Building the Foundation With Tracking and Content
We started by setting up website tracking and integrating with HubSpot to ensure accurate end-to-end analytics and lead attribution. Then we audited Holston’s existing campaigns and shifted the focus to high-intent search advertising. We also got to work on improving organic search rankings, developing a content strategy focused on high-value keywords across a number of key audience segments, almost immediately seeing impact on key areas of the site like the Tuition page and the Course Catalog.
Building Awareness of Online School
Through summer and fall 2024, we continued to push on our content strategy and refine our search advertising strategy, both of which continued to build momentum. But, we felt that much of our potential audience had never even considered online school, so we looked to social platforms to build awareness. After launching a series of campaign tests on Meta, we found a few concepts that were really working, so we leaned into those areas for both paid and organic.
Both Organic and Paid Strategies Come to Fruition
By early 2025, we had been publishing 2-3 search-optimized articles per month and momentum was building. We were starting to see important keywords move up the rankings into the top 10. Traffic from organic search was up substantially, and we saw steady growth in organic leads. In addition, our primary search advertising campaign was delivering leads at 10% below target CPA.
Lead Volume and Enrollments Take Off
By the spring, our social ads were driving a significant volume of leads, and search advertising campaigns were driving leads at just one-third of the initial target CPA. By May, our SEO-focused content strategy had delivered exceptional results: a 1,400% increase in top 1-3 keyword rankings compared to the prior July. Holston’s total lead volume had more than doubled, organic leads increased nearly 800%, and enrollments were up more than 250%.
Set Up For Success
With strong systems, consistent content, and a refined advertising strategy, Holston Academy now has a scalable engine for driving enrollment. We’re proud to help them grow in an evolving education market.
