There are many ways to increase the value of your university website—blogging is one of them.
A good university website can help attract new students and act as a valuable resource for current students, faculty, and staff. While most aspects of a university website can be handled by having a “traditional” website setup, including a blog – or several blogs – is a wonderful way to share updates about your university, to share news about what is happening on your campus, and to share information about what is happening within your university’s various colleges.
Aside from being a great way to share ongoing updates, blogs are a terrific way to aid your marketing efforts, improve your site’s search engine rankings, and, thus, improve the visibility of your site on the web.
In this article, we’ll discuss six reasons to include a blog on your higher education website.
Let’s take a look at some of the top reasons you should consider adding a blog to it.
1. It Can Help With Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If you want your website to rank well with search engines, it’s important to make SEO a priority. Many factors that influence where your site ends up on results pages – including keywords, links, and unique, relevant content – can be improved through blogging. New posts add fresh content to your site and drive recurring traffic. Each published piece is an opportunity to boost your position in organic search rankings for a wide variety of different keywords and search terms.
2. A Blog Provides Opportunities for Personal and Professional Development
Another reason to consider adding a blog to your university website is for the development opportunities it offers both staff and students. A blog can also give students easy access to development tools, advice, and resources for personal growth. For example, many colleges share lifestyle and health tips on their blogs. Additionally, a blog can focus on professional and career advancement. You could post information about upcoming job fairs and internships:
Finally, if students can contribute to a campus blog, it gives them the chance to practice writing and digital communication skills to help build their portfolios. This can be useful in a wide range of areas of study – including the sciences and fine arts – not just journalism or marketing.
3. You Can Share Different Perspectives and Voices from Around Campus
A college blog is a powerful platform for showcasing students’ perspectives and voices. This can be particularly useful for prospective attendees who aren’t able to visit your campus in person but want to get a better idea of what to expect if they decide to attend.
4. Attract Potential Students to Your University
When students are researching colleges and universities, the first place most of them will look is the internet. This is why SEO is so vital.
Beyond increasing your visibility on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), a blog can help attract potential prospects by giving them a more in-depth look into campus life. Most university websites have admissions and application sections that explain some basic information. A blog can, however, help your college stand out from other options through the unique topics, stories, and voices you feature. Prospective applicants can read about real-life student and staff experiences, which helps them feel more connected to your school and envision themselves there.
5. Fuel Your Social Media Presence
Your university website isn’t meant to be an echo-chamber, containing materials that only relate to enrolled students and staff. Incorporating blogs is a great way to make sure your site has appeal to a wider audience and it is a source of material that is perfect for use on social media to help you reach a broader audience.
Sharing valuable content across several networks instantly increases your school’s exposure and is a fairly simple way to promote your university, upcoming campus events, and academic programs.
Regularly posting on social media can help boost your university’s online presence, credibility, and reputation. Additionally, including social icons on your university blog posts for quick sharing will prompt visitors to share your content. This can help create backlinks that will further improve your site’s SEO.
6. Address and Answer Specific Questions
Many of the questions college admissions offices receive are repetitive. While a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page can be helpful, a blog is sometimes a more effective method of addressing common issues in more detail. The topics could range from application instructions and tips to choosing an area of study to career trajectories and beyond.
People who want answers often turn to the internet to find them. Writing content that addresses common questions and concerns can help position you as a valuable, trustworthy resource while driving visitors to your site.
Conclusion
Establishing a strong online presence is important for universities and colleges. A website that includes one or more blog pages is a valuable tool for accomplishing your university’s online goals. Blogs boost traffic, boost search engine result placement, increase links and sharing, provide information for recruits and current students, and much more.