SEO Strategy: Beyond Keywords to Digital Visibility

For many organisations, search engine optimisation (SEO) sounds like a black box only marketing teams and agencies can open. In reality, SEO is simply findability: making sure the right people can discover your courses, projects, services, and impact online. And that makes SEO everyone’s job - especially in universities and charities where so many pages are written by academics, programme leads, or service teams.

In a past life I worked with around 200 SMEs to improve their SEO. Inside larger organisations, marketing and web teams own the tooling - but they can’t rewrite every page. The people “in between” (course leaders, researchers, programme managers, KE teams) shape most of the content that audiences actually see.

I once developed a suite of Business School courses. We wrote the descriptions to satisfy internal approval and an external examiner. When it came to market the courses, nothing changed. The copy wasn’t written in the way people search, so marketing had to work twice as hard. Write twice for your audience if you have to.

Why non-marketers should care

• Researchers & academics: If your project page is titled “Interdisciplinary Paradigms in…”, employers and policymakers won’t find it. Clear, plain-English titles win.

• Course leaders & CPD teams: Prospective students search “leadership course for NHS managers” or “online data analytics short course” - not “executive education provision.”

• Charity programme leads: Beneficiaries rarely use sector jargon. Plain language improves comprehension and discoverability.

• Partnerships & KE teams: Employer buying journeys begin online. If your offer isn’t findable, your pipeline shrinks.

  
  

Five simple habits that boost findability

1) Write how people search

Ask three target users what they’d type into Google. Mirror those phrases in your page title, H1, first paragraph, and sub-headings. There are now lots of tools out there that point you to what users search for (such as Also Asked and Answer the Public).

Example

• Internal: “Postgraduate Provision in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems”

• Search-friendly: “Master’s in Entrepreneurship: Build a Start-Up with Industry Mentors”

  
  

2) Lead with outcomes, not structures

Put the essentials near the top: who it’s for, what you’ll get, when/how it runs, cost, and next step. Users (and search engines) reward clarity.

3) Own your titles and meta descriptions

Draft a clear page title (≈60 characters) and meta description (≤155 characters) that match user intent. Your web team can use these to make your pages better. These snippets drive clicks - and the right clicks.

4) Structure for scanning

Short paragraphs, descriptive sub-headings, bullet lists, meaningful link text (e.g., Download apprenticeship funding guide). Experts scan like everyone else.

5) Measure and iterate

Open Google Search Console with your comms team. Check: which queries trigger your page, impressions vs. clicks, and regional visibility. Tweak headings and copy accordingly. Website/marketing/comms team will have your website connected to Google Search Console and are sat on a wealth of data that you can both use to drive products/services and marketing.

Quick rewrites that pay off

• Research centres: Replace “About the centre” with “What we do for [sector/region]” + three problems you solve, each with a proof point.

• Course pages: Move entry requirements lower down the page; bring outcomes, schedule, fees, and “Who it’s for” to the top with a clear enquiry CTA.

• Charity services: Swap internal programme names for beneficiary-focused headings like “Free debt advice in [your location] - how to get help today.”

• News posts: Add a one-line “Why this matters” plus links to relevant services, sign-ups, or contact forms.

  
  

FAQs for busy academics & programme leads

Does plain language ‘dumb down’ our expertise? No. Clear, scannable copy increases comprehension for all audiences. Link to detailed papers or PDFs for depth while keeping entry pages accessible.

Isn’t SEO changing because of AI? Yes - and the direction of travel still rewards original, trustworthy, people-first content. Show experience, cite evidence, and be useful.

Our marketing team already does SEO - why me? They set standards and amplify. But they can’t rewrite every module, project, or service page. When subject experts draft in audience language, marketing multiplies impact instead of translating.

A 30-minute team routine

1. Pick one high-value page (course, service, or project).

2. Ask three stakeholders how they’d search for it.

3. Update the page title, H1, opening 100 words, and a bulleted Who it’s for / What you’ll get / Next step.

4. Add two internal links to related pages and one strong CTA.

5. Review performance in a month; iterate (because SEO is experimental).

   
   

SEO isn’t a dark art. It’s everyday communication hygiene that helps the right people find, understand, and act on what you offer. When more colleagues write for real searchers, marketing scales and impact grows.

Want help upskilling teams and fixing high-value pages fast? The Innovation Office runs practical SEO workshops, copy clinics and quick audits for universities and charities. 

Let’s make your content findable.

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