About the Episode
About the Episode: What if all you needed to boost your organic traffic was just a little collaboration? Jessica Creech, Web Content Marketing Specialist at Purdue University Northwest, shares how she worked with professors to build 6 program-specific blog posts with big results. These posts have over 80% organic search traffic to the site, resulting in 4,079 page views and 3,049 unique users. Plus, about 23% of all page clicks lead to program or application pages — supporting students taking the next step in their enrollment journey.
Key Takeaways
- Harnessing organic search traffic: Six academic blog posts generate 80% organic traffic, driving 4,000 users to the site, with 30% being new visitors.
- Focus on user-friendly content: Collaborating with professors, the team simplified academic jargon to create accessible content for prospective students.
- SEO-driven content: Posts like "What Do Biologists Do?" rank in top positions, showcasing the importance of tailoring content to search intent.
- Cross-campus collaboration: Engaging multiple professors and departments created a well-rounded content strategy that improves recruitment efforts.
- Call to action is key: Linking blog posts directly to program pages and application forms encouraged students to take action, with some skipping the information request form and heading straight to the application page.
Episode Summary
How did Purdue University Northwest build its successful blog strategy?
Jessica explains that the blog’s success began with a simple post titled "What Do Biologists Do?", which unexpectedly became a top-ranking page on the Purdue University Northwest website. The post attracted consistent traffic without needing updates, prompting the marketing team to replicate its success for other degree programs. By working closely with professors, the team identified key academic programs that could benefit from additional traffic and focused on creating SEO-friendly, accessible content to attract prospective students.
What steps did the team take to ensure the content was relevant and accessible?
The key challenge was to simplify the complex academic language used by professors. The marketing team held interviews with faculty to gather essential program information and then translated it into blog posts that resonated with high school students. By focusing on SEO and keyword search terms that prospective students might use, such as "Which Computer Degree is Right for Me?", they crafted posts that directly addressed user needs. The posts were structured to highlight degrees, career outcomes, and specific academic content, ensuring that the information remained clear and engaging.
What results did these blog posts generate for Purdue University Northwest?
Jessica shares impressive results: the six blog posts have attracted over 4,000 users, with 30% of that traffic coming from new visitors. Furthermore, some readers have taken action by either clicking directly into program pages or bypassing the information request form to start the application process. This organic traffic, largely driven by search engines, proves the effectiveness of creating well-targeted, SEO-optimized content. Posts like "What Do Biologists Do?" and "Which Computer Degree is Right for Me?" rank consistently in the top positions for the university's blog content.
What challenges did the team face during the content creation process?
Jessica emphasizes that one of the biggest challenges was managing collaboration with multiple professors and departments. Coordinating interviews, gathering feedback, and revising drafts with different stakeholders required careful time management. Another challenge was ensuring the language used in the blog posts was accessible to prospective students while maintaining accuracy, which often required simplifying academic jargon. However, having student workers review the content helped ensure clarity.
How is this blog strategy supporting recruitment goals?
The blog posts not only attract significant organic traffic but also support recruitment goals by driving prospective students toward applications. By integrating call-to-action buttons that link directly to program pages or application forms, the blog posts serve as a vital touchpoint in the student journey. The collaboration with professors also helped build relationships across campus, leading to more comprehensive content that accurately reflects the university's academic offerings.
View the sample blog posts:
Which Business Degree is Right For Me?
What Can I Do with a Communication Degree?
What are the Benefits of a 4+1 Program?
About The Enrollify Podcast Network
Talking Tactics is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
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