Students are changing how they research where to study. AI tools are part of that shift, and Google is increasingly answering questions without sending the click.
If your institution isn’t easy to understand and easy to cite, you risk losing visibility – or being represented inaccurately.
Why this matters now
Higher education will be one of the first sectors to feel the difference of the shift in digital behaviour that is now on the way.
Prospective students experiment faster, build new habits faster, and they’re already comfortable asking tools like ChatGPT the kinds of questions they used to type into Google.
And the complexity of deciding where to study makes this even sharper:
- Decisions are high-stakes and comparison-heavy
- People need proof and reassurance, not just marketing claims
- There’s lots of questions to be answered (fees and affordability, entry requirements, visas, housing, employability, and so on!)
What I think institutions will need
Most teams don’t need more tools. They need shared understanding and a practical way to respond.
In my view, to be well positioned for the future means mastering three key areas:
- Technical foundations so your site can be found and understood
- Genuinely helpful content that answers real student questions clearly and credibly
- Authority and trust signals so others cite you, and models treat you as a reliable source
The goal isn’t gaming AI or Google. It’s making sure your institution is discoverable, correctly understood, and trusted in the places where students now look.
Who this is for
This will be built for higher education teams who influence and care about what gets published, what gets prioritised, and how the institution shows up online. For example:
- Marketing and communications teams
- Student recruitment and admissions
- Content, editorial, and website owners
- Digital marketing specialists (SEO, analytics, paid search)
- PR and reputation teams
- External agencies supporting any of the above
It’s especially relevant if you’re seeing internal questions like:
- “Are students using AI to shortlist institutions yet?”
- “Why are we getting fewer clicks even when rankings look fine?”
- “How do we reduce misinformation about our programmes?”
- “What should we publish next – and what should we stop doing?”
What I’m building
I’m developing a new workshop/course focused on SEO and AI visibility for higher education.
It will be practical, education-specific, and aimed at helping teams make better decisions about:
- What to prioritise (and what to stop doing)
- How to reduce misinformation and confusion
- How to measure progress when clicks become a weaker signal