Tara is the in-house content lead at Digistorm, tending to all content needs, big or small! When she’s not writing copy or managing the Insights editorial calendar, Tara is passionate about supporting theatre and live music.
If you've recently launched a new school website or have undergone a website revamp, it's probably a safe bet that the furthest thing from your mind is having to update your content again. We get it, you've done the hard yards and now you would like to sit back and enjoy it.
Now, we're definitely not saying that you need to completely overhaul your content every few months, however, there are some key areas on your school website that'll need to be monitored and updated often. Take pages like events, news, and careers for example. Keeping content on these pages fresh and up-to-date means that your visitors will always have relevant information at their fingertips. But, that's not all, there's actually a little more to the story...
We've said it before and we'll say it again, your school website is perhaps the most important tool in your marketing tool kit. It's the single source of information for both current and prospective families, so it's essential that your content is always up-to-date and well-written.
The goal of any digital marketing strategy is to draw more visitors to your website, so when they land on it, you want them to find interesting and relevant information, right? Think about it, you wouldn't leave outdated email addresses, locations, or contact numbers on your website, so why would you leave outdated content? This might sound a little harsh, but it looks unprofessional and as though you perhaps don't have the team or resources available to update your website – not a particularly great first impression to leave on prospective families.
Let's cut to the chase. Aside from keeping families in the loop and maintaining professionalism, up-to-date website content is essential when it comes to SEO. This means big changes to the way Google ranks websites, with a greater focus on improving the user experience on web pages.
We've talked in length here on Insights about how important SEO is for attracting prospective families and driving enrolments. When developing an SEO strategy for your school, there are two main areas to consider: technical and on-page. When we talk about technical SEO, we're referring to elements like; information architecture, page speed, and responsiveness. On the other hand, on-page SEO focuses on optimising your content through targeted keyword research.
As marketers, we know that keyword research is never finished. It's an ever-evolving process that shifts when the way consumers search for information changes. A few years ago, if you were looking for a place to grab dinner with friends, you might have popped a bunch of keywords in Google that look something like this: Thai Restaurant Brisbane. Oh, how things have changed. Research shows that now we're more likely to input something like this: Where is the best Thai restaurant in Brisbane?” Google now hones in on the users' search intent rather than just the specific keywords they input.
The takeaway here is that it's important to stay agile with your content and keyword strategy. One of the many perks of having a Digistorm Website is that it comes with an incredibly easy to use content management system that makes it simple for your team to chop and change content as needed. Keep your finger on the pulse with search intent trends and update your content accordingly.
So now that we've covered why it's important to keep your school website content updated, let's put some steps in place to ensure it actually happens! It's unlikely that you'll be able to review website content every week, but there are some key triggers you can set in your calendar as a reminder.
Content audits aren't just a good idea if you're redesigning your website, they're also a handy tool that can be used at any time to make sure everything is up to scratch. This is an easy one to lock away in your calendar to be performed every three, six, or 12 months. If you need a hand getting started, take a look at our simple guide to content audits for schools.
Another way to keep make sure your content is fresh and working for you if by regularly diving into your website analytics and reviewing how your pages are performing. We recommend starting with the pages that deliver the lowest traffic or highest bounce rates. Leverage your keyword strategy to rewrite this content and provide more relevant information. Then, check back in a few months to see how they're performing – chances are you'll notice a huge difference!
There are always going to be exciting new milestones that take place at your school. Perhaps you've just received an impressive new award or your fabulous new science lab is ready to open? Whenever something newsworthy happens, make sure you update all necessary areas on your school website to promote it.
Never underestimate the power of website content! Google will award you major SEO brownie points for keeping your content fresh and up-to-date, so take the time to review it regularly. You don't need to labor over content reviews, all it takes is setting some key reminders in your calendar and keeping your finger on the pulse about the going-ons at your school.