10.2 Search engine optimisation and course ‘findability’

Google and other search engines favour the most useful content on the web and they want to present it to users searching online. If a site or piece of content is good enough that many other sites link to it, it will naturally rise towards the top of the search results.

There are things we can do to assist search engines so that users find the right content for them. These include a mixture of editorial and technical techniques that are collectively known as SEO (search engine optimisation). By applying these techniques, search engines understand more about our courses and other content. This means they can present the information in better ways and ensure that users find it when searching online.

In practical terms, this means that by following best practice, your content will improve its ranking in search engines for particular search terms. This is good news for everyone: there is a vast and growing pool of information and assets available, and good SEO means that the the right users find the right content.

SEO needn’t be an onerous task, but one that can reap rewards if you are keen to have your course discovered easily. The first step is to take some time to consider what people are likely to search for to find your course. This information can be used to optimise your course’s metadata and on-page information.