Chartering a path for SEO training and execution for a leading educational institution.
The Challenge
Xavier University was in need of an expert SEO partner to help train their internal marketing team. We provided a self-paced online SEO training course so that they could stay on top of their game. As the team’s responsibilities grew, they came back to us for help with upstream, strategic consulting.
The Breakthrough
At UFO, we’re here to flex to your team’s specific needs. In this case, Xavier University had the know-how to execute the work but needed extra support with strategy and planning to boost their business. We did SEO research and content planning on various key topics and provided Xavier with keyword and topical research. We then created wireframes that recommended content flow and format to meet the needs of searchers best. With this blueprint for execution, the team could focus on building content, creating efficiencies in their workflow.
Re-claiming Top Rankings for Key Topics
One of the topics we researched was the Crosstown Shootout. This annual basketball game between Xavier and the University of Cincinnati is one of the biggest rivalries in the NCAA. Our research revealed a decent amount of search volume for this term, especially around the time of the game. Xavier had a big opportunity to rank #1 if they built a page that served as a complete guide to the game, including basic information, how to buy tickets, history of the series, and past scores.
We provided a wireframe of content and copy direction for their internal team to build. These wireframes included recommendations for keywords and crosslinking, as well as imagery and data visualization recommendations. As SEO evolves, it’s not just about the keywords but also ensuring that you meet the user’s intent with easy-to-digest information. It’s not enough to just have content. You must also be able to present the content in the right format, in the right way.
The Result
The project is still in flight, but we’ve already seen significant improvements in traffic and rankings. We’ve successfully moved the majority of targeted keywords from unranked to top 10, ultimately driving more traffic to key landing pages.
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