About the Episode
About the Episode:
In this episode of The Pulse, Mallory speaks with Rebecka Hall, Director of Web Innovation and Strategy at ODUGlobal, live from the eduWeb Summit. Rebecka shares her expertise on creating compelling and effective program pages for higher education institutions. They explore the critical elements of program pages, strategies for SEO optimization, and the importance of cross-campus collaboration.
Key Takeaways:
- Critical Components: Essential elements of a successful program page include clear job outcomes, services offered, alumni success stories, and institutional support.
- SEO Strategy: Integrating SEO at the ground level and creating evergreen content are key to making program pages findable.
- Cross-Campus Collaboration: Building strong partnerships with various departments, including provosts, faculty, and marketing teams, is crucial for developing comprehensive program pages.
- ROI Focus: Emphasizing the return on investment for students, such as future job prospects and alumni networks, helps in making the content relatable and authentic.
- Ecosystem Approach: Creating an interconnected ecosystem of program pages, service pages, and authoritative information enhances user experience and supports SEO efforts.
- Use of AI: Leveraging AI-driven technology, like BrightEdge Autopilot, can help recommend additional relevant programs and optimize page content effectively.
What Makes a Great Program Page?
Rebecka Hall begins by emphasizing the importance of program pages in higher ed marketing. As the primary digital real estate for showcasing a university’s offerings, these pages need to do more than provide basic information—they must connect prospective students with the value of the program. To achieve this, Rebecka suggests:
- Highlighting Job Outcomes: Prospective students want to understand how a program will benefit them professionally. Including alumni stories and career data is essential.
- Providing Clear Costs and ROI: Be transparent about costs and showcase the return on investment, including how the program can impact career opportunities and earning potential.
- Focusing on Authenticity: Every program page should reflect your institution’s unique narrative and values, resonating with prospective students in a meaningful way.
How to Make Program Pages Discoverable
One of the biggest challenges with program pages is ensuring they are findable online. Rebecka explains that incorporating SEO from the outset is critical. Her strategies include:
- Using AI-driven tools like BrightEdge Autopilot to identify content gaps and recommend additional pages to optimize.
- Creating evergreen content tied to common search queries, such as “how to use my bachelor’s degree,” to attract prospective students.
- Building an interconnected ecosystem of pages that naturally guides users between program information, career outcomes, and other resources.
Collaboration: The Secret to Effective Program Pages
Rebecka highlights the complexity of building great program pages, which requires input from numerous campus units, including:
- Academic Departments: Faculty input ensures the academic rigor of the program is accurately represented.
- Career Services: Data about alumni success and career outcomes adds credibility and value to the page.
- Marketing and Communications: MarCom teams are responsible for crafting an engaging, user-friendly narrative.
Breaking down silos and fostering collaboration is key to developing a comprehensive strategy for program pages. Rebecka encourages institutions to invest in strong content teams and leverage tools like AI and GPT-trained models to streamline the process while maintaining brand consistency.
Connect with Rebecka on LinkedIn
Connect With Our Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea
About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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