Higher Education Marketing Education and News
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[WEBINAR] How Prospects Use AI to Research and Choose Programs in 2026
![[WEBINAR] How Prospects Use AI to Research and Choose Programs in 2026](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg== "2609-SI-AI Search Webinar Suite-MM-M-01")
TL;DR: Search Influence and UPCEA are hosting a free webinar on November 3 to unpack how prospective students use AI tools to research and shortlist programs, with a hands-on AI Search Strategy Lab on November 5 for institutions that want tailored recommendations. Key Insights Search Influence and UPCEA’s joint research …
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Search Influence Heads to AMA 2026 With Harvard Law Co-Presenter, Tara Pope
Search Influence’s Paula French is heading back to the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education this November, this time with a Harvard Law School co-presenter and a workshop built around a single question: what happens after your institution shows up in AI search? French, director of sales and …
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[New Research] How Prospects Search in 2026 and What It Means for 2027
Key Insights AI search use is up 15% year over year. 39% of prospects now use AI-powered tools daily, up from 24% in 2025. Search engines still lead, but the gap is closing. 80% use traditional search engines to research programs; 54% now also use AI. Citations build real trust. …
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13 Winning Higher Education Marketing Strategies for 2026
Note: This post was updated by Will Scott on September 02, 2026 to reflect current best practices. It was originally published on August 14th, 2023. TL;DR: Winning higher education marketing strategies work in sequence, not isolation: get found, get believed, get engaged, prove results, then measure and improve. Skipping a …
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[UPDATED] SEO & AI Search Workbook for Higher Education: A Free Interactive Resource
Search Influence offers a free SEO & AI Search Workbook for Higher Education Websites, now rebuilt to cover AI visibility alongside traditional SEO. Ask ChatGPT to recommend a program in your field, and there’s a real chance your institution never comes up, even if it ranks first on Google for …
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Skimmers, Swimmers, and Divers: Content Chunking Strategy for Higher Ed AI Search
This post was updated by Collin Guedon on August 12th, 2026, to reflect recent trends and refreshed statistics. It was originally published on July 30th, 2021. TL;DR Higher education websites have always needed to serve three kinds of readers: skimmers who scan, swimmers who explore, and divers who read every …
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Overlooked Higher Education Marketing Strategies To Maximize Your Budget
Note: This post was updated by Jeanne Lobman July 31th, 2026 to reflect current best practices. It was originally published on April 28th, 2025. Key Inights Track Key Metrics to Justify Budget Increases: Monitoring cost per inquiry (CPI) and cost per enrolled student (CPES) helps institutions prove ROI and secure …
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Website Readiness for AI Search: Seven Foundations Every University Needs
TL;DR: AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews answer prospective students directly, and they pull those answers from websites that are crawlable, structured, and accurate. Universities don’t need new technology to compete. They need seven specific foundations in place, and most can be checked in an afternoon. Key …
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AI Search in Higher Ed: Paula French at Harvard PLL Lunch & Learn
Harvard’s Professional & Lifelong Learning community invited Search Influence to talk through what AI search means for enrollment. Here’s what Paula French shared. If you work in online or continuing education, you already feel it: prospective students are forming opinions about your programs before they ever reach your website. They’re …
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Paula French on “The Signal”: What AI Search Means for Higher Education Marketing
Enrollment marketers are losing prospective students at a stage they never even see. Before a student fills out a form, visits a program page, or clicks a single ad, they are already building a short list. They are asking AI tools detailed questions, comparing programs, and forming preferences, and the …
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![[WEBINAR] How Prospects Use AI to Research and Choose Programs in 2026](https://www.searchinfluence.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2609-SI-AI-Search-Webinar-Suite-MM-M-01-125x125.png "2609-SI-AI Search Webinar Suite-MM-M-01")
