In today’s always-on world, prospective students and parents aren’t just searching — they’re exploring across platforms, touchpoints, and moments.
Imagine Emily, a high school senior juggling college brochures, TikTok reviews, Google searches, and YouTube tours—all at once. She’s not loyal to one platform; she’s everywhere.
To capture the attention of students like Emily, colleges can no longer rely on traditional SEO alone. Welcome to the era of “Search Everywhere” marketing, where showing up authentically, consistently, and compellingly across every digital touchpoint isn’t just strategic—it’s essential.
From TikTok and Instagram to Google, ChatGPT, and YouTube, institutions must spread their message where students (and their parents) spend their time.
Today it’s no longer enough to rely solely on your website—but to the extent you do, of course, you must ensure that your website content is optimized to show up across all search results and platforms by implementing structured data.
Here’s what to do:
TikTok and Short-Form Video SEO
TikTok has become a serious search tool for prospective students.
- Take advantage of TikTok’s search functionality and create content that answers real student questions.
- Jump in on the current trends (as appropriate for your brand), engage with storytelling, and repost user-generated content (UGC) from real students.
- Give students the mic; students trust content from other students over official marketing.
Google Search is Still King—But Needs Optimization
While social platforms rise, Google remains the ultimate search destination for parents and decision-makers.
- Optimize for “near me” searches like “best computer science programs near me.”
- Leverage Google’s People Also Ask feature with structured data.
- Use strategic long-tail keywords that match student queries.
AI-Powered Search and Chatbots
AI search is on the rise and is transforming how students discover colleges. Consider:
- Offering personalized search results to prospective students based on past browsing behavior.
- An instant AI-powered chatbot on the university website to answer questions instantly.
- Ensuring that your search strategy includes large language models and accounts for how they find and regurgitate information (and sources).
YouTube as a Search Engine for College Research
As the #2 search engine globally, YouTube is a critical research platform.
- Create SEO-optimized video titles, descriptions, and playlists.
- Produce campus tour videos and student life content.
- Organize content into playlists to make it even easier for users to find what they are looking for.
Mobile-First Web Design & ADA Compliance
With 60%+ of Gen Z researching colleges on cellphones:
- A mobile-friendly website is a must.
- Ensure full ADA compliance.
- Give them a smooth and intuitive mobile experience.
- Prioritize speed and accessibility when it comes to your site performance.
Success today means being everywhere—and showing up meaningfully and authentically. It’s creating content for students like Emily and her parents that brings campus life directly into living rooms around the world.
By blending traditional SEO, social search, and AI-powered discovery, universities can ensure they are found by all audience segments, maximizing their reach.
The universities that win attention, trust, and ultimately enrollment, are those that master the art of connecting genuinely across every digital touchpoint.
If you’re missing any of the items on this checklist, reach out. Yes& would be happy to take a deep dive to make sure that when students search everywhere, they find you.
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