2025: The Current State of AI and SEO for Schools
By utilizing AI technology, colleges and schools can analyze and interpret vast amounts of data to understand trends, optimize web content, and personalize user experiences, which can lead to improved search engine rankings and increased visibility in a highly competitive digital landscape.
Recent years have provided us a new fork in the road in terms of technology. When Microsoft/Bing scooped Google by unveiling ChatGPT to the public, it set off a domino effect of “WHAT THE HECK DO WE DO WITH THIS?” in the digital marketing world, particularly within the niche of SEO. A year later, we still don’t have a lot of concrete answers on the how, why, and what to do questions. But we do have a few insights now that we didn’t this time last year.
But there are a few things we can say for certain:
Anyone that claims “XYZ is dead” or “...if you’re not using XYZ you’re doomed” are trying to use scare tactics to make money. SEO will never be dead. Digital marketing will never be dead. It will evolve.
AI is nowhere near perfect and will not be anytime soon. Even in the “big hitters” like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini (formerly Bard), we see inconsistencies in results and references to websites and content that Google itself has previously stated would not be referenced or urges users not to make (i.e. “fluffy” and repetitive blog posts that really don’t state anything new or helpful).
AI tech is constantly evolving. Case in point - Google released Bard on the heels of Microsoft partnering with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Google released Gemini, its proprietary programming language, in late 2023, telling us it would be “factored into” Bard and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE - a search engine results page experience in Beta mode). A little over a month later, Google renamed Bard to Gemini, and also announced it was rolling back SGE. It’s like trying to count the chickens before the eggs hatch.
What is AI
“Artificial intelligence”, or AI, is being integrated into programs and software in an effort to make tasks easier and less taxing. The good news is that we’ve seen quite a lot of benefits of this - less time! Takes less capacity and mental work! Automating tasks! The bad news is that AI is imperfect, makes mistakes, and can miss the mark. We often see AI at work without realizing - hello, autocorrect and automatic photo filters.
When referencing AI in this article, we’re typically referring to:
Google Gemini (formerly Bard)
Copilot (Microsoft, utilizes ChatGPT interface )
There are plenty more AI tools out there, including ones “baked into” programs and software like Canva and Hootsuite, which make suggestions to try to streamline content creation.
AI in Digital Marketing
AI is designed to make our lives easier - which tasks can we delegate to a computer or a program that then frees up time for us to do other things? In digital marketing, this often comes down to writing copy, prompting content ideas, analyzing data and research, predicting customer behavior, etc.
We can use various AI tools to:
Automate processes (like email campaigns, writing ad copy, transcribing meeting minutes, etc.)
Analyze data - sifting through big sets of numbers and metrics and predicting future trends and behaviors
Create content - use tools to write copy for blogs, social media posts, emails, etc.
And much more.
Pros and Cons of Using AI for Marketing
Pros:
Free up time & increase efficiency
Content creation
Access to huge amounts of data at your fingertips
New KPIs
Cons:
Proofreading for errors and inaccuracy
Content still needs to be tweaked to be original and unique
Privacy
New KPIs! We’re not really sure how to measure and quantify these. Yet.
How to Show Up in AI-Generated Results
The first thing to bear in mind is that AI tools are not creating anything new: they reference public data sources like news stories, wikipedia, websites, social media, online forums like Reddit, etc., publications & news stories and more, to generate their answers.
Some of the most common comments we receive include:
So-and-so searched for top schools in our area in ChatGPT and we weren’t mentioned
We asked Gemini what the tuition for our school was, and it didn’t show correct information
ChatGPT is pulling info about our school from Niche and not our website
We aren’t mentioned at all in “best” or “how to” type searches relevant to our school
Right now, this is one of the biggest head scratchers for digital marketers, as AI-generated results aren't always consistent nor accurate.
Things to consider when/if you’re not showing in a result where you feel you should be:
What AI tool are you using?
If you use the same query in another tool, what sort of results are you seeing?
What is the question or query you’re asking?
Are you using a brand-type search? Are you searching more broadly (i.e., “what are the best boys schools” vs. “what are top three boys schools in nyc?”)
What do search result pages look like for the same question or query?
Are you showing in those results? If so, where? What other competitors are showing? Generally what sort of websites and content are you seeing?
Does the tool provide a citation or source?
If so, click on that source and view the web page to get an idea of what kind of content it is.
If not, ask the AI tool where it is sourcing its info. ChatGPT is generally better about citing and sharing its sources than Google’s Gemini
Other Questions to Ask:
Is your website showing up in search results for branded searches and branded People Also Ask answers?
Does your website provide specific details to help searchers understand why they’d choose your school over another?
Does your brand show up in articles, videos, or image searches for relevant searches like “best private schools near me”, “private prek near me”, etc.
Is your website showing up for relevant non-brand searches at all levels of the funnel?
Are people talking about you on social media?
Does your brand show up in the news?
Are thought leaders at your school publicly representing your brand?
These types of questions bring to mind a similar dilemma we experienced in 2014 - featured snippets! Around January 2014, Google rolled out what it called “featured snippets,” or rather the larger and/or bolded text that shows at the top of search results that often will answer a specific question or query and often doesn’t result in a user actually visiting the website, like in the following example:
In 2014 when these featured snippets were rolling out, there was a collective “clutching of the pearls” from certain SEO pros:
“Our click-thru-rate is going to plummet!”
“We’re going to lose traffic!”
“People won’t scroll down for more results and won’t see our content!”
In actuality, we adjusted our benchmarks and content strategy. Yes, CTRs saw some changes, but we also adjusted how content was written - are we answering questions we know users are searching for? Are we writing it in a way that they can find the answer quickly and without having to scroll?
We also were able to add additional data on the backend - structured data - that increased the chances of showing as a featured snippet in these searches. Google eventually provided best practices for certain types - FAQs, product listings, recipes, events, etc. - which leveled the playing field and made it consistent for developers and content creators.
AI is feeling very similar to featured snippets. We’re seeing search results generated by AI that are pulled from various websites. These results aren’t always consistent or even replicable for different users. We’re seeing the early days of how AI can potentially be useful for making search results more efficient.
So the question becomes - what do we need to do to be a reference source for AI?
Answer: create good content…and wait.
This has always been the case, and it’s not going to change anytime soon. Regardless of how often Google makes updates to its search algorithm, the purpose of those changes is to make those search results more helpful and less spammy.
How to Create “Good” Content
Create content that keeps Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) at the forefront.
The concept of “Experience”, in particular, emerged in 2023 as a new facet to Google’s formula for determining user impact and usefulness. Writing for real humans, not for search engines, will ideally be rewarded in search results.
Tone and Presentation
There is a gray area between creating content designed to attract clicks and content that people find useful. Content that is useful should, ultimately, garner clicks. But if you’re creating content with the goal of getting clicks, the tone and structure of the content can take a different tone and feel.
For example, imagine a fitness instructor has a website. They want to increase traffic to their site and get more clients to their gym, so they’re trying to come up with some blog ideas. Which do you think a user may be more likely to click:
Why Exercise is Important to Your Mental Wellbeing
Why Do I Feel Better After Going to the Gym?
The intent of this content is the same. But the semantics are different - the 2nd option is phrased in a way that an IRL human being may find themself actually thinking and searching for.
Quality vs. Quantity
Users are more likely to trust a site that has fewer blog posts with content that resonates than a site that has hundreds of posts with little substance. AI can be incredibly helpful in generating copy around a concept. Where it won’t be helpful is setting that copy apart from anyone else who may be doing something similar.
AI-generated copy and content isn’t spammy on its own. The differentiator is that content you ultimately publish should be unique to you and your brand, and it’s answering a specific need of your audience.
Example:
Cleaning Company 1 has over fifteen blog posts:
Professional Power Washing for Curb Appeal
Professional Pressure Washing for Property Value
Professional Power Washing Companies in NYC
Pressure Washing Your Business
Cleaning Company 2 has four posts:
The Ultimate Guide to Professional Pressure Washing
How to Choose a Professional Power Washer
DIY vs. Professional Power Washing
How to Get the Most Use Out of Pressure Washers
Company 1 has developed a strategy around keywords and trying to catch ‘em all.
Company 2 has developed a strategy around user intent and similar concepts and thought processes around those steps.
Utilize Other Content Types
Video is here and it’s not going anywhere. TikTok, Reels, and Bumper videos have emerged as a dominant force in connecting with users. Readable content will never go 100% away. Utilizing video and audio is another way to communicate individual, unique experiences that can elevate the user experience and leave a lasting impression where written content can’t.
Other Useful Tips & Resources
How to Write Prompts in Gemini (or any AI, really) - Google Support
OpenAI Tips on How to Write Prompts for ChatGPT - OpenAI
9 Tips for Using AI to Generate Content - SEMRush
Using Copilot ot Generate Content for Email Marketing - Microsoft