Top Tips for Creating an Effective and SEO-friendly University Website
Creating an effective and SEO-friendly university website is crucial for attracting and engaging students, staff, and other stakeholders.
A well-designed and optimized website can help improve visibility, drive more traffic, and increase conversion rates. In this article, we will provide you with top tips for creating an effective and SEO-friendly university website. From mobile optimization to clear navigation, high-quality images, and detailed program information, we will cover everything you need to know to create a website that stands out and delivers results. We’ll also touch on the importance of keeping your website up to date, making it accessible, and using analytics to track user behavior and improve the user experience.
Below are some tips for creating an effective university website.
Make it mobile-friendly
Many users access websites on their smartphones, so it’s important to optimize your site for mobile devices. Mobile-friendliness is particularly important for university websites because an increasing number of students and potential students are accessing the web from mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website provides a positive user experience for these users, helping them to easily find the information they need. Read more on Why Mobile-Friendliness is Essential for University Websites: Improving User Experience, Search Engine Rankings, and Student Engagement.
Use clear, consistent navigation
Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for by using clear, consistent navigation. Some key elements that make for clear and consistent website navigation include:
- A clear hierarchy: Navigation should be organized in a logical and intuitive way, with the most important pages at the top and secondary pages nested underneath.
- Consistent labeling: Navigation labels should be consistent throughout the website, using the same terminology and language for similar pages.
- Simple and intuitive design: Navigation should be easy to use and understand, with simple and intuitive design elements such as drop-down menus and breadcrumb trails.
- Visually consistent: Navigation should have a consistent visual design throughout the website, using similar colors, typography, and icons.
- Link placement: Navigation links should be placed in a consistent location throughout the website, such as in a header or footer, to make it easy for visitors to find.
- Mobile-friendly: Navigation should be optimized for mobile devices, ensuring that it is easy to use and understand on smaller screens.
- Search functionality: A search bar allows users to quickly find the information they are looking for, even if they don’t know where it is on the website.
By keeping these elements in mind, you can create a clear and consistent navigation that improves the user experience and helps visitors find the information they need quickly and easily.
Use high-quality images and videos
Use high-quality images and videos to showcase the university’s campus and programs. There are several good places to find high-quality images and videos to showcase a university’s campus and programs:
- The university’s own website and social media accounts: Many universities have a wealth of images and videos of their campus and programs that they use for promotional purposes. Check out your university’s website and social media accounts to see if you have any images or videos that can be used.
- Stock image websites: Websites such as Shutterstock, iStock, and Getty Images have a large collection of high-quality images and videos that can be licensed for use.
- Creative Commons: Websites such as Flickr and Pexels have a large collection of images and videos that are licensed under Creative Commons, which means they can be used for free, with attribution.
- Professional photographers and videographers: Some universities hire professional photographers and videographers to capture images and videos of their campus and programs. Check with the university’s communications or marketing department to see if they have any professional images or videos that can be used.
- Student-generated content: Encourage students and staff to share their own photos and videos of campus life and programs through social media, email or a student-generated content platform, this can provide a more authentic and current perspective on the university’s offerings.
It’s important to keep in mind that when using images and videos from other sources, you must have the right to use them, read and understand the licenses and terms of use before using any image or video.
Provide detailed information about programs and courses
Provide detailed information about the university’s programs and courses, including prerequisites, course schedules, and tuition costs. Read more in Maximizing User Experience: The Key Elements of a Good Online Academic Program Finder for University Websites.
Include a search function
Include a search function to make it easy for users to find specific information on the site.
Make the website accessible
Ensure that the website is accessible to users with disabilities. Read more in Boost Accessibility and SEO with the Best WordPress Widgets and Plugins for Universities.
Keep content up to date
Keep the website up to date with current events, news, and other relevant information.
Optimize for SEO
Optimize the website for search engines to improve visibility and drive more traffic to the site. Read more in Top Tips for Creating an Effective and SEO-friendly University Website.
Make it easy to contact the university
Provide contact information and make it easy for users to contact the university.
Use analytics to track user behavior
Use analytics tools to track user behavior and gain insights into how users are interacting with the website, so you can make improvements and optimize the user experience. Get a detailed description in our Understanding and Implementing UTM Tracking in WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide for Improved Marketing Campaigns.