crucial enrollment period, the university was struggling, but we stepped in, and the results of our work were transformative. In a short amount of time, the University of the Potomac achieved a 1,423% increase in SEO-driven leads, a 447% rise in organic traffic, as well as a $125,000 monthly boost in traffic value.

This is just one of many other similar stories where Manaferra helped clients connect meaningfully with prospective students and turn significant challenges into exponential growth opportunities.

2. Ruffalo Noel Levitz

Best for: Donor engagement

Headquartered in: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Berry College, DePaul University, Lakeland University

Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) has been a trusted partner of many colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations for over 40 years. Their expertise spans a wide range of services, but their approach to donor engagement stands out as an excellent resource for organizations seeking to build lasting donor relationships and achieve impactful fundraising outcomes.

Using data and donor-driven insights, RNL creates intelligent campaigns that reach the right supporters at the right time using the most effective mix of channels. With a suite of solutions that includes donor pipeline development, digital giving platforms, and leadership giving programs, RNL empowers institutions to build loyal donor bases and grow them into major givers.

3. ERI

Best for: Web & App Development

Headquartered in: Worcester, Massachusetts

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Trinity College, Clark University, Lafayette College

With a team of seasoned strategists and developers, ERI specializes in transforming ideas into digital experiences. Their expertise spans mobile and web app development, visual storytelling, and end-to-end digital strategies that align with client goals.

They help clients in developing iOS and Android apps that are functional, engaging, and scalable. Even after the launch, ERI remains a partner in the app’s evolution by continuing to collaborate with clients to refine and iterate on the application as needed.

4. EducationDynamics

Best for: UX & CRO

Headquartered in: Lenexa, Kansas

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Post University, Park University, Johnson & Wales University

EducationDynamics, also known as “EDDY,” is another excellent strategic partner in higher education, dedicated to helping institutions meet the challenges of attracting, engaging, and retaining adult and non-traditional students, particularly through online programs. 

A standout aspect of their offerings is their UX (User Experience) and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) expertise, which helps streamline the student journey and enhance enrollment outcomes. Recognizing that complex website structures, outdated designs, and information overload can hinder engagement, EDDY employs cutting-edge tools such as CrazyEgg, VWO, Convert, UXTweak, WEVO, and Google Analytics to analyze heatmaps, test usability, and refine on-site behavior. 

5. Carnegie

Best for: Brand strategy

Headquartered in: New York, New York

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Dartmouth College, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Carnegie has been a trusted leader and innovator in higher education marketing and enrollment strategy for over 30 years. They offer expertise in research, strategy, digital marketing, lead generation, Slate optimization, student search, website development, and creative services.

Their brand strategy services incorporate organizational personality research based on archetypal theory to define an institution’s distinct voice and messaging upon which they can build narratives.

6. Archer

Best for: Digital PR

Headquartered in: Overland Park, Kansas

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Northwestern, Augusta University, the University of Tulsa

Archer Education is a growth enablement partner specializing in enrollment marketing, digital student engagement, admissions, and enrollment management. Their digital PR solutions, using tactics such as expert commentary and bylines or ghostwritten articles, amplify institutional credibility and SEO value. 

Archer has successfully secured placements for its partners in renowned outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and CNN. The articles generated and media placements position faculty members as authoritative voices on trending topics, thus elevating the institution’s reputation in both local and national contexts.

7. Vital

Best for: Pay-per-click (PPC) management services

Headquartered in: Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Pricing: Custom pricing with a one-time account setup fee ranging from $5,420 to $10,580 based on project scope, plus a monthly management fee calculated as a percentage of ad spend, starting at $980.

Recognizable clients: University of New Hampshire, University of San Diego, Colorado State University

Vital has over 20 years of experience working on improving online presence for higher education institutions, B2B companies, and eCommerce brands. Their focus on time-tested strategies and future-forward techniques ensures clients achieve measurable success across all aspects of their digital campaigns.

Their PPC management services help clients reach their target audiences and maximize return on ad spend (ROAS) through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other paid platforms. Their team tracks and analyzes performance, employing techniques like bid management, ad copy optimization, keyword adjustments, and detailed geo-targeting improvements. 

8. OHO Interactive

Best for: Website design

Headquartered in: Boston, Massachusetts

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Harvard University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania

OHO Interactive is a premier web and digital marketing agency. With over 20 years of experience, OHO works alongside ambitious marketing leaders to elevate brands and achieve strategic goals through exceptional user experiences and digital marketing.

Recognizing that nowadays, a school’s website is its number one marketing tool, OHO helps institutions revitalize outdated, off-message, or difficult-to-maintain websites into user-friendly platforms built on modern content management systems such as Drupal, WordPress, Cascade CMS, Omni CMS, or Terminalfour.

9. SimpsonScarborough

Best for: Market research

Headquartered in: Alexandria, Virginia

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Duke University, Cornell University, Berkeley

SimpsonScarborough continues to lead the field as one of the top higher education marketing companies. Their market research process uses surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and advanced analytics such as website analytics, paid media analytics, and brand strategy analytics to find the answers to the questions that matter most.

Through market research, they provide insights relevant to brand and messaging, strategic planning, recruitment, alumni engagement, fundraising, as well as image and perception.

10. VisionPoint Marketing

Best for: CRM consultation

Headquartered in: Raleigh, North Carolina

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: University of Pennsylvania, UC Davis, College of DuPage

VisionPoint Marketing brings decades of expertise to help institutions with enrollment marketing by providing tailored solutions that deliver measurable outcomes at every stage of the prospect journey.

One of their unique offerings is the CRM Consultation services. Designed to help institutions fully leverage their CRM systems, these services cover CRM audits, lead nurture strategy, communication plans, content development, portal pages, and staff training. Although a Slate Preferred Partner, VisionPoint’s expertise extends to other leading CRMs like HubSpot, Pardot, MailChimp, and Element451.

11. GMB

Best for: Bond planning/referendum communications

Headquartered in: Holland, Michigan

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Wake Forest University, Hardin-Simmons University, Maryville College

GMB has redefined how schools and universities are supported by offering integrated services that combine planning, architecture, engineering, branding, and enrollment marketing.

GMB’s specialized Bond Planning and Referendum Communications service includes community engagement, campaign development, and educational planning. This process helps schools and communities bring transformative projects to life.

With expertise in crafting clear, consistent, and community-focused messaging, GMB ensures bond proposals and initiatives gain the support and engagement necessary for success. 

12. Echo Delta

Best for: Email and marketing automation

Headquartered in: Winter Haven, Florida

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: Saint Leo University, University of the Ozarks, Florida Polytechnic University

Known for its innovative approach, Echo Delta partners with colleges and universities to amplify their messaging, increase yield, and attract right-fit students through various modern enrollment strategies. However, when needed, they know how to best make use of the classics—since email remains one of the most trusted sources of information for prospective students, Echo Delta uses this channel to create authentic connections and guide students from prospect to inquiry to enrollment.

Their approach to email marketing includes tailored messaging across the student journey, audience segmentation and personalization, and high-quality content development that resonates authentically with prospective students while alleviating the workload for institutional teams.

14. Creative Communication Associates (CCA)

Best for: Enrollment Marketing 

Headquartered in: Troy, New York 

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: University of Pennsylvania, NYU Steinhardt, University of Richmond

CCA is a full-service marketing agency with decades of experience in research, strategy, creative development, media planning, and digital solutions. However, one of their standout offerings is enrollment marketing, which supports admissions teams in moving prospective students through the enrollment funnel. 

Some key elements of CCA’s enrollment marketing services include print collateral, traditional and digital media, event communications, campaigns, microsite design and development, media campaign strategy, messaging, and creative development.

15. Paskill

Best for: Video & motion content

Headquartered in: Glenside, Pennsylvania

Pricing: Custom pricing

Recognizable clients: U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Point Park University, Neumann University

Paskill, a trusted leader in higher education marketing since 1986, is renowned for its innovative strategies and award-winning creative work that inspires students to take action. It specializes in delivering scalable and easily integrated video and motion content across platforms as a communication tool.

Paskill’s video and motion content offerings include campus videos, social media content, brand videos, and live audience videos. Their state-of-the-art capabilities include audio production studios, remote video event control rooms, 360-degree video production, green screen and motion tracking, VR studio options, and advanced editing, audio, and motion graphics suites.

How to Choose the Right Higher Ed Marketing Agency for Your Institute

Choosing the right higher ed marketing agency means finding the one that aligns with your institute’s objectives and delivers measurable results.

With that in mind, the first thing you should do is identify your institution’s specific challenges and the objectives you hope to reach, as that will help narrow down potential agencies specializing in the areas you need most.

Once you have a general idea of what agencies to look for, focus on the ones with a strong track record in the higher ed sector. They should have a portfolio of success stories and measurable outcomes with case studies, client testimonials, and references to assess their ability to deliver on promises.

Many agencies offer consultations, so make use of it. During these discussions, you should be able to gauge whether the agency is a good fit or not. You can also explore pricing models, address any concerns not covered on their website, and make sure that you both align on expectations and goals before entering into a partnership.

The Bottom Line

Effective marketing has become a necessity to compete in any industry, and higher education is no exception. Even if you have excellent programs, it won’t matter if prospective students don’t know they exist. With AI Overviews expected to add a new layer of competition that may sideline institutions with unoptimized or less authoritative content, now is the perfect time to invest in a good marketing agency.

If your institution is struggling to stand out, especially in search results, we at Manaferra are here to help. So, schedule a free consultation with us today, and let’s explore how we can enhance your SEO strategy to reach the right audiences.

As an agency that specializes in Higher Education SEO services, we know how important it is to stay on top of the latest trends and tools. As digital transformation continues to reshape the industry, university administrators and marketers must continually analyze user behavior, monitor ROI, and devise effective marketing strategies. One of the most widely-used tools for this type of analysis is Google Analytics.

What’s new on Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Since Google Analytics’s inception in 2012, many things have changed with the rise of mobile apps, consumer behavior shifts, privacy regulations, big data, and the way we collect and analyze data. Google needed to consider and reflect on how its current Analytics tools evolved to fit market changes and demand. This must have required a 10.000-foot view of the whole spectrum, starting from how the data are collected and presented, to deliver seamless insights and data-informed decision making.

Saying that Google Analytics 4 is an update or an upgrade from Universal Analytics would be an underestimation of reality. The best way to think about it is as a completely new product, built on a different data model, made for scalability, machine learning, privacy, and customization. 

To understand how those two versions of Google Analytics differ from one another, we will break down some of the main differences, so you can have a clear picture of the new platform before starting to migrate to GA4.

Data Collection

The ability to analyze data depends highly on how those data are collected and organized in the first place. The better they are organized, the easier it will be to make further data manipulation and analysis. 

Data collections represent a fundamental difference between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4. 

Universal Analytics (or GA3) organized all of its data into Sessions and Hits. All information that went to Google Analytics belonged to a Session, which belonged to a User. This data modeling doesn’t give you much space to collect and organize information around your users and their behavior, especially across multiple devices. That’s because you had numerous data layers that were not communicating with each other, and making it work required A TON of custom work.

On the other hand, Google Analytics 4 has an entirely different data model, which is simpler yet powerful.  Any interaction on your Web or Mobile is organized under Events (Event scoped), which belongs to a User (User scoped).  A Session is an event, a Page View is an event,  a File Download is an event, an Ecommerce sale is an event, and so on, you get the idea.

In GA4, when someone views one of your website pages, a page_view event is triggered, and that event will be saved under a specific User in GA4. Here is how previous hits translate to Events in GA4.

This data collection model gives Google Analytics 4 an edge over its predecessor in analyzing user behavior across multiple devices and building custom reports. This is because GA4 can link all interactions to a User, and enables you to organize them the way it fits your needs. That’s why GA4 needs more customization setup than GA3, where you had a ton of pre-defined reports built with a “one size fits all” approach.

Data Retention & Privacy

One of the most significant changes from UA is user data retention, or “how long does Google save user interaction data”. In UA, the default option for data retention was “unlimited”; however, in GA4, the longest you can hold on to Events and User data (including conversions) is 14 months. 

Having a maximum of 14-month-old data might freak out a lot of higher education marketers as they won’t be able to make YoY comparisons; however, there are workarounds to this, such as integrating GA4 with tools like BigQuery and reporting them via tools like Google Data Studio. BigQuery allows you to export raw data unsampled to conduct a much more granular analysis with confidence in your data, which I highly recommend before your data expires from GA4.

This limitation in data retention does not apply to standard aggregated reports, where you will be served reports based on sample data. 

AI + Machine Learning

Google uses Machine learning (ML) on GA4 to fill in data gaps and make predictions by looking for patterns, feeding those data into AI algorithms, and predicting the future behavior of your users. 

However, In a cookie-less and privacy-conscious world, tracking users’ activities is not something platforms like GA4 can ignore, and that’s where Machine Learning comes in. It fills out the data gaps and provides predictions by putting users into different cohorts and creating a composite overview of how people with certain traits move through your university website.

This is very helpful for universities as it allows them to predict their university’s growth by making predictions on potential students (leads) you could get next semester. If you have conversion rate data from your past activities, you can easily make necessary calculations that would lead you to predict enrollment numbers.

Machine Learning also powers up Automated Insights, which helps you observe trends and keep an eye on changing user behavior. For example, you can be alerted to changes in application numbers, which might lead you to understand that the application form isn’t working as expected.

Recommendation:

Do not forget to create anomaly detections when you set up GA4.

Cross-Device Tracking

Cross-device tracking is at the heart of GA4. The new data model enables GA4 to consistently store data from multiple sources and report them back into the same Analytics property for further analysis. 

GA4 bases its cross-tracking mechanism on something called “Identity spaces”. It tries to identify a user using multiple data points without revealing their identity. This is done by using three different types of identifiers, which enables it to stitch them together into a single unified cross-device user journey:

• User ID, 
• Google Signals
• Device ID

GA4 creates a single user journey from all the data associated with the same identified identity. Because this identity is used in all reports, they allow you to de-duplicate users and tell a more unified, holistic view of their relationships with your university.

For example, suppose your university offers a login area for your students. In that case, you can assign User IDs along with the interaction data you send to GA4 when a student enrolls (you might need the help of a developer to implement this) and later map the entire journey of that student in Analytics.

If you don’t have a User ID to assign to events, you can enable “Google signals” and all data sent to Google Analytics will be associated with that user. However, Google will only be able to assign these User ID’s to signed-in users who have consented to share this information.

If you do not enable Google Signals, the only option left for Analytics will be to identify users based on Device ID; however, that alone might not be enough to allow cross-device identification.

Audiences

GA 4 lets you build custom audience segments based on your site visitors’ behavior and interests. They are groups of users created based on dimensions, metrics, or events that you can use during your analysis and show ads to them via Google Ads.

As your Google Analytics keeps receiving data about new users from your university website, audiences are constantly reevaluated to make sure that they meet the criteria you had defined when you created that audience.

You can use your custom audiences in Google ads only if you have linked GA4 property with a Google Ads account (and you have also enabled Google Signals), 

Integrations

For the time speaking, GA4 lets you integrate your analytics data to more than ten other tools, including some tools of its suite. However, GA4 is still under massive development, and we expect to have more integrations available soon.

These integrations mean that you can synchronize data between GA4 and another tool of your choice to make robust analyses and facilitate your decision-making process. For example, you can link GA4 with Display & Video 360 or Google Ads to see the entire student cycle, from how your future students interact with your ads to how they finally complete the Request More Information form on your site. You can also use your custom audiences for display/search advertising and synchronize conversions between two platforms. 

To deal with the data retention limitations, you can connect GA4 with Big Query, and store all Analytics data in BIgQuery. Once you connect to Big Query, you are the sole owner of that data, which you can use to make further in-depth analysis and YoY comparisons. This is a paid tool, but its cost is super cheap. I have data assets that constantly process more than 1TB of data, and I have never spent more than $10/m. Yes! That’s how cheap it is.

If there is one recommendation I would make about integrations, is to connect your Analytics with BigQuery ASAP so you do not start to lose important data when you reach the data retention limit (which is 2 or 14 months, depending on how you configure it)

Pros and Cons of Switching to GA4

As with every tool out there, GA4 has its pros and cons. It’s a constantly evolving and improving tool that will take some time for you to adapt as a higher education marketer.

On the PROS side, this entirely new Analytics product outperforms its predecessor in many areas. Its extra layers of analytics capabilities are built for a world where data and marketing are increasingly crucial for the success of higher education institutions.

On the CONS side, there are some things you might need to consider before taking the next step of migrating to GA4. Because GA4 is built on a data model made for scalability and Machine Learning, it’s not an out-of-the-box solution that you can meaningfully use right away after you set it up. You need to tweak it based on your needs and build custom reports (most of the reports you are used to seeing in Universal Analytics do not come out of the box in GA4). You might need to be patient as you go through the learning period (it will take some time, trust me) and let the data flow within the tool, so you benefit from AI/Machine Learning capabilities of GA4.

Setting up GA4 for Universities

Now that you have a bigger picture of how GA4 works let’s dive deeper into how to set it up so your university can take advantage of all the new features that the tool offers.

If you are reading this post by the middle of 2022, the chances are that Google Analytics 4 is still not mature enough to be used as a standalone analytics tool. Hence, you should use both tools (UA and GA4) at the same time so you feed data into the GA4 ASAP, but at the same time, use the reporting you are currently using in Universal Analytics (so that you can make the transition easy for you)

However, if you are reading this post in late 2022 or even more in the future, it will probably be mature enough for you to switch to Google Analytics 4 completely.

UA will stop collecting new data from July 2023, so every day of not setting up GA4 means a day less with data you could use for analysis and decision-making. So make sure you are pushing data to your GA4 account ASAP. Otherwise, you will lose YoY data.

Let’s learn how to set up the GA4 account first.

How to set up a GA4 Account for my University?

There are two ways you can set up a GA4 account. One option is to create a whole new property (it will be a GA4 by default), and the other option is to use GA4 Setup Assistant. This time, I’ll focus on creating a whole new property because the result will still be pretty much the same, and I can walk you through the entire process.

Creating a new GA4 Property

Go to the Admin section of your Google Analytics interface (by clicking the Admin at the bottom-left corner) and then (in the Property section) click Create Property.

Then enter the name of your University, choose your University’s main campus country, reporting time zone, and the main currency your University operates in, and click “Next”, 

Then, fill out your business information. Suppose you are a university of 11-100 employees. In that case, we recommend the following setup, as GA4 will adjust some configurations and enhancements based on the category of the business and the intent of how Analytics will be used.

Once you click “Create”, your GA4 property will be ready. However, there are still some setups you need to make to start using it.

Data streams

The next step to complete is to configure your first Data Stream. This tells Google the data source from where it will get the data before sending it to your Google Analytics 4 property. You can have multiple data sources in a single property. For example, three web properties, 1 for the Web, one for an Android app, and 1 for an iOS app. However, for most universities and colleges, 1 Data Stream (web) will be enough.

While on the property that you just created, click “Data Streams” and choose “Web”

Once you enter your university Website URL and Stream Name (Example: My University Name – Website), you will be able to enable/disable default events that come as part of “Enhanced Measurement.” These out-of-the-box events that GA4 automatically sends to your data warehouse without requiring you to implement them via GTM or asking a developer.

When enabled (which is the default option), Enhanced Measurement will automatically track the following events for you:

• Page view (event name: page_view)
• Scroll (event name: scroll)
• Outbound link click (event name: click with the parameter outbound: true)
• Site search (event name: view_search_results)
• Video Engagement (events: video_start, video_progress, video_complete)
• File Download (event name: file_download)

If you prefer, you can enable/disable such events manually by clicking the gear button on the right bottom side of the gray widget

When you are done with the above configuration, click the “Create Stream” button, and you will automatically be presented with tagging instructions.

GA4 Tag Installation

Each of your Data Streams has a unique “MEASUREMENT ID” that you will need to use to send data right into your Google Analytics account. You can install the GA4 tag manually on your website or use a platform like Google Tag Manager (our recommended way).

If you are doing this in 2022, MAKE SURE your Universal Analytics code is still running so you are collecting data for both UA and GA4 simultaneously.

Let’s see how we install GA4 via Google Tag Manager

Installing GA4 via Tag Manager

While on the Data Stream details page, copy the “Measurement ID” as you will need this to add to your GTM account.

Go to your Google Tag Manager container, click “Tags” -> New” and on the “Tag Configuration” box, choose the “Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.” tag.

Enter the ID ID in the Measurement ID field that you just copied in the GA4 interface. If you want GA4 to track pageviews automatically, keep the “Send a page event”  enabled. If your website is built as a Single Page App (ask your developer), you might need to disable the “page_view” event as it will not get consistently fired on the user navigates on your site.

In the Triggering section, select “All Pages,” click “Save,” and then name the tag according to your naming convention: “GA4 Configuration – G-{your measurement id}”

Testing GA4 Integration via GTM

Let’s test our integration.

While on your GTM, click the “Preview” on the upper right side of the windows, and you will be able to enable GTM Preview mode to test the integration.

Once you type your website URL and click Continue, you should see the new GA4 tag among the fired tags.

Once you see your fire being fired in GTM Preview, ensure the event is being sent to GA4. You can test it by going to GA4 -> Configure -> “Debug View” and waiting for events to fire (you might experience some seconds delay until the data starts to appear in Debug View). If everything has been appropriately integrated, you will see something like this:

Once you ensure that the data is coming in and shown correctly in GA4, you should submit your GA4 changes in the GTM container and publish it. 

Publishing GA4 Integration via GTM

To publish changes, go to your Tag Manager container, and on the top right side of the page, click “Submit”, type a version name of the deployment (optional) and a description of changes you have done (optional), and click the “Publish” button.

When you publish changes,  you should soon start seeing data coming in your GA4 real-time reports.

Congratulations! You have just set up GA4 with Google Tag Manager. However, GA4 needs a lot of customizations, remember?

Installing GA4 on your University WordPress Site

There are two ways you can add a GA4 tag on your WordPress site. One is by placing a direct “gtag” code directly on the <head> HTML part of your website, and the other is by installing it via a plugin. Let’s cover both of them.

Installing GA4 tag code manually on WordPress

Go to your GA4 Property and click “Data Streams”, and choose the Website data stream you just created to get stream details. 

On Tagging Instructions, copy the Global Site Tag and place it into the <head> section of your HTML code (you might need the help of a developer to do this)

Installing GA4 tag code using a WordPress Plugin

You can use multiple plugins to install the GA4 tag on your University Website. However, we recommend using the “GA Google Analytics” plugin as the most straightforward WP plugin to integrate Google Analytics into your WordPress website.

Once you install the plugin, go to its Settings page, add your tracking Measurement ID under “GA Tracking ID” select “Global Site Tag” and then click “Save Changes”.

That’s it! You have now installed GA4 on your WordPress site. Make sure you receive real-time statistics by going to your GA4 -> Home and see if your current traffic is being reported.

Installing GA4 on your University WIX Site

If you use WIX on your university website, you need to add your Measurement ID on your Marketing Integrations page. You can do it by following the instructions below:

1. Copy your Measurement ID under Web stream details.
2. Go to Marketing Integrations on your site’s dashboard. 
3. Click Connect under Google Analytics. 
4. Click the Show More icon in the top right corner of the page
5. Click Edit
6. Paste your Google Analytics 4 Measurement ID in the pop-up.
   
7. Click Save.

Congratulations! You have just installed GA4 on your WIX site. 

Installing GA4 on your University Squarespace Site

Squarespace has a built-in feature to connect GA4 without too much hassle.

To install GA4 tag on your Squarespace site, follow instructions below

1. Go to Settings
2. Go to Advanced
3. Click  External API Keys
4. Paste your Measurement ID under the “Google Analytics” input

You can paste both UA and GA4 code on the same field, separated by a comma..

Test your installation by opening your website URL in a new window and opening the GA4 -> Home report to see your real-time statistics.

Filters

Filters in GA4 allow you to limit or modify the data before entering your Analytics account, and they do not work retroactively. Unlike Universal Analytics, where you could create a “raw view” account without filters and another one with certain limitations, filters on your GA4 are applied at the property level. As we are writing this post, there are no Views in GA4. That makes testing your filters in GA4 more critical than in Universal Analytics.

Currently, there are only two types of filters in GA4:

1. Developer Traffic
2. Internal Traffic

Filtering Developer Traffic

Develop traffic is the traffic generated by your website administrators/developers while developing or debugging the website.

This is done by adding a specific event called “debug_mode” or “debug_view” (with a value of 1) every time your GA4 code is executed during your developing/debugging sessions. You will still be able to watch that traffic coming through in Configure -> Debug View, but you will not be able to see it across other reports in GA4.

Filtering Internal Traffic

This is the traffic generated by people directly or indirectly connected to your university who are not your targeted audience. Those can include your faculty members, administrative staff, services providers, and vendors. As such, including their traffic in your Analytics can skew your analysis.

Currently, you can only filter your internal traffic by IP addresses (way more limited than it used to be in UA). To do that, you should:

1. Go to the Data Stream you previously created
2. On “Additional Settings”, click “More Tagging Settings”
   
3. Click “Define internal traffic”
   
4. Click “Create” Button
5. Add your IPs under “IP addresses” section and click “Create”

Events

Because of the way  Universal Analytics was built and its data structure model, there were quite some limitations regarding data you could send via events (eg. only event_cateogry, label, and value). This made it challenging for higher education marketers to collect data across the whole student journey and analyze in-depth data on the scale.

This has changed, and Events are now the core of Google Analytics 4. But, before going further on events, let’s make sure we understand what an event is and how they work.

What is an Event?

An event is an interaction of the user with your Web or Mobile App. All interactions on your website/web such as clicks, visits, downloads, form submissions (leads), student applications [and more] are considered “Events”.

The data model of GA4 offers much more flexibility when it comes to tracking events and sending additional information with it.

In Universal Analytics, you could only send up to 4 event attributes of an event to Google Analytics: 

• Event Category (required)
• Event Action (required)
• Event Label (optional)
• Event Value (optional)

As discussed earlier, everything in GA4 is considered an Event. Depending on your scenario, you can send up to 25 additional parameters with an event without limiting how you name them. For example, let’s say that a future student is reading a program page and decides to fill out a “Request More Information” form. You could send the following event:

• event_name: generate_lead
• lead_type: request information
• degree: bachelor of business administration
• lead_palce: header
• In_military: yes

The last four parameters on the list above are custom events you can send along with your event, which you can later use to do performance analysis on your Analytics account.

Apart from custom events, GA4 also comes with a set of default events and recommendations for you to follow. Let’s go through them and see how you can utilize them to structure your GA4 configuration better later on.

Categories of Events in Google Analytics 4

There are four categories of events in GA4:

1. Automated Events
2. Enhanced Measurement Events
3. Recommended Events
4. Custom Events

Here is how to choose between event categories in GA4:

Automated Events

Automatic Events on GA4 include interactions that Google must collect to perform its fundamental analysis on the tool. Those events are automatically triggered by GA4 itself on some predefined user activities. This includes session_start, first_visit, scroll, or user_engagement and other mobile app interactions such as app_update, ad_click, etc. You can get the full list here.

Enhanced Measurement Events

Those are additional automatic events by GA4, with the only difference being that you can enable/disable them on your property level.

You can enable or disable them (they come enabled by default) when you configure your web Data Stream in GA4.

When this feature is enabled, Enhancement Measurement will automatically track the following events:

• Page view (event name: page_view)
• Scroll (event name: scroll)
• Outbound Clicks (event name: click with the parameter outbound: true)
• Site search (event name: view_search_results)
• Youtube Video Engagement (events: video_start, video_progress, video_complete)
• File Download (event name: file_download)

You can enable or disable each one by clicking the gear button on the right side of the Enhanced Measurement section.  Moreover, you can also customize some of them to fit your university website needs.

Page views:

This event is sent to GA4 when a new page loads or the URL of the page changes without reloading the page (a.k.a. history change events). Suppose your university website is built on SPA (Single Page Application), where your entire page doesn’t refresh when pages are changed. In that case, you need to ensure that your website is changing pages/URLs and changing the browser’s history events (you might need a developer’s help here).

Scrolls:

GA4 can automatically send events when a visitor scrolls below 90% of the page height. If you need to track scroll on a different scale, you might need to do that via Google Tag Manager manually.

Outbound clicks:

This event is automatically triggered when a user clicks on a link redirecting them to another domain. This is a great feature you can use to see which of the websites you have linked on your website content are helping your students answer their questions.

If your university operates in multiple domains, set up cross-domain tracking (via GA4 property > More Tagging Settings > Configure your domains) so clicks on your own domains are now considered outbound/referral links.

Site search:

This event allows you to track searches performed by your current and potential students on your university website. When enabled, it will automatically send a “view_search_results” event to GA4, if the page loads and the URL of the page contains a query parameter, such as q, s, search, query, and keyword. 

If you are using WordPress for your website, there is nothing you need to change on the “Search Term Query Parameter” input, as the letter “s” will automatically get the job done. Otherwise, make sure you include your search query parameter on the configuration. For example: if your website search looks like https://www.my-university-webste.com/search?term=tuition-fees, you need to enter the word “term” as an option in the above configuration.

Video engagement:

This is built to track the user’s interaction with Youtube videos on your website. However, due to some technical reasons, this feature will not work by default unless your developer changes how those videos are served.

File downloads:

GA4 can automatically detect the download of files on your website and send an event when your link url contains one of the following extensions:  .pdf, .xls, .xlsx, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .csv, .exe, .key, .pps, .ppt, .pptx, .7z, .pkg, .rar, .gz, .zip, .avi, .mov, .mp4, .mpe, .mpeg, .wmv, .mid, .midi, .mp3, .wav, .wma.

Once you’re done with all of the above configurations, click Save, and your GA4 will automatically start to track those events once you set up the GA4 tag on your website.

Recommended Events:

Those are events recommended by Google for different business categories but not enabled and configured by default. You will need to follow the recommended naming convention and set them manually on your web/app and Analytics to benefit from additional features Google may introduce to the platform.

If none of these we have previously listed in Automatic and Enhancement events doesn’t fit your needs, then look at the recommended events Google has published in its documentation. For the time being, colleges and universities can use the following recommended events based on their needs:

• If you offer online classes where students can purchase online, then use respective events from the “Online Sales’ category
• If your students cannot purchase your classes online, we recommend using the “generate_lead” event to track “Request Information Form” requests.
• You can also use other events as you see fit.

Google recommends that you implement their recommended events when it makes sense for you because it can use those them to better understand your web/app performance during its Machine Learning analysis. 

Custom Events

If none of the previously discussed events fit your needs, you can create custom events. They work pretty much as the above events; however, they are some things you need to consider before deciding to use custom events: 

• You would need to create them manually
• They do not show on standard reports. 
• It’s recommended that you use the same naming convention

For the time being, GA4 does NOT allow you to edit or delete your custom events. So make sure you have a thoughtful events strategy in place before reaching out to the 500 unique event limit

Let’s see how a college or university can use custom events to measure its marketing performance.

Tracking Conversions on GA4

Before going further, let’s set the table about what a Conversion is for a Higher Education Institution. 

A conversion is a significant interaction you want your visitors to complete on your website. That can be a micro-conversion, a Conversion that puts your visitors one step closer to the main (macro) conversion (such as subscribe, download, chat discussion), or a macro conversion, a final conversion on your website (such as leads or student applications).

By tracking these conversions (and others), you are in a better position to measure the performance of your marketing activities and make decisions based on data. 

In GA4, you can, for example, create a segment of visitors who have read a page about a certain degree who didn’t request more information and then use custom dimensions to understand their behavior compared to the ones who converted.

Now, In Universal Analytics, you used to track conversions by setting up Goals. You may have had a thank you page for your Request Information Forms and used that page as a trigger to create a goal. 

In GA4, all conversions are tracked via Events. So, before a Conversion becomes “a Conversion”, it has to be an Event. You can use a pre-defined conversion event (such as “generate_lead”) or create a custom Event and mark it as a conversion by going to Configure > Events and marking a specific event as Conversion. 

Alternatively, you can go to Configure > Conversions, then press the New conversion event button and enter the event’s name, for example, application_submitted.

Once you do that, wait for up to 24 hours, and you will start seeing conversion data in the list of all Conversions.

When it comes to tracking conversions for Universities and Colleges, here is a list of events that we recommend creating and marking as conversions:

• generate_lead
  When a potential student submits a Request More Information form
• application_view
  When a potential student views the application form
• application_started
  When a potential student starts to fill out the application form
• application_submitted
  When a potential student submits the application form

GA4 Tracking Strategy for Higher Education Institutions

The ultimate goal of events is to take action. If you have an event or metric on Google Analytics for which you cannot answer the question, “If I have this information, I could do this” then the chances are that you are using a vanity metric, and you won’t be seeing value out of it.

When it comes to deciding what metrics are essential for your university to track, it might be necessary to take a step back, look at it from a broad marketing and business perspective and ask questions like:

• What problem am I trying to solve?
• How does my Google Analytics fit with my overall marketing strategy?
• Do I have the necessary infrastructure to measure what’s essential for my school?
• Do I clearly understand my student’s journey and conversion funnel?
• How can I use Google Analytics to link my marketing investment with actual Return on Investment?

Once you answer these questions, it might be time to start thinking about how you can translate them to concrete actions on Google Analytics. Using a framework like QIA to identify the right metrics for your school can be helpful. Start by asking these three questions:

1. What Question do I want to answer?
2. What Information will I need to get the answer?
3. What Action will I take based on the answer I get?

Let’s take an example of a scenario many higher education marketers face: What is the conversion rate of students for each channel? (Q)

You would need to figure out what information (I) you need to answer that question. In this case, you would need:

• Student conversion data
• Conversion data for each step of the decision-making process (TOP, MIDDLE, BOTTOM of the funnel) for each channel

Is that information already stored? Do I need to track it and keep it in Google Analytics? If you don’t have funnel conversion tracking set up, for now, you might need to add it to your @todo list.

Great! Now that we know what information we need, let’s decide about the most critical part of the framework: Action (A):

1. How will the answer be presented? How will the report look?
   Who is the report built for? What format do they prefer?
2. “What actions will I take if the answer is ‘X’?”
3. “What actions will I take if the answer is ‘Y’?”

You will need to plan actions based on answers to these questions. For example: 

“If the conversion rate from Organic Search is 2% or higher, we’re doing well. If it’s lower than 2%, we’ll re-evaluate funnel pages, the effectiveness of the call-to-action and the SEO strategy to see how we can improve it”.

Answers like this will help you build an action plan with specific actions on implementing this tracking strategy, from defining events to conversion, account setting, and reporting.

Reports in Google Analytics 4

Reporting in Google Analytics 3 takes another level due to the flexibility of its data model.

In Universal Analytics, you have had numerous ready-to-use reports that, even though you might have found practical, were very limited in capabilities and pretty much the same for everyone. 

While you now have much fewer ready-to-use reports in GA4, its flexibility in adapting and creating advanced custom reporting based on your needs is way beyond what we are used to seeing in the previous version of Analytics. 

Reporting in GA4 is divided into two sections, which can be found on the main left navigation

1. Default Reports
2. Explore

Default Reports

Google offers numerous default reports on GA4 to help you kick off analysis faster. However, to fully utilize the benefits of the tool, you might need to customize such reports based on your use cases and needs. 

For example, if you do not directly monetize your university website, you don’t need to see the monetization charts on your reports. You can go to Reports > Library > Edit Collection and then remove/add the necessary report from the main navigation.

While on Library, you can add two types of new reports: Overview and Detail Report

Overview report: A dashboard (comprising a set of cards) that summarizes a detailed topic report (A topic can have only one overview report.)

Detail report: This can have up to two visualizations and a table with dimensions and metrics.

You can also customize individual reports only to show what’s important for your university. You can do that by going to a specific report and clicking on the “Customize reports” icon on the top right side of the page. From there, you can add/remove cards (widgets) and set dimensions/metrics as per your needs.

As you can see, there are certain limitations on the number of widgets, tables, and customizations you can make on default reports, and that’s where custom reports come in.

Exploration reports (Custom Reports)

Exploration is one of the best features of Google Analytics 4. It’s a collection of advanced techniques of analysis that can help your university create advanced reports and reveal deep insights about your future students and their behavior.

You can access exploration reports by going to the main navigation and clicking on Explore. You can create a fully customizable report (if you are short on time or now sure how to start), or you can use built-in templates.

Let’s explore some of the built-in templates, so you can have a better understanding of their benefits.

Free form

Use this template to find out more about your website visitors. You can visualize data in a table or graph format, use multiple dimensions, segments, and metrics, and compare.

Funnel Exploration

This template is pretty helpful for visualizing the steps your students took before converting to a lead or application as part of a pre-defined conversion funnel.

Path exploration

Use this template when you want to discover your students’ interaction toward a conversion. You can also do a reverse analysis and find out what your students do before converting.

Segment Overlap

This template allows you to show and compare the relationship between (up to 3) segments.

The learning curve to creating custom reports may be long for many higher education marketers. However, once you go through built-in templates and do some trial and error, you will start discovering new insights that will lead you toward better decision-making.

Final words

Now that you know the main differences between GA3 and GA4, you’re better positioned to migrate your university website from Google Analytics 3 to Google Analytics 4.

GA4 is an entirely different beast from its predecessor. It’s more flexible, more powerful, and more capable of making data-driven decisions. However, it’s not a simple migration process; you need to make sure you are making the right strategic decisions before starting the migration and have all the necessary information to set it up for success.

If you are just starting with GA4 in general and you are not sure where to start or how to properly migrate your university website to GA4, feel free to reach us, and we will be happy to help.

Imagine yourself at a crossroads. You’re staring down the exciting, yet daunting, path of higher education. Questions swirl in your mind: “What career path should I take?”, “What type of degree is right for me?”, and most importantly, “Which college will help me achieve my goals?”. This is the beginning of the student journey, a crucial decision-making process that every aspiring student embarks on.

Interestingly, this journey often starts with a simple search on Google. Whether it’s “best colleges for engineering” or “tips for choosing a major,” students are actively seeking information online to guide their decisions. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Higher Education comes into play.

SEO is the art and science of making your website visible in search engine results. But for higher education institutions, it’s much more than just ranking high. It’s about influencing the student journey at every stage, from initial awareness to final enrollment. So, let’s unpack this journey and see how SEO can be your guide along the way.

Stage 1: Planting the Seed – The Awareness Stage

The first step in the student journey is awareness. Students are just beginning to explore their options, and their minds are brimming with questions. They might be unsure about their desired field, the type of degree they need, or even the very concept of college life.

As a higher education institution, SEO can help you be there at the right time with the right information. This is achieved through keyword research and content creation. By identifying the keywords students are searching for (e.g., “best colleges for social work”, “what does a computer science degree entail?”), you can create informative blog posts, articles, and guides that address their concerns and answer their questions.

Imagine this: A student unsure about their major stumbles upon your article titled “5 Tips for Choosing the Right College Major.” This article, optimized with relevant keywords like “choosing a college major”, “career paths”, and “finding your passion”, guides them through the decision-making process, potentially sparking their interest in your programs.

This is exactly what The University of Kansas has done. Their article “10 Tips for Choosing a Major in College” gets close to 2,000 clicks/mo and ranks in the top positions for keywords like:

• how to choose a major – 1,000 searches/mo
• how to pick a major – 800 searches/mo
• how to know what to major in – 150 searches/mo
• and hundreds of other keywords

From this research, they might become interested in getting a computer science degree. However, they want to learn more about the program and what they can do with a computer science degree. So they would search for [what do you learn in computer science]. SNHU has an article on this topic (What Can You Do With a Computer Science Degree?), and that page alone brings them over 1,800 clicks every month.

Stage 2: Narrowing the Options – The Consideration Stage

Once students have a better understanding of their interests and goals, they move into the consideration stage. This is where they start researching specific colleges and programs, learning more about things like curriculum, faculty expertise, and even campus life.

In this phase, SEO becomes even more critical. You can create content with relevant keywords related to specific programs and majors (e.g., “computer science vs computer engineering”, “is computer science a good major”). Additionally, ensure your website is user-friendly and provides clear information about programs, faculty profiles, and student life. This makes it easier for students to find the information they need and assess if your institution aligns with their aspirations.

Rice University’s Department of Computer Science has an article titled “Computer Science vs Computer Engineering: What’s the Difference?”. This article brings them over 5,400 clicks every month (64,800 visits annually) and ranks for over 630 keywords.

By appearing in search results, this article reaches students with initial program interest but may not be ready for immediate action. This visibility benefits Rice’s brand; every year, tens of thousands of prospective students land on this page, with a significant number engaging with their calls to action and learning more about Rice’s Computer Science program.

Think of it this way: A student interested in computer science lands on your website’s “Computer Science” blog article. The page is optimized with relevant keywords and offers a clear overview of the program, including course descriptions, faculty profiles, and internship opportunities. This transparency and ease of access can significantly influence their decision to explore further or even apply.

After they’re done with their questions, they are going to search for specific programs. You should be visible here, too, as these searches have a clear intent to convert. They are also one of the most competitive keywords to rank for. 

The most important thing to remember here is to understand the search intent and use that information to target the right keywords for your program page. You’d think that targeting the (computer science degree) keyword with your program page is the right decision, but the screenshot below proves you wrong. There’s only one program page ranking for this keyword, all other results are informational content (blog articles).

If you want to rank for this keyword, the best chance you’ll have at ranking will be through blog content that targets this keyword. And for the program page, you’d probably want to target a different version of this keyword that shows more program pages listed. 

Here’s one example of search results showing only program pages when you search for (online computer science degree), a keyword that is searched over 9,000 times every month. Because the search query is more specific, this signals Google that the user is interested in programs and not blog articles.

Stage 3: Making the Final Choice – The Decision Stage

The decision stage is where students finalize their choices, considering factors like financial aid options, campus visits, and acceptance rates. As an institution, you want to ensure you’re providing the information and resources that make your option stand out.

SEO can help you showcase the unique selling points of your institution during this crucial stage. You can highlight testimonials from current students and alumni, emphasizing their positive experiences and career successes. Additionally, you can create landing pages dedicated to financial aid information and the application process, making it easy for students to navigate the next steps.

For example, imagine a student on the fence, torn between two colleges. They visit your website and discover a dedicated landing page titled “Scholarships and Financial Aid.” This page clearly explains eligibility requirements, application procedures, and even features success stories of students who received scholarship support. This level of transparency and accessibility can significantly impact their final decision.

Conclusion: The Journey Continues

By understanding the student journey and implementing a strategic SEO approach, higher education institutions can effectively guide prospective students from initial awareness to successful enrollment. Remember, SEO is a continuous process, and it requires ongoing effort to stay ahead of the curve. But by prioritizing relevant content, user experience, and transparency, you can harness the power of SEO to attract the right students and build a thriving academic community.

When it comes to higher education SEO success stories, Southern New Hampshire University stands out. With more than 15 million annual visitors from organic search alone, their approach offers valuable lessons for university marketing teams.

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 3,000 on-campus students and over 170,000 online students, making it one of the fastest-growing universities in the nation. SNHU is not, nor it has been a client of Manaferra in the past. All the data in this article is provided from third-party platforms.

In this analysis, we’ll break down SNHU’s most effective SEO strategies and show you how to adapt them for your institution. Whether you’re looking to boost program visibility or increase qualified traffic, these insights will help strengthen your organic search presence.

SNHU.edu – Organic Traffic Overview

SNHU.edu gets an estimated 1.3 million visitors from organic traffic monthly. This traffic is only to their “marketing” website (www.snhu.edu) and doesn’t include their mySNHU student website (https://my.snhu.edu), which also receives close to 600k visits from Google every month.

From the Ahrefs traffic chart above, we can see that the traffic started to increase in mid-2020. This makes sense because, during COVID-19, with campuses closed and learning moved online, SNHU was well-positioned to capitalize on this new search demand.

From an SEO point of view, something else that happened during this time was Google giving more weight to all .edu domains in their efforts to combat misinformation. SNHU was already investing in SEO, had all the right pages created to target the right keywords, and when this algorithmic update happened, their pages started to rank better gradually.

The biggest spike in their traffic came from the July 2021 Core Update. Their traffic increased by almost 60%, from 600,000/mo to 950,000/mo.

Another interesting data point is to look at their traffic by location. 73.4% of the traffic is coming from the United States, but they’re also getting significant traffic from India and the Philippines. This is normal; some of the content that will be published on the site will perform in markets outside the US as well, even if that is not part of the strategy. In SNHU’s case, this could be intentional since they are targeting international students as well.

Traffic Value

Organic traffic value is the equivalent monthly cost of traffic from all keywords that the SNHU.edu website ranks for organically if that traffic was paid via PPC instead.

Ahrefs calculates it by multiplying the monthly organic traffic of each keyword at its respective ranking position by its CPC value. Then, they add up the organic traffic cost of individual keywords that the target website/URL ranks for.

In essence, the number gives you a sense of how valuable a domain’s keyword profile is. Another way to think of it is how much money SNHU has saved in terms of ranking for keywords organically instead of buying paid traffic.

In their case, SNHU gets over $5.7m in traffic value for free (per month) because they’re ranking for hundreds of thousands of keywords and getting over 1.3m visitors per month.

Here’s one example: their healthcare administration degree page gets over 6.3k clicks every month. They are ranking in top positions for keywords like:

• healthcare administration degree [3,900 searches per month, position 5]
• bachelors in healthcare administration [1,100 searches per month, position 1]
• healthcare administration degree online [1,100 searches per month, position 3]

If they had to advertise on Google Ads to get this traffic, it would cost them $137,000; instead, because they have a strong SEO presence, they’re getting this traffic for free.

Branded vs. Non-Branded Organic Traffic

When we filter out the branded keywords, the traffic drops to 1m per month. This tells us that SNHU’s branded traffic is 23.07% of total traffic.

This is really good because, for most higher ed. institutions, the majority of their organic traffic is usually branded traffic.

Branded traffic is usually from people who already know us; this could be existing students, alumni, etc. Branded traffic can also be impacted by offline marketing initiatives, which could drive more people to search for your institution.

In the case of SNHU, they’re getting 76.93% of their traffic every month from people who discover them not by searching their brand but by searching for programs and information they need, and SNHU offers. In SEO, this is the traffic you want to go after; these are new audiences that most likely haven’t engaged with your brand before and are interested in what you have to offer.

Top Pages (by Organic Traffic)

Looking at their top pages by traffic, we notice something interesting: most of the top pages are not program pages but blog articles. This is intentional, and here’s why:

There are two important things here that we need to understand: how students search and the concept of search intent.

How Students Search (the Student Journey in Google)

Our first instinct when thinking about the keywords we’d like to rank for would be to go after program-related keywords. And this is correct. However, we need to understand that there are thousands of other institutions going after the same keywords as well, so the competition is fierce.

We also neglect the fact that when a student starts considering getting a degree, they don’t immediately search for [master’s in cybersecurity] or [bachelor of social work]. They have questions, tons of them, and very often quite basic questions like [what is a BSN degree].

Once they start to educate themselves, they begin to refine their questions, and would probably search something like [is a BSN degree worth it] or [BSN vs RN].

They have thousands of these questions, and they search for them hundreds of thousands of times every month on Google. SNHU has created a content library that provides answers to these questions, and because their content is quite good, they are able to rank and get in front of them earlier in their student journey.

Chances are that these students will engage with SNHU, request more information about their programs, and remember this positive experience (being educated on their questions) when the time comes to apply.

Search Intent

Search intent is the main goal a user has when typing a query in the search box. This is important for us because, in the Higher Ed. SEO space, it impacts what keywords we target with our program pages, and for what keywords we need to create informational (blog) pages.

If you search for [BSN degree – 23,000 searches/mo], you might think that Google will show you program pages offered by different institutions.

The reality is that Google will show you mostly blog articles and a few program pages at the bottom of the search results.

Google has determined that the search intent for this keyword is informational – someone searching for it is more likely to look for information about what is a BSN, the difference between RN and BSN, than to go to a program page.

You can repeat the search for keywords like [MBA degree] and [MSW degree], and the results will be similar.

When the query (keyword) is more specific, then Google starts to refine the search results, to better answer the search intent. Here’s what Google shows when you search for [bachelor of science in nursing – 2,900 searches/mo].

This is the reason why content marketing (blog) is an important part of your SEO strategy. It allows you to rank for keywords that your target audience is searching for thousands of times every month. You wouldn’t be able to rank for these highly relevant keywords with a program page, and you also need to keep in mind that there are even more content opportunities out there to rank for by answering students’ questions.

Program Pages vs. Blog Content (Organic Traffic Breakdown)

SNHU gets over 182,000 visits to its 164 program pages every month.

The total traffic to their blog is 802,000 per month.

In terms of value, the traffic to their program pages is far more valuable than the traffic to the blog. However, we must note that their blog helps a lot with their program pages to rank and get the traffic they’re getting today. This help comes in the form of building topical authority (another important concept in the SEO world – in short, it means making Google see you as a thought leader in the space because you’ve published content on the topic that is relevant to your program page), internal linking from the blog articles, and backlinks (authority) built organically.

SNHU.edu – Program Page SEO Performance

While SNHU is known for its online programs, they do offer on-campus programs as well. Here we’re going to look at the SEO performance of their online vs. on-campus program pages.

On Campus vs. Online Program Pages

SNHU has 69 on-campus program pages indexed that are ranking and getting traffic. The total traffic for their 69 program pages is just over 2,000/mo.

This is negligible compared to the traffic that SNHU gets from its online program pages.

There are two reasons why the difference is so huge. The first one is search intent, which we discussed earlier. Even for program keywords where [online] is not mentioned, most of the results will contain online program pages. This is happening because Google has determined that these results would be more relevant to the majority searching for that program.

The second reason is that online programs have more search demand vs. on-campus programs. There are more keywords that contain [online] in the query than keywords without [online]. If you have a program page that is targeting [online] like SNHU does, and your page is performing well, then you get more traffic than you would if you were targeting on-campus.

Another reason would be that on-campus programs are location-specific, which limits the number of people who could go there, and the best keywords to target would also include the location, and these keywords would have way fewer people searching for them than a general keyword.

SNHU.edu – Technical SEO Overview

This is where we get technical. A good technical SEO foundation means that Google will be able to find all the pages on your site and see all the important content on those pages. Other important technical SEO considerations also include things like website speed, UX/accessibility, website architecture, and more.

We crawled the SNHU website to better understand their technical SEO setup, and here’s what we learned:

The Website Only Has About 1,500 Indexed URLs

This is a good thing. Ideally, you only want pages that are worth ranking to be indexed in Google’s search results. Usually, when we’re doing SEO audits, we see higher ed. websites with thousands of pages, most of which don’t serve the marketing purpose of the site.

We understand that a lot of these pages must exist and be indexed, but what we usually find when working with our higher ed. partners is that a significant % of these pages can either be moved to a subdomain or removed altogether.

SNHU’s setup works great for their SEO strategy. Their main site www.snhu.edu serves mainly as their marketing site, and its main goal is to generate demand for their program pages.

The reason why we look at what’s indexed is that it impacts how Google sees our site. They look at all the indexed pages, the quality of these pages, and what these pages are about to better understand what the site is about. If we’re sending mixed signals to Google, then we could risk our most important pages not achieving their potential in the search results.

Crawl Depth – Important Pages Close to the Homepage

Crawl depth looks at how many clicks it would take Google to find a page if the starting point is the homepage. The closer a page is to the homepage, the more important it is perceived to be by Google.

In SNHU’s case, most of the pages are 2-3 clicks away from the homepage, which is ideal.

They are achieving this thanks to their HTML sitemap, which is linked in the footer.

SNHU.edu – Link Building

We look at two things when doing a quick analysis of the backlink profile: the number of referring domains (how many websites are linking back to SNHU.edu) and the number of backlinks (the total times these websites are linking back to SNHU.edu).

In SNHU’s case, they have 11.5k referring domains, linking back a total of 124k times.

These numbers look great but they can be a bit misleading. Most of the SEO platforms/tools that we use will report on the total number of backlinks. However, we know that Google doesn’t treat all backlinks as equal and there are different factors that go into making a good backlink. Ahrefs (the SEO platform we use) has a neat feature that allows you to filter just the “Best links” – and what it does is that it removes a lot of irrelevant, low-quality links from spammy websites.

When we do this filtering, we see that SNHU has a total of 1,290 good backlinks from the likes of The Guardian, El Pais, Business Insider, Today, and more.

These are the backlinks that make the difference, and if we’re competing with SNHU, we’d look at beating this number and not the total number of backlinks/referring domains.

Diving deeper into this analysis, we see that apart from the homepage (which is usually the most authoritative page and has the most backlinks), the pages that have the most backlinks are blog articles. This is another side benefit of having a blog and writing content; it allows you to attract organic links passively, builds your website and program page authority, and helps with rankings.

One area where SNHU has lots of room for improvement is their backlink profile to the program pages. When we look at the report of just program pages, we see that most of their program pages have only a few referring domains.

Improving this aspect of their SEO strategy will allow them to break into the first positions for thousands of keywords where they are currently ranking in the top 3 or top 5 positions.

SNHU.edu – Organic Traffic Competition

When we talk about competition in SEO, we don’t mean your usual traditional competitors. We mean other websites that are competing for the same keywords your target audience uses to search for the programs you have to offer.

In SNHU’s case, we see the likes of ASU, WGU, Franklin University, and National University who are also ranking for the same keywords as SNHU, and then we have Coursera, the biggest competitor in terms of traffic and traffic value.

Something to note about the data shown above is ASU’s traffic value. What this means is that even though it’s getting less traffic than Coursera, most of the traffic is likely from its program pages, hence the higher traffic value.

Conclusion

Looking at SNHU’s competitors shows that there’s room for improvement for them. They are doing quite well with the traffic that their blog is providing, and their program pages are performing well, but they’re struggling to win the top spots for their target keywords. If that were to happen, their traffic and traffic value would increase significantly.

High demand for enrollment is a clear reflection of a school’s success. That’s why the primary function of any higher ed. institution’s marketing department is to target potential leads and convert them into students.

In your quest to attract more leads which you will then try to turn into enrollments, you must develop effective strategies that will help you succeed.

Read on and dive deeper into the world of lead generation for higher education. From utilizing unique ads in various social media platforms to using chatbots, learn what tools have the most significant value in lead generation for higher education.

Which Strategies Are Most Effective for Generating Leads in Higher Education?

To help you make the most out of lead generation and compete, we have compiled a list of the most effective strategies you can use.

Strategy 1: Develop a strong SEO and content marketing strategy

Using search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing is the best strategy that can help your institution generate leads.

There are three key areas you need to focus on when trying to increase your leads through SEO:

• Technical SEO (are there any technical issues on the website preventing Google from finding all the pages and indexing them)
• Content (do we have the content our target audience is searching for, and are we using the right keywords to target/optimize it?)
• Authority (does our website have enough authority to be able to rank and compete for top keywords?)

The first step is to start with a Technical SEO audit. This audit will highlight any technical SEO issues that could be preventing your website from achieving its full potential in search results. We’ve done hundreds of audits for university/college websites, and here’s what we usually find:

• thousands of pdf files indexed by Google (this is an issue because every page on your site is a data point to Google and their understanding of your site – when you have your meeting minutes or student homework indexed in the search results, you are confusing Google on what your site is about)
• crawl depth is 5+ clicks (crawl depth tells us how many clicks a user or Google needs to do from the homepage, to go to a certain page. If this is more than 3-4 clicks, we signal Google that this page is not that important for us. In our audits, the most important pages are usually 6-7 clicks away from the homepage, and this hurts their performance and rankings in the search results)
• JavaScript is not rendered by Google (this means we have important content behind JavaScript and Google is not seeing it, this is a major issue because if Google can’t see that content, our page will not be evaluated the right way and will underperform in the search results)
• and dozens of other issues…

Once the issues are identified, you want to work together with the IT department to make a plan on addressing/fixing these issues. Not all issues are equal, so prioritizing them based on the SEO impact they will have is very important.

Next, we want to address the content on our website. This includes the content on our program pages, our info pages, and the blog (if we have one).

Program pages are the most important pages on our website. We want to make sure they have the content a student expects to see when they land on a program page.

Content depth is very important (how much content we have on our program pages), as seen by the example below. WGU has 3,736 words of content on their accounting degree program page, and they’re ranking in the 2nd position for the [accounting degree] keyword. ASU is doing well, too, with over 2,400 words of content, while UND is underperforming, their page has only 735 words.

The last part is Authority. For most institutions, this won’t be an issue since by default, the websites are quite authoritative. The authority of a website in SEO is measured by the number of links from external websites pointing back to our own website. The more links we have from relevant websites, the more authoritative our website becomes.

That doesn’t mean we should invest in link building, to increase the website authority. Our recommendation is to focus our link building efforts on the program pages. This will increase the chances for the program pages to rank for their target keywords.

There’s much more to SEO than what we just described above. But if you just do the above, you’re already ahead of most of your competition.

SEO is the best performing channel after direct traffic, when it comes to lead quality and conversion rate from lead to application to enrollments. Your target audience is engaging with Google, asking questions, and researching information from the very first day they decide they want to go to college. Making sure you’re visible when they search for your programs will have a significant impact on your lead generation efforts.

Manaferra is an SEO agency specializing in Higher Education. We only work with Higher Ed. Institutions offering SEO services. We’ve won the Best Use of SEO for Higher Education award for our work with Pacific College (US Search Awards) and the University of the Potomac (Global Search Awards).

If you have a program that is underperforming and are interested to see if SEO can change that, contact us today. Our SEO Specialists will create a free customized report highlighting the existing performance of that program, the growth potential, and the strategy to get there.

Strategy 2: Use lead generation ads across social media platforms

Digital marketing, especially through various social media platforms, has increased significantly in recent years. Your university or college can benefit substantially from using social media ads, as surveys show that one in two Gen Zers and Millennials think such platforms are the most relevant channels for presenting advertisements. Therefore, they are more likely to interact with the ads and help you improve your site’s lead generation.

Lead generation ads are a particular type of digital ad that enable you to collect data about potential customers while simultaneously promoting the school’s study programs, courses, and any events the institute is hosting.

All the major social media platforms offer these ads, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and more. Utilizing these lead ads can improve your site’s conversion rates by allowing students to directly submit their information to you through the ad instead of being redirected to another page. This is just one example of what barriers to conversion you can lower to make your site more user-friendly and decrease exit rates.

Lead ads ensure a hassle-free and time-saving experience for the audience, as well as provide you with basic information that you can use to build up a customer database of potential leads for future correspondence. With a customer database, it will be easier to target a specific portion of your audience and further improve your ads with tailored questions and content that help uncover the preferences of potential students and ensure that you are reaching out to them with the correct information. 

In addition, our experts point out that you can effectively use segmentation in Google Analytics 4 for higher education by dividing visitors who have visited your site regarding a specific study program but did not request further information. Then, with the engines’ tools, you can use custom dimensions to understand their behavior compared to the converted leads and notice areas you can improve.

Strategy 3: Use virtual events for lead generation

Virtual events are a popular way for institutes to promote their products and services, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic when virtual events became the only feasible alternative to physical gatherings due to government restrictions and lockdowns. Even now, when restrictions have been lifted, there is high demand for virtual events, with the global virtual events market size expected to grow by 21.4% over the next decade.

There are various virtual events to choose from, including virtual open houses, webinars, and live streams, allowing attendees to learn more about your higher education institution, its academic programs, admissions, financial aid, campus life, and more. These events are an excellent tool for lead generation because you can safely assume that the people attending them are interested in the topics discussed and, therefore, in becoming actual students of your institution or partaking in other services. 

Utilizing such events is a great way to interact directly with your leads and show them that your college or university would be a good match for them. So, make sure to plan and host the event accordingly, selecting a suitable platform and promoting the event on various social media sites in order to reach your target audience and beyond.

One of the most significant benefits of virtual events is that such events are not constricted to space; therefore, you can generate leads from thousands of miles away without needing any of the two parties to travel. Likewise, you are not restricted to a certain number of people, as would be the case with an in-person gathering. You can have a much larger audience, thus increasing the probability of generating relevant leads that may be converted to actual students without any additional costs.

However, you might encounter challenges as you plan virtual events, specifically keeping your attendees engaged. To overcome such a challenge, you must carefully plan and manage the event to create an immersive experience for each attendee by including various polls, surveys, live Q&As, etc. Such activities will help you gather data about the audience you can use to send invites and keep them updated about upcoming events, thus, generating more precise leads that become enrolled students.

Strategy 4: Implement advanced chatbots

Keeping up with the fast and continuously evolving world of digital communication requires adaptability to new trends. In the context of higher education institutions, this means putting the students first and utilizing all tools that can help them easily navigate through your page and find relevant information about the school. 

For example, the global chatbot market is valued at $3.78 billion and is projected to increase by 30.29% until 2027. Therefore, a valuable strategy regarding lead generation for higher education would be implementing advanced chatbots that can help you connect with your audience in online environments. These chatbots help ease your workload—they are programmed to help all website visitors be redirected to the area they are interested in and obtain answers to their questions. Thus, they aid in reducing frustration, providing personalized communication, and improving user experience. 

Depending on the exact strategy you want to follow, you can implement various chatbots, such as lead qualification chatbots, booking chatbots, and conversational chatbots. When implementing them for your higher education institution, it is essential to identify the correct use case. Some areas of chatbot use cases that can have a significant impact on lead generation include:

• Chatbots in customer service
• Chatbots for social media
• Conversational AI for messaging apps
• Chatbots for human resources
• Chatbots for sales
• Chatbots for marketing
• Chatbots for personal services
• Voice-based chatbots

For any chatbot you decide to implement, you must carefully consider the conversation flow and ensure that it best represents your brand and provides all the necessary information about your study programs or courses to build rich engagement with your audience. This way, you can avoid one of the most common challenges that developers face when creating and implementing chatbots—the chatbot’s ability to interpret messages and understand the user’s intention.

Chatbots provide their services 24/7; therefore, your site will be up and running with a unique computer program designed to simulate human conversation, help visitors, and work toward generating leads during and outside of office hours.

Strategy 5: Develop an effective PR strategy to generate leads

Establishing a successful public relations strategy is essential as it helps build your brand’s reputation, thus influencing your lead generation. By creating a positive and trusting image around your higher education institution, combined with all the other strategies listed throughout this blog, you attract leads that have the potential to turn into enrollments.

The primary challenge PR strategists face in the context of higher education institutions is choosing the right message and using their branding to turn qualified leads into students. That is why defining your target audience and presenting a relevant message about your brand when developing your PR strategy is crucial. This way, you ensure that your content is perfectly shaped around your audience and their needs. 

Additionally, you must carefully consider the channels and mediums you utilize to reach out and the type of content you post to present the best version of your brand to the public. Such an approach helps you establish a positive brand image as well as generate leads and conversions.

PR strategies should be developed with a long-term goal in mind and managed carefully. You should always be working on nurturing and maintaining a positive reputation in order to allow visitors to take their time in getting to know your branding, understanding your goals and the opportunities you can provide, and finally—trusting your institution.

 FAQ 

1. What is lead generation, and how does it apply to higher education?

Lead generation refers to the process of initiating a customer’s interest in your product or service. In higher education, lead generation represents identifying and attracting prospective students to your college or university.

2. Why is lead generation important for higher education institutions?

Lead generation ensures that your higher education institution continues to grow and reach more potential enrollments, which in turn helps with revenue generation.

3. What are some common lead-generation strategies and tactics used in higher education? 

• SEO
• Content Marketing
• Lead Ads
• Private Relations
• Chatbots
• Virtual Events

4. How can technology and digital marketing be used to support lead generation in higher education?

They can be used to run advertising campaigns that reach the target audience and set up landing pages that help convert website traffic into qualified leads.

5. What are the potential benefits and risks of lead generation for higher education institutions?

The benefits of lead generation include a higher rate of college enrollment, improved visibility, and increased revenue, among other benefits. The risks associated with lead generation are a lack of relevant data and practical strategies, typically caused by one’s lack of understanding of the lead generation process.

6. How can higher education institutions measure the success and ROI of their lead-generation efforts?

To measure the success and return on investment (ROI) of your lead generation efforts, take the monetary growth from your institution, subtract the marketing costs, and divide by the marketing cost. Generally, an annual ROI of over 7% is considered a success.

7. What are some of the best practices for implementing lead-generation campaigns in higher education?

Before implementing lead generation campaigns, ensure you identify your target audience and have a clear long-term goal about what you want to achieve. Gather and analyze data about your audience and, through segmentation and targeting, determine potential students and customize your campaigns to their requirements and needs. 

8. How can higher education institutions ensure that their lead generation efforts are compliant with regulations and laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)?

To ensure that your efforts are compliant with regulations and laws, you must ensure that:

• Your data is adequately secured
• You have updated your privacy disclaimers
• You conduct an official examination of how your information is stored
• Customize your site’s privacy policy rules to comply with the regulations and laws
• Have a designated team member in charge of monitoring the lead generation campaigns in terms of compliance

9. How can higher education institutions optimize their lead generation efforts for different stages of the customer journey, such as awareness, consideration, and decision?

They can optimize their lead generation efforts through advertising campaigns encouraging prospective students to engage with their institution. Then, they can use PR campaigns and SEO strategies to boost the consideration stage and push them toward conversion in the decision-making stage with virtual events, content marketing, chatbots, and other tools.

10. How can higher education institutions stay up to date with the latest lead generation trends and best practices in the sector?

Staying up to date is a continuous process; therefore, they should constantly read relevant blog posts and newsletters, attend events in this sector, embrace social media, etc. Alternatively, they can employ capable agencies that are one step ahead in the lead generation game.

Conclusion

There are millions of people out there who are looking for all that your institution has to offer. All that is left to do is ensure that you do your best to provide them with opportunities for interaction with your site. 
If you still need help with generating leads, contact us, get a free SEO gap analysis from our experts, and discover the full potential of your site. Seize this opportunity and take your institution to the next level!

Over the last few years, technology and the internet have become even more prevalent in higher education, thus highlighting the importance of effective digital marketing strategies for these institutions. By building a strong online presence, higher education institutions will be able to reach and engage with their target audience. 

By having an active digital presence, your school will be able to:

• provide 24/7 information access to audiences,
• tell their story virtually, and
• use data to make informed decisions.

The focus this year will be on the existing digital marketing strategies and finding ways to best optimize your content in the ever-changing industry. 

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the digital marketing strategies, trends, and tactics to look out for in 2023.

1. Transition to Google Analytics 4

One of the key pieces of making informed decisions about your marketing strategy is collecting and analyzing data. When utilizing Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you’ll be able to track the traffic and performance of your website, thus developing effective digital marketing strategies to increase enrollment. 

Google will transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 on July 1, 2023. It would be best to plan the transition and get acquainted with the new changes before then. Some of the most significant changes on the platform are:

• Data collection: with an entirely different data model, any interaction in any device is organized under Events, which belongs to a User. This way, GA4 can link all interactions and enables you to organize them as need come, 
• AI + Machine learning: through Machine learning, Google is able to fill data gaps and make forecasts that predict future behavior. By using conversion rate data from past activities, you’ll be able to make predictions on enrollment numbers and potential students. 
• Cross-device tracking: with this feature at the heart of GA4, the new data model allows it to store data from multiple sources and send them for further analysis. The cross-device tracking mechanism is based on “Identity spaces”, which identify a user using multiple data points. This is done through three types of identifiers: User ID, Google Signals, and Device ID.

You can read more about Google Analytics 4 here. 

2. Reevaluate Your Higher Education Social Media Marketing Strategy

With 2022 being a challenging year for social media platforms, 2023 becomes the year to reevaluate what’s working and what’s not and how to relocate sources in SEO.

Let’s take a look at the four areas of high ed. digital marketing you can reevaluate and focus on in 2023.

1. Increasing brand awareness: You can use brand strategy to show what makes your institution unique and stand out.  
2. Boosting social media presence: Considering 54% of Gen Zers use social media for more than four hours a day, boosting your social media presence will increase engagement.
3. Promoting purpose-driven campaigns: As an academic institute, you want to be inclusive and encourage diversity in all its forms; promoting purpose-driven campaigns can be an initiative towards showing leadership in this area. 
4. Involving current students and alumni: By sharing stories or interviews of students or alumni, you can reach and influence more people.

3. Explore AI-Generated Content

Last year we saw a lot of progress with AI content generators, progress estimated only to grow. And while the content is still stilted, it can be a helpful tool in higher ed. digital marketing.

Some of the ways you can use AI in higher education digital marketing are:

• Content optimization: AI tools can help analyze your website’s content and suggest ways to optimize it for search engines. In this area, Frase or MarketMuse can help you out.
• Chatbots: with ChatGPT taking off by the storm, it can be a valuable tool for creating content, providing 24/7 service, answering frequently asked questions, and making content recommendations. 
• Email marketing: AI can also be useful in optimizing email marketing, thus resulting in higher open and click-through rates. For this purpose, you can use tools like Persado or Phrasee. 
• Ad targeting: AI can help target specific demographics and reach a wider audience. An AI tool you can use is Google’s Smart Bidding; after analyzing your previous campaigns, it will automatically find the optimal bid to drive higher conversion volume. 
• Predictive analytics: You can also use AI tools (Lattice and C3 IoT) to address potential issues and find new opportunities.  

4. Incorporate Short-Form Video Into Your Higher Ed. Marketing Strategy

According to Video Marketing Statistics, video use in marketing in 2022 was 86%, and with Gen Zers preferring social media platforms with short video features (60% of them use TikTok), video use in marketing is projected to grow. Therefore, incorporating short videos into your school’s digital marketing strategies will help you be ahead of the game. 

You can include short videos (preferably under 90 seconds) on your homepage or other high-converting pages; you can try the following:

• Campus and facilities tours
• Student takeover
• Sports and event highlights
• Student interviews
• Insight from professors and academic leaders

Because many students won’t be able to take in-person tours, they can take virtual tours; they’ll be able to get familiar with the campus and staff, thus increasing enrollment chances. 

By using sharable short videos, you’ll be able to drive organic traffic and make your site more homely, interactive, visually appealing, and convincing.

5. Include Responsive Ads in Your Higher Education Advertising Strategy

Another higher ed. digital marketing strategy to look out for is the use of responsive ads. As flexible adverts that can adjust their shape, appearance, and size to fit in a website or app, they are highly visible and don’t disturb the user experience. According to Google, when using multiple headlines, descriptions, and images with responsive ads, advertisers see 10% more conversions with a similar CPA.

Some other benefits of using responsive ads are:

• Optimizing your ads: When uploading different assets into Google Ads, thus creating a responsive ad, Google’s machine learning model will determine the optimal combination of assets based on your performance history.
• Reaching broader: because of the flexibility in shape, size, format, and appearance, you’ll be able to upload multiple assets per asset type.
• Using videos: To maximize your reach on the Display Network, you can also add videos to your responsive ads.
• Using with feeds: Because responsive ads show personalized content from a feed you add and control, you’ll find your ads in dynamic and static formats by adding a feed to your campaign.
• Saving time: By using responsive ads, you’ll be able to focus more on performance improvement rather than managing ad portfolios within campaigns. 

6. Increase Search Engine Visibility via SEO

As the primary goal of digital marketing for your school’s website is to attract more students, you have to ensure that your school is easily found online. By adopting SEO practices and thorough keyword research, you’ll be able to improve your rank and appear higher on search engines.  

Some of the ways you can make your website more visible on Google are:

• Creating quality content
• Making it sharable
• Getting verified by Google
• Creating more pages
• Targeting your pages for keywords 
• Using Google Ads
• Using compelling page titles
• Composing better meta tags 
• Building a backlink strategy

Another way to increase site visibility is to win a Google’s snippet box. This box describes a page before linking that page; this is a way of helping people find the information they need more easily. Google chooses these snippets based on whether a page can fulfill a specific search request. Through the snippet box, you’ll be able to drive more organic traffic and prove your authority in the subject matter.

Conclusion

By understanding and adopting the trends of digital marketing strategies for higher ed., you’ll be able to increase enrollment figures and conversion rates. Your school will also be able to connect better with the target audience and give insight into what makes you stand out. 

The points above indicate that the latest trends focus on identifying prospective students, admission inquiries, conversion rates, and click-through rates. The process of identifying prospective customers is called lead generation, which can also be applied to higher ed. You can learn more about lead generation strategies here.

So, what’s next? If you want to stay up-to-date with current trends and increase your student base, you can book a free consultation and learn more about what digital strategies you can adopt for optimal results. You can also check out case studies on how an SEO agency for higher education. can make a difference.