It’s More Than a Pretty Website

Website design is very important for private schools. Your school’s website is the first impression that your prospective parents will see and it’s critical for your site to be well-designed and user-friendly.

However, not only is it important for your website design to be attractive and compelling, there is a lot of work that should go on behind the scenes to make sure your website is found through online searches. This is essential for every private school’s marketing plan.

Getting found online begins with a good content management system that will have built in tools for search engine optimization, otherwise known as SEO. For example, my website was built on a WordPress content management system by North Star Marketing-Communications and all of my SEO tools are included.

From there, it takes the knowledge and skills to focus on three essential elements that will help with your SEO for your school’s website:

• Page Titles – The page title is what shows up at the top of your browser window. It is critical to use keywords in the title that describe the content of the page. Every page should have a unique title and should be driven by the keywords used on the page. It should also be limited to 60 characters so make sure you choose your words carefully.
• Descriptions – A description that is a maximum of 160 characters should be written for each of your website pages. While the description does not influence SEO, it does appear within the search results page. The description you provide for your page may influence the online viewer to click on your page.
• Keywords – The use of keywords is what drives the search process. Think about an online user entering in some keywords in a Google search to find schools in your area. These keywords should be used in your website content and in your SEO tools.

This is the foundation for your SEO strategy for your school’s website. While many school administrators will attempt to try this on their own, I would encourage you to consider hiring a firm or consultant with this expertise.

It’s one thing to have a pretty website; it’s another to make sure the right people are actually finding it.