Revitalizing a Prominent Academic Institution’s Website: An SEO Case Study

Introduction

Comprehensive website audits serve as an essential tool for analyzing the technical health of a website. When websites have technical errors, search engine algorithms may perceive these sites as offering a subpar user experience, posing potential risks to search engine optimization efforts and ranking.

In brief, a little optimization can go a long way.

Initial Health Audit

In our initial audit, the website in question was found to have a site health score of 42%. Technical glitches interrupting user experience were prevalent and needed immediate attention. Among the most detrimental errors identified were 404 pages, malfunctioning redirects, and orphan pages.

The Challenge

With sprawling websites like those of higher education institutions, multiple individuals are often responsible for content updates. It’s crucial to involve all stakeholders when devising solutions to technical issues.

Developing a strategic plan for these fixes demanded robust communication between website and content stakeholders and called for meticulous project management.

Our Strategy

Our task was to rank the technical errors identified during the health audit based on their potential impact on user experience. After defining a set of primary issues, we collaborated closely with the internal team at the institution. They were provided with a feasible number of errors to address, paving the way for a targeted and effective action plan.

We dedicated our efforts to resolving these errors and produced comprehensive reports detailing the 404s by their subdomains. This information enabled the institution’s team to liaise with content stakeholders and devise an effective solution. Although broken links were relatively easy to repair, resolving the 404 errors required a more strategic approach.

Outcomes

By the end of this initiative, the website’s health score had risen to 82%, nearly double its initial score. This significant improvement was achieved thanks to the relentless dedication and hard work of the internal team. The project was marked as a success thanks to a blend of insightful analysis, efficient project management, and clear communication.

The target audience for this SEO case study includes leaders in marketing at academic institutions and large organizations who can gain insights from our strategic approach and successful outcome.

Thinking about conducting an audit to gauge the health of your website and improve SEO? Contact us today to get the conversation started.