Search engine optimisation (SEO) should be a top priority for schools, universities and all other businesses in international education that aim to enhance their discoverability and boost international student enrollment. With an increasing number of students searching online for information on studying abroad, having an SEO strategy tailored to global audiences helps drive traffic to websites and improve lead generation. Here are some tips for optimising SEO to recruit learners from around the world. 

Focus on keyword research

The foundation of good SEO is targeting relevant keywords. This can be done by looking at which terms international students use when researching study abroad options. For instance, phrases like ‘study in [country name]’, ‘[degree type] programs in [country]’ and ‘[university name] international admissions’ can help you understand user intent. Optimising for long-tail variations of these keywords throughout your site will improve findability.

Localise your content

Using multiple languages is key in attracting visitors worldwide. Consider creating translated versions of main pages or even your entire website, prioritising languages based on your target student demographics. Also ensure location-specific landing pages, contact forms and phone numbers are available for different countries. This will help improve your visibility and search rankings, especially in country-specific Google domains. It’s also useful to create content specifically relevant to students from the countries you’re targeting, such as blog posts and videos addressing possible concerns around studying abroad, visa processes and cost of living. 

Optimise for different devices

On a global level, most web traffic now comes from mobile phones, so it’s crucial that your website is mobile-friendly. Site speed is also important, with pages taking over 3 seconds to load at risk of losing traffic. Therefore, improve the user experience by making sure your website is fully responsive on various devices and with minimal page load times. 

Written by Stephanie Clark