Unlocking Higher Ed Enrollment: How Search Term Strategy Impacts Your SEM Performance

04/07/2025 | Mproven |

In today’s competitive higher education landscape, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is more than a tactic, it’s a critical channel for reaching prospective students right when they’re actively exploring their options.

But here’s the twist: not all keywords are created equal.

Mproven’s latest white paper reveals that how you categorize and deploy your search terms can make or break your campaign performance-from click-through rates to cost per acquisition. In this blog, we’ll unpack some key takeaways from our analysis to help university marketers target the right students, with the right message, at the right moment.

Not All Keywords Speak the Same Language

We grouped SEM keywords into three main categories:

  • Brand Terms: Think “Harvard Business School.” These target high-intent users already familiar with your institution.
  • Program-Specific Terms: Phrases like “BS in Finance” or “MBA in Marketing” that attract students with defined academic interests.
  • General Terms: Broad phrases like “top business schools” used in early-stage searches.

Understanding how each performs is crucial to fine-tuning your SEM budget and messaging.

What the Data Tells Us

We analyzed performance across four metrics: click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA), and conversion rate. Here’s what stood out:

  • Brand Terms had sky-high CTRs (21.09%) and conversion rates (23.02%), but also the highest costs.
  • Program-Specific Terms hit the sweet spot with balanced performance and moderate costs.
  • General Terms reached broad audiences but lagged in engagement and conversions, though they were the cheapest to bid on.

Strategic Takeaways for Marketers

☑️Prioritize Brand Terms for bottom-funnel conversions, but watch your budget.
☑️Invest in Program-Specific Terms to attract mid-funnel students with focused intent.
☑️Use General Terms Cautiously to build awareness and fill the top of the funnel.
☑️Don’t Ignore Competitor Brand Terms– bidding on these can increase visibility and win over undecided students.

Get the Full Strategy Guide

These are just the highlights. The full white paper includes visual data breakdowns, deeper regression insights, and actionable guidance for optimizing higher ed SEM campaigns across every stage of the enrollment journey.

Want access to the entire white paper? Reach out to access the full methodology and strategy framework.