UNITED STATES, January 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Since artificial intelligence stepped into the marketing limelight, schools have faced both positive marketing potential and increased pressure to keep up. Some schools have been quick to jump on any AI tool they can get their hands on, while others are dragging their feet out of uncertainty.

Is AI really changing the way families search for schools? Does it help or hurt our marketing strategies? These questions have been largely debatable up until now, but with the pending rollout of Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), the answers are becoming more clear: AI is changing the way people find schools and marketing teams should be prepared to use SGE, to their advantage, especially when it comes to SEO.

Here’s what school marketers should know about SEO in the wake of SGE:
What is Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)?

Right now, if one searches on Google, they'll get a long list of organic and sponsored results that relate to their query. They’ll most likely browse through the top five results, toggling between the results page and individual web pages. With SGE, on the other hand, They’ll get a comprehensive summary that combines data from multiple web pages into one easily scannable answer.

While the current version of SGE is impressive, it’s worth noting that it’s still in the experimental phase and will not be officially rolled out until 2024. Right now, users can try SGE by turning it on in Search Labs. Since the general public isn’t using it yet, now is the perfect time to get familiarized with its features and adjust SEO strategies.

Will it change the way people search for schools?

Yes. Busy parents are always looking to simplify the school shopping process, and manually sifting through individual search results can be time-consuming. With SGE, searchers can find answers to highly specific questions without clicking through multiple search results. For example, a parent might search “Which Minnesota private schools have the best athletics programs?” In this case, AI would generate a detailed list of top-ranking schools, a brief description of each, and their accompanying links–all in one place.

70% of school searches start on Google, meaning most prospects will encounter SGE early on in their search. For parents who haven’t already tried generative AI tools like chatGPT, SGE will be a hassle-free introduction to AI. There won’t be any need to create new accounts or toggle between browser tabs—SGE will be seamlessly integrated into their traditional Google searches. And unlike ChatGPT, SGE includes direct links for additional browsing.

Plus, SGE can also be used on individual web pages, which allows your website visitors to generate AI responses directly on the page. For example, suppose a parent finds your school’s home page (either from an organic search or an SGE result). In that case, they can use “SGE While Browsing” to search for specific information like financial aid or extracurriculars without manually navigating through a school website.

SGE in action

When searching “tips for helping my child adjust to a new school,” generative AI instantly produces a thorough response, supporting links, and the ability to ask follow-up questions. Similar to other generative AI tools like ChatGPT, asking a follow-up question will seamlessly continue the previous prompt, sot they won’t have to conduct a new search.

Currently, SGE is known for its ability to contextualize and respond to complex keywords in a conversational manner. For instance, SGE’s suggested follow-up questions to the prompt about adjusting to a new school include:

“How long does it take for a child to adjust to a new school?”

“What are the psychological effects of moving to a new school?”

“What do you say to a child starting a new school?”

Though similar to the “people also ask” feature on Google, SGE’s answers to follow-up questions provide more information and resources than the singular web pages and short snippets in “people also ask.”

How does SGE affect SEO?

Since SGE will extract information from top-ranking pages, the need for users to manually visit sites, along with some of your organic traffic, will diminish. But before you sound the alarm, keep in mind two things:

First, an SGE response is not the be-all-end-all. Users will still want to manually browse traditional search results, especially when they’re further down in the admissions funnel. Second, SGE is valuable real estate for your website, and maintaining a strong SEO presence can help you be featured there.

For example, a Truth Tree blog post on Google ads for private schools earned a featured spot in an SGE response because of its long-tail keywords, content quality, and site authority.

While schools shouldn’t need to worry about any major changes to their SEO strategy, you may want to reevaluate your priorities.

Here are four aspects of SEO that will play a big role in SGE:

E-E-A-T

The four pillars of E-E-A-T have always impacted SEO rankings, but with SGE, they’re even more important. Google wants its SGE response to be as reliable as possible, which is why its AI searches for high-quality content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

Backlinks

Schools should have a solid backlink strategy come 2024, as domain authority will be a key factor in whether or not a site is featured in an SGE snippet. To do this, they should focus on earning quality links from reputable sites (quality is better than quantity), through guest blogging, press releases, and podcast appearances. For example, a school could write a guest post on a parenting blog in exchange for a link to their website.

Long-tail keywords

With AI’s ability to process nuanced questions, users will start searching longer, more complex phrases. While short-tail keywords will still be important, it’s worth shifting their keyword strategy to include longer phrases. Focus on the audience’s search intent and the kinds of phrases or questions they would ask in a real conversation. SGE responses are essentially a dialogue between AI and the searcher, so the more their keywords mirror those conversational phrases, the greater your chance of being recognized. For example, the phrase “What are the best STEM-focused elementary schools in Chicago with after-school programs?” will be more common than the search term “Chicago STEM schools.”

Original Content

Has their school updated your blog recently? If not, now is a great time to start ramping up your posting schedule. The AI of SGE is looking for content that stands out–original insights and guidance that will be helpful and relevant to your audience. A blog should go beyond news updates and student spotlights (though these are important, too). It should also provide informational posts on topics that the school's families really care about. Schools could consider posts like:

"Tips for improving parent-teacher communication"

"5 reasons to get involved with extracurriculars this year"

"How to make private school more affordable"

These evergreen topics will draw more organic traffic to their site and appeal to SGE’s search for original content.

Preparing for the future of SEO

While AI is nothing new, the addition of SGE into Google’s search will undoubtedly stir the pot in users’ search experience, including families shopping for schools. Rest assured that SEO still matters, although they may need to adjust their strategy slightly. The main takeaway? Learning to use SGE to their advantage will be the difference between schools that excel in AI-driven marketing and those that fall behind.

Trevor Waddington
Truth Tree
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