Basics of Search Engine Optimization for Education - Tip #3 - Off Site Optimization

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Tip #3 - Off Site Optimization - There are some things that can help your web site place higher in search engines that are not actually on your web site. These elements are called off site or off page optimization. A good example is when another web site that already places high on a search engine for a phrase you are targeting links to your web site and improves the placement of your web site. The search engines figure that if a web site that they have already determined is pertinent to that key phrase deems your web site important enough to link to, then it must be pertinent too.

This is a great one for institutions, non-profits, and government related entities because your web sites are generally considered "safe" due to their non-commercial nature. You are also know to be more collaborative than for-profits, and therefore have a better chance of getting other relevant web sites to link to yours (and vice versa). It really doesn't hurt to send an e-mail to other education related organizations that you have contacts at, such as state, regional, and national governing or accrediting bodies, or to industry groups in areas where you are trying to establish a presence. They may not help, but on average, you are more likely to be successful at this than a commercial or for-profit entity.

Following my own advice, if you could please link to this Marketing in Education blog as a marketing resource, I'd appreciate it! We promise to continue to provide helpful information relevant to higher education, government, and non-profits in education to keep your marketing costs down and your marketing IQ up!