Optimizely
How GVSU's Smarter Site Search Drove a 49% Engagement Boost
what you’ll learn
- Data-Driven Search Optimization: Learn how GVSU used search analytics to identify visitor intent and surface the most sought-after content.
- Marketing Agility in Action: See how the marketing team quickly adapted search results, promoted key content, and made real-time updates.
- Immediate Impact on Engagement: See how simple search enhancements led to a 49% increase in CTR and improved user satisfaction.
SESSION DETAILS
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) transformed its website search into a strategic marketing asset, increasing search click-through rates (CTR) by 49% and making key content more accessible to current and prospective students, faculty and staff. With nearly 40% of web visitors using search, GVSU’s marketing team recognized a major opportunity to improve engagement, support enrollment efforts and enhance the user experience.
This session will reveal how GVSU leveraged real-time search analytics and user behavior insights to surface the most sought-after content and ensure students found the information they needed faster. By the end of the session, you’ll know how to optimize your own university’s search function to improve content discovery, support enrollment efforts and strengthen brand perception.
Additional Resources
Grand Valley State Improves Site Search with SearchStax
Since implementing SearchStax, GVSU has seen their search click-through rate improve dramatically, rising from 35% to over 52%. This nearly 50% increase in CTR indicates that users are finding more relevant and accurate results, leading to faster content discovery and overall better user satisfaction.
Higher Education Website Search Best Practices
One of the major ways colleges market themselves to prospective students is through their website. While most of these websites contain flashy images of happy students on photogenic campuses, many colleges have ignored the basic needs of the prospective students using their websites – specifically in the area of website search best practices for higher education.
3 Reasons Site Search Should Lead Your Higher Ed Website Redesign
With so little margin for error, intelligent site search is a non-negotiable component of a successful online experience. Instead of treating it as the last item on your checklist, make it your top priority. Here are the three reasons why you should prioritize search in your next website redesign project.
Virtual Conference: Marketing in Higher Education April 29-30, 2025
Higher education marketers, like you, play a critical role in ensuring that prospective students have the best possible chance and experience in enrolling and, eventually, graduating from these higher education institutions. As competition for student enrollment grows and digital marketing continues to evolve, it’s essential to stay on the cutting edge of strategies that resonate with prospective students and drive enrollment success.
Join us for this free virtual conference, where you’ll gain practical tools and actionable insights designed to enhance your recruitment, engagement, and retention efforts in the 2025 school year and beyond. Learn from industry leaders and connect with fellow professionals to navigate the unique challenges of higher education marketing in today’s landscape.