State Department of Education
Strategy to Align State Agency Language with Search Behavior
Challenge
A state department of education created a portal to provide comprehensive quality reviews of instructional materials, helping school districts easily compare options. However, a digital marketing audit revealed significant misalignment between the agency’s internal language and the way users search online:
Terminology Misalignment: The agency used the term “instructional materials,” while searchers primarily looked for “curriculum.”
Organizational Structure: Materials were categorized by grade bands (K-5, 6-12), but users searched by specific grades (e.g., 1st grade, 2nd grade).
Acronyms vs. Common Language: The agency used abbreviations like ELAR (English, Language Arts, and Reading) and SLAR (Spanish, Language Arts, and Reading), while users searched by straightforward terms like “2nd grade English curriculum.”
Solution
The website was structured to bridge the gap between internal agency language and user search behavior:
Reorganized Website Architecture:
Instructional materials were categorized first by subject (ELAR, Math, Science) and then by both grade band and specific grade.
Dedicated pages were created for categories like “2nd grade ELAR curriculum” and “5th grade Spanish curriculum.”
Optimized Use of Language:
Acronyms like ELAR and SLAR were retained but spelled out in page titles for clarity and search optimization, e.g., “Grade 2 English, Language Arts, and Reading (ELAR) Instructional Materials.”
Pages included keywords for both “instructional materials” and “curriculum” to align with diverse search behaviors.
Enhanced Content Targeting:
The website offered detailed organization of curriculum products by grade, a feature uncommon among curriculum providers.
Results
Improved Search Visibility: The optimized content significantly increased the portal’s visibility on Google, driving more traffic from both state-specific and nationwide searches.
Competitive Edge: For specific searches like “Grade 2 [curriculum product name],” the state’s portal often outranked the curriculum providers’ own websites.
User-Friendly Experience: The new structure made it easier for educators to find and compare resources, aligning with their natural search patterns.
Key Takeaway
Adapting to the language and behavior of your target audience is crucial. By aligning the website architecture and content strategy with searcher intent, the agency bridged the gap between internal terminology and user needs, driving greater visibility and usability.
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