Writing for the Web

Marketing programs II

Now that you've got a solid sense of your program, your students, and your priorities, let's look at how prospective students might find out about you. In this issue of the blog I'll look just at online searches.

Internet search: Google, Yahoo!, etc.
We need to know commonly used program names and keywords. What might those be?

• Search for taxonomies or publication indexes or graduate school Web sites to determine the most commonly used and recognized terms in your field. For instance check CIP codes (http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2002165), graduate school guides (www.graduateguide.com/articles.asp?rcatid=24), publication indexes, job posting sites, etc.


• Review your competitors' Web sites to see what they call their programs.


• Consider what the professionals in your field call themselves.

Now

• Use those terms on your Web pages.


• Rename your program if necessary.

Consider how you might research cell phones before making a purchase. You seldom search by specifics such as model number. You search by using general terms. You don't know model numbers. Prospective students shouldn't be required to know the exact name of your program; they should be able to search by concepts and common terms.

University of Minnesota search
Review University catalogs and directory listings.

• Is the program listed in the University catalog?
  (Graduate degree programs and tracks can be listed in the Graduate School Catalog, along with certificates offered through the Graduate School. Undergraduate degree programs can be listed in the undergraduate catalog. Areas of specialization and emphasis areas will not be listed, but can be included in program descriptions.)


• College certificates and professional programs like the M.Ed. or M.P.H. which are not listed in any University catalog can be listed or referenced at Postgraduate Professional Programs and Certificates.


• Is the program listed in the college’s listing of fields of study? (This might be CEHD specific: www.education.umn.edu/fields. Emphasis areas and areas of specialization can be listed here.)


• Is the program listed in the University directory?

School search sites
Is the program listed, as appropriate, in any of the following directories:

• GradSchools.com (Expect subsequent sales calls.)


• Peterson’s Guide (Student services areas or dean's offices typically update this.) You can alsosponsor listings.


• www.graduateguide.com (I’m not sure how this is updated.)


• www.schoolguides.com (I’m not sure how this is updated.)


• The Princeton Review A recent search for graduate programs in education in Minnesota only listed the Humphrey Institute for the U of M in the search engine results. A search for recreation and fitness graduate programs only listed the Medical School. I think each college updates these listings.

Professional association and accrediation sites

• Search to see if related professional associations have sites that might link to your program.
  
  For instance the National Association of School Psychologists lists approved programs. But they don't provide links. It doesn't hurt to ask if they'd consider adding links. The American Statisitcal Association doesn't seem to list any academic programs so in making a request for a link you might want to also volunteer to create such a list for them.


• Consider expanding on your list of competitors and publishing it on your site. And if you have graduates teaching in any of those programs, consider noting it. (This gives you a legitimate reason to repeat keywords in a document.)

Next time I'll write about trying to improve the "word on the street."

Posted by bullwink at January 18, 2007 3:02 PM