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Getting the Most Out of Google – Without Spending a Dime Brandon Schmidt Director of Digital Strategy, YDOP

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Digital marketing agency for colleges & universities.

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Paid Options Free Options Showing Up on Google

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Paid Advertising Free Options Benefits of Paid Advertising • Immediate impact on leads & admissions • Can show up on specific searches • Can measure ROI

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Paid Advertising Free Options Downsides of Paid Advertising • Constantly need to pay for those leads • Expensive • Competing against big players • Short term wins over long- term growth • Not main driver of traffic

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Where does your traffic come from?

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Free Paid

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Minimal Investment in Advertising

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Significant Investment in Advertising

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Organic is a Primary Driver of Traffic for Colleges & Universities

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Ready to See More Results from Google?

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Goal of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Colleges & Universities • Get found by more people on Google. • Create a source of traffic – without paying. • Influence how your school appears online.

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Content Links Knowledge Panel SERP Map Tech Stack 6 Areas to Focus SEO Efforts

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Give Google and your potential students something to read. 1. Content

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Keywords in Headings & Content

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Titles & Descriptions

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Titles & Descriptions

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Titles & Descriptions

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Create Content That Google Likes ^ and People

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Articles

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Resources

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Faculty Bios

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Types of Content to Create for a College Website • Scholarships • Alumni Profiles • Events • Facility Rental • Partnering Organizations • Learning Resources

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Building connections that make up the World Wide Web. 2. Links

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PageRank Algorithm

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Links are a Form of Endorsement Online

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Faculty Speaking

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Alumni

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Events

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High Ranking Pages

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Types of Links to Generate for a College Website • Scholarships • Events • Partnering Organizations • Learning Resources • Alumni • Faculty Accomplishments

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Internal Links to Relevant Pages

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Is your website held together by duct tape and rubber bands? 3. Tech Stack

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Technical Considerations for a College Website • Is it easy to update? • Is it fast? • Is it secure? • Does it look good on all size screens? • Is it accessible? • Does it clearly communicate to all audiences?

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Google’s attempt at bringing order & structure to the world’s information 4. Knowledge Panel

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The Original Knowledge Graph

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Not all Colleges & Universities are Presented the Same on Google

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Hybrid Knowledge Panel

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Expanded Google Business Profile

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50.6% of ABHE Schools 46% of ABHE Schools

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Hybrid Knowledge Panel

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Expanded Google Business Listings • An expansion of Google’s free local business profiles • Data sourced from Knowledge Graph, Wikipedia, and other sources • Visible for 46% of ABHE schools

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Can Show Google & Other Reviews

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Beware of Bad Reviews

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Linked to Knowledge Graph

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Notable Alumni

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When people search for your school, what do they find? 5. SERP

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75% of search traffic to colleges come from branded search terms Based on study of 1,000 colleges & universities

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Google Ads

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Your Website

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People Also Asked

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Other Websites

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News & Stories

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News & Stories

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Additional Features

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Related Searches

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Regularly monitor your branded SERP & take action on anything that shouldn’t be there.

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Are you giving your guests – and Google – enough info about your campus? 6. Maps

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What can you include in Google Maps? • Library • Dining Commons • Fields & Sporting Facilities • Academic Buildings • Dorms • Café • Bookstore • Admissions Office • Departments or Schools • Public Facilities • Parking Lots • Walking Paths • Non-Profits/Related Orgs

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Use Your Campus Map as Guide

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Brand New Campus…

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…Missing From Google

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Need to Create Location and Road

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Walking Directions Through A Cornfield

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Success!

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Content Links Knowledge Panel SERP Map Tech Stack 6 Areas to Focus SEO Efforts

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Digital marketing agency for colleges & universities.

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Connect with Brandon