Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps more people find your school's website when they search online. When you optimize your pages, your school appears higher in search results, making it easier for parents, students, and community members to discover what you offer.
Getting Started with SEO
Before diving into the technical settings, think about how people might search for your school. Parents looking for enrollment information might search for terms like "elementary school enrollment [your city]" or "[your school name] admissions." Students might look for "homework portal [school district]" or "lunch menu [school name]."
Focus on including these types of keywords naturally throughout your content:
School-specific terms: "school," "admissions," "enrollment," "teacher," "principal"
Location details: Your school name, district name, city, and state
Unique programs: Any special programs, sports teams, or activities your school offers
Remember to use keywords naturally rather than repeating the same phrases over and over. Include some less common terms that are specific to your school or programs.
Accessing SEO Settings for Individual Pages
To optimize a specific page on your website:
Navigate to the page you want to edit
Click the Actions dropdown menu
Select Page Options
This opens the SEO management panel where you can customize how your page appears in search results and on social media.
Customizing Your Page URL
Setting a Friendly URL
The URL (web address) of your page should be easy to read and remember. To customize it:
Click the pencil icon next to the URL field
Enter a short, descriptive URL that reflects your page content
Good examples:
/admissions-processinstead of/page-12345/cafeteria-menuinstead of/food-services-information-page/ms-johnson-englishinstead of/teacher-profile-847
Important: Changing a page's URL won't break existing links. The system automatically handles redirects to ensure visitors can still find your page.
Writing Effective Page Titles
The page title appears in the browser tab and as the clickable link in search results. A good title helps both search engines and visitors understand what your page contains.
Best practices for page titles:
Keep them short and clear
Make each page title unique
Include your school name when appropriate
Be specific about the page content
Examples:
"Kindergarten Registration - Lincoln Elementary School"
"Athletics Program - Central High School"
"Parent Portal Login - Roosevelt Middle School"
Creating Page Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are the short summaries that appear under your page title in search results. They're your chance to convince people to click on your link.
Writing effective meta descriptions:
Keep them under 160 characters (about the length of a social media post)
Include a clear reason why someone should visit your page
Make them specific to each page rather than using the same description everywhere
Include a call-to-action when appropriate
Examples:
"Enroll your child at Lincoln Elementary. Small class sizes, experienced teachers, and a nurturing environment. Apply online today!"
"View this week's lunch menu, nutrition information, and meal prices. Free and reduced lunch applications available."
Adding Keywords
Keywords help search engines understand what your page is about. While they're less important than they used to be, they still provide value when used thoughtfully.
Keyword guidelines:
Include only 3-5 relevant keywords per page
Separate multiple keywords with commas
Choose terms people actually search for
Avoid keyword stuffing or repetition
Example keywords for a school athletics page: high school sports, basketball team, football schedule, student athletes, extracurricular activities
Social Media Optimization
When someone shares your page on Facebook, Twitter, or other social platforms, you want it to look professional and appealing. Open Graph tags control how your content appears when shared.
Note: Open Graph tags are only available when using the Pages feature.
Common Open Graph tags include:
Page title for social sharing
Description for social posts
Images that represent your content
You can add these tags in the Additional Header Tags section using HTML format:
html<meta property="og:title" content="AP English - Ms. Johnson's Class" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Advanced Placement English curriculum, assignments, and resources for college-bound students." />
Managing Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are the navigation links that show visitors where they are on your site (like "Home > Academics > Math Department"). While they don't directly impact SEO, they help visitors navigate your site more easily.
You can control whether breadcrumbs appear on each page using the checkbox in Page Options. For more detailed breadcrumb management, check the Category Options section of your content management system.
Tips for Success
Start simple: Focus on getting good page titles and meta descriptions for your most important pages first.
Think like a parent: Consider what terms parents, students, and community members would actually type into Google when looking for information about your school.
Be consistent: Develop a standard format for titles and descriptions across similar pages.
Review regularly: Check your most important pages every few months to ensure the information stays current and relevant.
Monitor results: Pay attention to which pages get the most traffic and learn from what works well.
By following these guidelines, you'll help more people discover your school's website and find the information they need quickly and easily.