CWRU Team Session · June 2026

Web Writing + AI Search Training

Shared standards for useful, accessible, findable Case Western Reserve University pages.

Audience
CWRU web, content, communications, and marketing teams

Outcome
Clearer pages that serve people first and AI interpretation second

Overview

What we will cover

The deck starts with decisions content owners can make now, then shows how those same choices support AI search.

01Web writing standards

Purpose, audience intent, skimmability, headings, CTAs, and page structure.

02Content accessibility

Readable links, headings, lists, tables, and alt text judgment.

03Live page work

CWRU examples from program, giving, research, and newsroom pages.

04AI search layer

LLMs, grounding, entities, semantic clarity, citations, and measurement.

05Carry forward standards

Prioritize fixes, owners, reusable rules, and open questions.

Training Format

How this training will work

Short concepts

Each section starts with a practical decision CWRU teams can use immediately.

Guided examples

CWRU screenshots keep the standards concrete and easy to apply.

Practice moments

Participants will diagnose, rewrite, compare, and name reusable rules.

Question capture

Policy, platform, governance, and ownership questions get separated from quick content edits.

Quality Lenses

Four ways we will judge page quality

Every example gets tested by what it does for visitors, accessibility, search systems, and ongoing ownership.

Usefulness

Can a real visitor understand the page quickly enough to keep moving?

Accessibility

Do headings, links, image choices, lists, and tables reduce friction?

Findability

Can search and AI systems identify the facts, entities, and relationships?

Ownership

Which fixes belong to content owners, and which need platform, policy, or brand decisions?

Day 1 + Day 2

Day 1 leads into Day 2

Day 1Make pages work better for people

Focus on scanning, comprehension, trust, calls to action, and accessible page structure.

Day 2Make page meaning easier to find and cite

Use the same clarity to support search engines, AI systems, entities, citations, and measurement.

Good AI search content starts as good human readable web content. The goal is a set of standards CWRU can reuse beyond the pages reviewed together.

Day 1

Day 1 agenda

01How people read online

02Page purpose and audience intent

03CWRU page jobs and examples

04Headings, language, and CTAs

05Break

06Content accessibility

07Live CWRU page review

08Question capture

Outcomes

What you should leave with

01

A shared page quality framework you can use immediately.

02

A practical explanation of why AI search changes visibility, not the need for clear pages.

03

Before/after patterns for CWRU program, giving, research, and newsroom content.

04

A short list of priority changes CWRU can standardize after the training.

Day 1

Web writing foundations before the AI layer

People, purpose, structure, accessibility, and live CWRU page work

Workshop Method

How we will use page examples together

This previews the review method we will use when the live CWRU examples begin.

Start with the page job

What should this page help a visitor understand, decide, or do?

Read like a visitor

Scan the headings, links, calls to action, and proof before judging the body copy.

Name the pattern

Turn each example into a rule Case Western Reserve teams can reuse on other pages.

Capture next steps

Separate quick copy edits from brand, CMS, policy, and approval questions.

Reader Lens

How visitors decide what to read

They scan first

Headings, links, and buttons tell visitors whether the page is worth reading.

They look for fit

Prospective students, parents, faculty, and partners each need different signals.

They need proof quickly

Program names, outcomes, requirements, dates, and contacts should be easy to find.

They choose a next step

Every page should make the next useful action obvious.

Day 1

Reader behavior and page jobs

Start with how people move through pages, then define what each page needs to accomplish.

Reader Behavior

Skimmers, swimmers, and divers

Different people consume content in different ways, and the same person may shift depth depending on where they are in research and decision.

Skimmers

Read headings, bullets, and key stats, then decide whether the page is worth their time.

Give them precise H1/H2 language, short summaries, lists, and visible CTAs.

Fast orientation

Swimmers

Read some supporting copy, watch a video if it helps, and click into a related page.

Give them proof points, useful links, accordions, and sections that keep rewarding attention.

Selective exploration

Divers

Read the full page and move deeper into requirements, catalogs, research, deadlines, or downloads.

Give them detailed evidence, clean internal links, course or program depth, and clear ownership.

Deep confidence

Source: Search Influence, "Skimmers, Swimmers, and Divers: Content Strategy for Higher Education Websites"

Page Purpose

The web page is still the source of record

01

CWRU pages remain the public source that people, search engines, and grounded AI systems can inspect.

02

AI search makes clear public pages more important, not less important.

03

The goal is not more output; it is better discernment about what belongs on each page.

Page Purpose

Useful page standard

01Answer the question

A useful page answers a real reader question.

02Build confidence

It gives the reader enough evidence to keep moving.

03Make action clear

It makes the next step easy to understand and choose.

04Expose the facts

It gives search and AI systems the facts and relationships they need.

Page Purpose

Page job statement

Use this before editing copy. If the sentence is hard to finish, the page is probably trying to do too many jobs.

Audience

+

Question

+

Next action

This page helps [audience] understand [question] so they can [next action].

Why it helps

This moves the group from opinion based editing to standards based editing.

Practice Block

Mini exercise: page job statement

Write a one sentence job statement for one CWRU page.

7 minutes

1Pick page

2Name audience

3Name question

4Name next action

Reader Alignment

Reader intent vs. institutional habit

Most page friction starts when the institution writes from its process instead of the reader's decision.

?

Readers usually want

AnswersEvidenceNext stepConfidenceA reason to keep going

Institutions often publish

BackgroundInternal languageCommittee shaped copyUnclear ownershipEverything at once

Day 1 Workshop

CWRU pages we will test today

Use real CWRU pages to move from page job assumptions into shared review. Ren sets the working assumptions for the group.

Engineering area of study

Top of funnel undergraduate exploration.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Complex graduate program with multiple specialties and application paths.

Master of Social Work (MSW)On campus

Graduate/professional program with strong conversion needs.

Ways to Give

Action page that needs clarity, confidence, and motivation.

Medicine and Engineering Research

School level authority hubs for Day 2 entity work.

Newsroom stories

Institutional reputation and external signal examples for Day 2.

Page Purpose

Page jobs for CWRU examples

Use the same sentence pattern across different page types, then test whether the page actually supports that job.

Page

Audience + question

Next action

Content test

Engineering area of study

Prospective undergraduates and families need to understand what engineering at CWRU looks like.

Explore programs, hands on opportunities, and admission next steps.

Does every major section support exploration, confidence, or action?

MSN program

Graduate nursing applicants need to understand MSN paths, specialties, requirements, and deadlines.

Choose a fit and start an application or inquiry.

Does the page reduce specialty confusion before adding detail?

MSW on campus

Social work applicants need the on campus MSW format, outcomes, requirements, and admissions process.

Request information or apply.

Does the page answer fit and next step before institutional background?

Ways to Give

Donors need to choose a giving method and understand why CWRU is worth supporting.

Complete the gift confidently.

Does the page offer transaction clarity and donor confidence?

Day 1 Workshop

Headings, language, and calls to action

Turn page diagnosis into reusable writing rules participants can apply after the session.

Headings & Language

Heading audit: reader path and machine signal

Headings should let a skimmer understand the page path and help search and AI systems identify useful content chunks.

Reader path

Use one clear H1 tied to the page job, then move from orientation to decision to action.

Audit sequence

List the current H1/H2s, check audience fit, check flow, then fix headings before rewriting paragraphs.

Reusable standard

Make H2s answer real reader questions and name the topic, audience, and decision in plain language.

Machine signal

Clear headings create sections that search engines and AI systems can understand, retrieve, and cite.

Headings & Language

Better H2 questions for program pages

01

What can I study here?

02

Who is this program for?

03

What will I be prepared to do?

04

What makes CWRU's version distinctive?

05

What are the requirements, deadlines, and next steps?

Writing Standard

Plain language without flattening expertise

01

Use precise institutional language where it matters.

02

Remove internal phrasing that only staff understand.

03

Prefer direct verbs and specific nouns.

04

Do not make expert content vague in the name of simplicity.

Structure Practice

Exercise: heading only page read

Read only the H1/H2s. What do you know, and what is still unclear?

10 minutes

1Hide body copy

2Read headings

3Name gaps

4Rewrite 2 H2s

Calls to Action

CTA clarity

Weak CTA patterns

Learn more
Click here
More information
Multiple equal CTAs competing for attention

Better CTA patterns

Request information about the MSN program
Start your application
Explore engineering majors
Make a gift online

Calls to Action

CTA placement rule

01

Put the next action near the decision point.

02

Use the CTA to complete the reader's current task, not the institution's internal funnel label.

03

If a page has multiple audiences, label the paths clearly.

04

Do not make readers infer the destination from surrounding copy.

Action Practice

Exercise: CTA rewrite

Make one CTA more specific without making it pushy.

8 minutes

1Show example

2Rewrite alone

3Compare pairs

4Debrief pattern

Day 1

Content accessibility

Practical editorial decisions, not a compliance lecture

Scope Boundary

Accessibility scope for this training

01

Focus on content decisions CWRU teams can control.

02

Clear link text, useful alt text, meaningful headings, readable tables, and lists.

03

Name contrast, font size, and readability questions, then capture technical issues separately.

04

Accessibility, usability, and AI readable clarity often improve together.

Accessibility

Alt text judgment

Alt text is a judgment call. Start with what the image is doing on this page.

Does the image add information?

If yes, name the meaningful content in plain language.

If no, leave alt text empty.

Is the same idea already nearby?

If a caption or body copy already says it, do not make screen reader users hear it twice.

Is the image a link or action?

Name the destination or action, not just the visual object.

Do not turn alt text into SEO copy

Useful, contextual description helps accessibility and content discovery. Keyword stuffing does neither.

Accessibility

When alt text should be empty

01

Decorative image that adds no information.

02

Visual flourish already described in nearby text.

03

Icon with adjacent visible label.

04

Avoid forcing screen reader users through irrelevant image details.

Accessibility

When alt text needs more detail

01

Image conveys unique information.

02

Chart or infographic includes data not otherwise available.

03

Photo identifies specific people, places, or moments relevant to the page.

04

Image is also a link or action trigger.

Accessibility

Link text rule

A link should make sense when it is read on its own.

Weak pattern

Learn more

Click here

More information

Apply now

Better pattern

Explore engineering majors

Request information about the MSN program

Review MSW admission requirements

Make a gift online

Quick test

If five links on the page say the same thing, rewrite them so each destination is clear.

Accessibility

Tables and lists

01

Use lists for grouped items that do not need row/column relationships.

02

Use tables only when comparison or data structure matters.

03

Name columns clearly.

04

Do not use tables for layout.

Exercise

Accessibility quick audit

Find three content accessibility improvements on a selected CWRU page.

12 minutes

1Headings

2Links

3Images

4Debrief

Day 1

Live page review workshop

Apply the standards to real CWRU pages

Review Process

Live review method

Start with the page

Review what the page currently communicates before jumping to fixes.

Define purpose

What is the page job?

Find friction

What is the first point where a visitor may slow down or hesitate?

Sort issues

Separate copy fixes, design/CMS issues, and governance questions.

Apply pattern

Turn the example into a recommended pattern CWRU can reuse.

Review Criteria

Page quality framework

Use the same five checks on every page: who it serves, what they need, what proves it, what comes next, and what the page teaches search and AI systems.

1Audience

The primary reader. Be specific: applicant, parent, donor, faculty peer.

2Question

The decision, concern, or comparison they brought to the page.

3Evidence

The proof that builds confidence: outcomes, dates, names, examples.

4Action

The next useful step: apply, compare, contact, give, read, visit.

5Signal

What people, search engines, and AI systems should understand and repeat.

How to use it

Do not start by rewriting. First diagnose the page against the same sequence: audience, question, evidence, action, signal.

Undergraduate Program Review

Engineering page review

Diagnosis

Broad exploratory audience. The hero clearly labels Engineering, but the next useful question is student fit and opportunity.

Rewrite pattern

Add a summary block: what students can study, how they learn, and where to go next.

Live question

What can a prospective student decide from this view before scrolling deeper?

Possible H2

Engineering at CWRU combines research, design, and hands on problem solving from year one.

Follow along: https://case.edu/admission/academics/areas-study/engineering

CWRU engineering page example screenshot

Nursing Program Review

MSN page review

Diagnosis

Nurses are comparing specialties and application paths. Rich content can still overwhelm skimmers.

Rewrite pattern

Add a decision oriented overview and a clear way to compare MSN options before specialty detail.

Live question

What does an applicant need before choosing a specialty?

Entity language

Use Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, and nurse practitioner specialties consistently.

Follow along: https://case.edu/nursing/programs/msn

Social Work Program Review

MSW page review

Diagnosis

Strong conversion architecture, but the top of page can answer fit, format, outcome, and next step faster.

Rewrite pattern

Add an opening block with format, location, audience, professional outcome, and admissions path.

Live question

Where could the page answer, Is this the right MSW path for me?

CTA clarity

Make the next step explicit: request information about the on campus MSW.

Follow along: https://case.edu/programs/socialwork-msw-on campus

Donor Page Review

Ways to Give page review

Diagnosis

The giving methods are visible, but the page can do more to build donor confidence and motivation.

Rewrite pattern

Pair transaction options with impact context, support details, descriptive links, and a why-give path.

Live question

Is the giving method list enough for a donor to act confidently?

Primary lens

AI/search is secondary here. This is mainly UX writing, accessibility, and donor confidence.

Follow along: https://case.edu/give/ways-give

CWRU Ways to Give page example screenshot

Day 1 Reflection

Day 1 close

01

Useful pages begin with purpose.

02

Structure is not cosmetic; it changes comprehension.

03

Accessibility, usability, and findability overlap.

04

The same clarity carries into Day 2, but AI systems interpret it through different mechanisms.

Day 2

AI search, semantic clarity, and stronger signals

Connect yesterday's web writing standards to how CWRU is understood across search, AI, and trusted sources.

Opening Q&A

Q&A

Start with the questions from Day 1 before moving into AI search mechanics.

10 minutes

1Clarify

2Connect to examples

3Flag follow-ups

Day 2

Day 2 agenda

01How AI search works

02How prospects search now

03Entities and semantic writing

04Break

05Newsroom and external signals

06Tools and measurement

07Analysis and recommendations: sample CWRU pages

08What to fix first: prioritize and plan

Day 2 Starting Point

What carries forward into AI search

01

Yesterday was about human comprehension.

02

Today is about how that same clarity becomes machine readable signal.

03

AI search does not eliminate SEO or web writing standards.

04

It raises the cost of vague, inconsistent, disconnected content.

Day 2

AI search fundamentals

Clarify what changes in AI assisted discovery before moving into entities, citations, and measurement.

AI Search Fundamentals

LLMs are not search engines

Search engines

Retrieve and rank documents.

Large language models

Generate answers from learned patterns and/or retrieved sources.

Grounded answers

May cite sources when the system retrieves supporting material.

Content strategy

Make the facts, entities, relationships, and evidence clear enough to be retrieved, understood, and corroborated.

AI Search Fundamentals

Search engine vs. large language model

The work changes depending on whether the system is retrieving pages, generating language, or doing both.

Search engineIndex

Find and store public pages.

Search engineRetrieve and rank

Match documents to a query and order results.

LLMGenerate

Write an answer from model context and learned patterns.

Grounded AICite sources

Blend generation with retrieved pages and citations.

AI Search Fundamentals

How are AI answers sourced?

Not every AI answer has the same source path. The grounded layer is the most actionable short term opportunity for CWRU.

Model memory

Generated from learned patterns. Citation may be absent or weak.

Retrieved source

The system checks external pages before answering.

Citation

The answer points to pages it can use as support.

AI Search Fundamentals

And Google AI Overviews?

Think of AI Overviews as retrieval plus generation, not one or the other.

Google AI Overview example for a master of social work degree query — Google result for the MSW query: "what can you do with a master of social work degree."

Retrieval

Google starts with pages it can crawl, understand, and evaluate.

Generation

The AI answer compresses the selected signals into a readable summary.

Citations

Visible sources tend to be pages with clear structure, evidence, and relevance.

AI Search Fundamentals

So what's different between SEO and AI SEO?

01

Keywords still matter, but alone they are not enough.

02

Entities, relationships, and citations become more important.

03

Pages need clearer chunks and facts.

04

External corroboration matters because AI systems recognize patterns across sources.

AI Search Strategy

AI authority is a probability game

Ubiquity increases probability.The more clearly CWRU appears across credible sources, the more likely AI systems are to associate CWRU with the right programs, expertise, and proof.

Stronger answer pattern

Homepage

Program pages

Blog posts and articles

Newsroom

YouTube and videos

PR and media

Directories

Rankings, lists, and awards

AI Search Strategy

The 3 pillars of SEO for AI search

Entities

Help AI recognize your brand, programs, and thought leaders as distinct, connected things, using clear, consistent language.

Semantic Relevance

Optimize for meaning-rich content that reflects how real people search: answer questions, connect topics, and add context.

Citations

Build trust through mentions and references from authoritative sources like local and national media, social media, "best of" lists, and industry sites.

Evidence Base

AI use has become mainstream

How frequently do you use AI-powered tools (such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini) to search for information online? (n=760)

Daily

24%

Weekly

26%

A few times per month

18%

Once or twice but very infrequently

15%

Never

17%

50% of prospects use AI tools at least weekly

Source: AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, UPCEA & Search Influence

Higher Ed Behavior

Where do they go for program info?

Search behavior now has more entry points.

Prospects still use search engines and university websites, but AI tools are now part of the same discovery journey.

CWRU pages have to work for search, site visitors, and AI assisted discovery at the same time.

Chart showing where prospects search for program information

Source: AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, UPCEA & Search Influence

AI Search Strategy

Do they read AI Overviews & trust mentioned brands?

Students do read AI OverviewsAnswer visibility matters

Mentioned brands earn more trustCitation quality matters

Trust starts before the click.

The institution that appears in the answer gets an early credibility advantage before someone reaches the website.

Source: AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, UPCEA & Search Influence

AI Search Strategy

Visibility is your competitive advantage

1

You have to be found to be considered.Visibility earns CWRU the chance to be included in the consideration set.

2

You cannot prove value if you are never seen.Differentiation starts with discovery.

3

Getting found deserves as much focus as what happens after the click.The page has to make the right facts visible before someone compares schools.

67%of learners start with three schools or fewerSource: EducationDynamics Modern Learner Report 2025

AI Search Strategy

Without SEO, you don't show up in AI

Without SEO, you don't show up in AI.AI search does not replace organic visibility. Strong public SEO signals still shape what grounded AI systems can retrieve, cite, and summarize.

Weak SEO versus strong SEO graphic from AMA deck

Day 2

Entities and semantic clarity

Make the relationship between CWRU and its priority concepts unmistakable

Semantic Clarity

What is an entity?

Plain meaning

A named person, place, organization, program, topic, credential, or concept.

Examples

Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Cleveland, AAU, research expenditures.

Why it matters

AI systems use entities and relationships to infer what content is about.

Semantic Clarity

CWRU entity map

AI readable clarity comes from naming the relationships, not just listing terms.

Case Western Reserve University

Schools

School of Medicine, Case School of Engineering, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Mandel School.

Programs

MSN, MSW, engineering areas of study.

Topics

Research growth, biomedical innovation, hands on engineering, professional education.

Locations and affiliations

Cleveland, Ohio, AAU.

Proof

Rankings, accreditation, faculty expertise, outcomes, gifts, and external coverage.

Semantic Clarity

Semantic triples

Use the triple as an editing tool. The audience does not need to see the jargon.

Subject

Case Western Reserve University

Predicate

offers undergraduate engineering programs connected to

Object

research, hands on design, and student outcomes

Why this matters

A clear defining sentence gives readers a fast answer and gives AI systems a cleaner sentence to quote or summarize.

Semantic Clarity

Program boilerplate pattern

Good boilerplate is not filler. It is reusable entity language for program pages, newsroom context, social copy, and PR talking points.

School

+

Program

+

Audience + outcome

[School] offers [program] for [audience] who want [outcome].

Constraint

Keep the language factual and consistent. Do not make every page invent a new description.

Semantic Clarity

Semantic boilerplate examples

The same pattern adapts by page type without losing the named entities.

Engineering

Case Western Reserve University offers undergraduate engineering programs for students who want hands on design, research, entrepreneurship, and technical problem solving in Cleveland.

Use: area-of-study, admissions, research, and news contexts.

MSN

Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University offers Master of Science in Nursing pathways and specialties for nurses preparing for advanced clinical, leadership, and specialty roles.

Use: program detail, school reputation, and applicant outcomes.

MSW

Case Western Reserve University's on campus Master of Social Work prepares students for social work practice through graduate study, field education, and community connected learning.

Use: audience, credential, format, and outcome.

Ways to Give

Case Western Reserve University's giving options help alumni, friends, and partners support students, research, faculty, programs, and institutional priorities.

Use: transaction paths, impact, and authority signals.

Semantic Clarity

Content chunks AI can retrieve

01

Definition or plain language summary.

02

Program or page facts.

03

Eligibility/requirements/deadlines.

04

Outcomes and proof.

05

FAQs or decision support sections.

06

Internal links to authoritative related pages.

Semantic Practice

Exercise: entity mapping

What should this page make unmistakably clear to AI systems?

12 minutes

1Name entities

2Name relationships

3Name evidence

4Name missing signal

School Authority Signal

CWRU entity example: School of Medicine

Authority role

School level hub that should connect education, research, clinical expertise, people, and news.

Entities to name

School, degrees, departments, faculty, clinical partners, research themes, locations, rankings, and news.

AI question

What should AI understand about this school after reading only the top level page?

Source: https://case.edu/medicine/

CWRU entity example: School of Medicine screenshot

Research Hub Signal

CWRU entity example: Medicine Research

Authority role

Research hub as institutional authority signal.

Entities to name

Research themes, faculty, centers, institutes, grants, partners, diseases, technologies, programs, and news.

Reputation question

Which topics should this page make CWRU known for?

Source: https://case.edu/medicine/research

CWRU entity example: Medicine Research screenshot

Engineering Research Signal

CWRU entity example: Engineering Research

Authority role

Research hub with clear authority and internal link potential.

Entities to name

Departments, centers, institutes, labs, research themes, faculty, industry partners, student experiences, and outcomes.

Implementation note

Design and CMS dependencies should be captured separately from content edits.

Source: https://case.edu/engineering/research

CWRU entity example: Engineering Research screenshot

Day 2

Newsroom and external signals

Your newsroom and outside coverage tell AI what CWRU is known for.

Authority Signals

Your newsroom is an AI search asset.

01

Newsroom stories teach AI what CWRU is known for by connecting people, research, gifts, rankings, and momentum in one place.

02

Newsroom stories become source material for external coverage.

03

Newsroom stories corroborate what program and school pages claim.

04

Newsroom stories give AI repeated patterns around what CWRU is known for.

Authority Signals

Newsroom language should connect the dots

01

Name the institution consistently.

02

Name the school, department, faculty, program, topic, and partner when relevant.

03

Explain why the story matters to audiences beyond campus.

04

Use consistent boilerplate so the right facts travel with every excerpt.

Authority Signals

External corroboration

A claim gets stronger every time a credible source repeats it.

01

A CWRU page says what CWRU says about itself.

02

External pickup says other sources recognize or repeat the claim.

03

AI systems trust facts they see repeated across credible sources.

04

This is why PR, newsroom, and SEO should not be separated in the AI search conversation.

The next two slides show this with one real CWRU story.

Step 1: CWRU publishes the claim.

Official story: fastest growing AAU research university

Authority role

Official source for institutional authority.

Strong signal

CWRU frames itself as the #1 fastest growing research university in the AAU.

Opportunity

Connect this claim to school research pages, faculty expertise, graduate programs, and external pickup.

Source: https://case.edu/news/cwru-now-1-fastest-growing-research-university-aau

Official story: fastest growing AAU research university screenshot

Step 2: an outside source repeats it.

External pickup: Ohio Tech News

Same claim, now on a third-party site. That's corroboration.

Distribution signal

Official CWRU story becomes third party sector coverage.

Corroboration

This is a concrete example of external corroboration.

Language pickup

Track which phrases, facts, and entity links from CWRU's original story made it into external coverage.

Content standard

Consistent source language helps external coverage reinforce the same institutional signals.

Source: Ohio Tech News coverage of CWRU research growth story

External pickup: Ohio Tech News screenshot

External Proof

External distribution example: EurekAlert

Distribution surfaces carry your boilerplate to places you don't control.

Distribution role

External distribution and institutional boilerplate.

Context

Even when a page blocks text extraction, distribution surfaces still shape press release pickup.

Opportunity

Every release should carry clean entity language about CWRU, the people, the school, and the story.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1126599

External distribution example: EurekAlert screenshot

Authority Signals

PR and media best practices for AI search

Say the same things, the same way, everywhere.

Semantic triple

Consistent verbiage used in each release or talking points about the university, program, or priority topic.

Reuse the facts

Use the same factual description across newsroom, program page, social, and external pitch materials.

Name the entities

Include the institution, school, program, people, location, topic, credential, audience, and outcome.

Proof layer

Use outside coverage to corroborate the claims CWRU wants AI systems and prospects to remember.

This is how you go from saying something about CWRU to CWRU being known for it.

Authority Signals

Supportive and derivative content

01

LinkedIn posts and articles can reinforce program, faculty, and newsroom language.

02

Video transcripts, interviews, podcasts, and webinars create another AI readable expert surface.

03

Faculty profiles and contributed pieces can carry expert language back to program, research, and newsroom pages.

04

The point is not volume; the point is consistent, useful, corroborated signals.

Authority Signals

How to address inaccurate AI answers

Treat a wrong AI answer like a source tracing exercise, not a mystery.

Step 1Ask for sources

Capture the pages or claims the tool points to.

Step 2Find the likely source

Google the claim and search CWRU's own site.

Step 3Fix owned language

Update outdated, vague, or conflicting source pages first.

Step 4Reinforce externally

Use newsroom, PR, and trusted sources to repeat the corrected signal.

Day 2

Tools and measurement

Use tools to find gaps, not to outsource judgment

Tools & Measurement

Tool categories to consider

01

AI visibility tools

02

Technical/site quality crawlers

03

Accessibility and content quality tools

04

SEO research platforms

05

Brand/reputation monitoring

06

Approved internal AI access, if available

Tools & Measurement

Measurement caveat

01

AI visibility tools are directional.

02

One platform is not the whole truth.

03

Prompt wording changes results.

04

Use tools to find page priorities and citation gaps, then apply editorial judgment.

Tools & Measurement

GA4 AI referral traffic

Use GA4 to see whether AI referred visitors are showing up, where they land, and whether they behave like qualified visitors.

Sample client GA4 AI traffic performance screenshot

Which AI tools send traffic?

Segment sessions from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI referrers.

Which pages get clicked?

Look for landing pages that already earn visits from AI citations and mentions.

Is AI traffic growing?

Trend the sessions over time, but treat the number as directional.

Are visitors engaged?

Compare engagement, next page, and session quality against other channels.

Tools & Measurement

Google Search Console question queries

Question queries show what people ask before they reach the page. Use them to fix headings, sections, and FAQs.

Google Search Console question-query screenshot

Queries

Filter Search Console for question language, then sort by impressions to find demand you already have.

Writing move: turn repeated questions into clear headings, short answers, and FAQ sections where the page needs them.

Tools & Measurement

Prompt visibility checks

01

Prompt around priority audiences and real decision moments.

02

Record whether CWRU is mentioned, cited, absent, or misrepresented.

03

Capture the sources AI uses.

04

Turn findings into page edits, citations, or newsroom/PR priorities.

Tools & Measurement

Using tools without losing judgment

01

The tool should support the content decision, not become the focus.

02

Use a focused CWRU prompt cluster and one page example at a time.

03

Compare results, cited sources, missing entities, and recommended page actions.

04

Keep the work focused on findings and next actions.

CWRU Page Applications

Content optimizations by page type

AI search, SEO, and UX patterns for program, school, research, giving, and newsroom pages.

Program pagesDefine fit, facts, outcomes, and next steps.

School hubsConnect identity, credentials, partners, and paths.

Research pagesName the work, the people, and the proof.

Giving pagesPair donor action with trust and impact.

NewsroomMake authority claims travel clearly.

Page Type Applications

Five habits of stronger web content

1Say what the page isOpen with a plain fact sentence: who does what, for whom, and where.

2Use real namesName the program, school, degree, partner, location, and accreditor.

3Make it scannableUse short sections, fact boxes, visible next steps, and useful headings.

4Answer real questionsUse FAQs and question style headings based on how people actually search.

5Show dated proofAttach dates and sources to rankings, stats, outcomes, accreditation, and claims.

The shared rule

Write for skimmers first, then add enough specificity for search systems, AI answers, and deeper readers to trust the page.

Program Pages

Program pages: make fit obvious fast

The clearest patterns are the gaps that appear across all three program pages.

Engineering

Nursing MSN

Social Work MSW

Clear opening definition

Needs work

FAQ section

Missing

Question style headers

Missing

Facts at a glance

Missing

Partial

Strong

Clear calls to action

Strong

Needs work

Strong

Start here

Add a clean opening definition, a short FAQ, and question style headers before chasing one off page rewrites.

Program Pages

Crafting a program page

Before

"Case Western Reserve University's undergraduate engineering programs consistently rank among the nation's best. Think, design and create like a bona fide engineer right out of the gate."

After

"The Case School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University offers undergraduate degrees across 15 fields for students who want hands on research from year one."

Why it works: school, degrees, audience, and differentiator appear in one sentence.

Add a Program at a Glance block

Use the same fact pattern across program pages so readers and AI systems can compare pages quickly.

DegreeFormatLengthCost linkStart termApplyRequest info

Example page: case.edu/admission/academics/areas-study/engineering

School Homepages

School homepages: connect identity, proof, and paths

Define the school

Tie the school to Case Western Reserve in the first line before broader mission language.

Add school facts

Degrees, hospital partners, accreditation, founding year, and location.

Answer decision questions

Cover program, clinical, research, admissions, and location questions.

Make paths visible

Show apply, request information, visit, program finder, and contact paths clearly.

Use trust markers

Name accreditors and partner institutions in body copy, not only in sidebars.

Clean up the page summary

Use one concise title and a search summary that names degrees and partners.

MDMD/PhDPhDMSMPHLCME accreditedCleveland

School Homepages

Crafting a school homepage

Before title

School of Medicine | School of Medicine | Case Western Reserve University

After title

School of Medicine | Case Western Reserve University

Summary: The Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine offers MD, PhD, MS, and MPH programs, with clinical training across Cleveland's leading hospitals.

Example page: case.edu/medicine

Research Pages

Research pages: name the work and who it serves

Define the research

Name the school, university, and actual research areas in the opening.

Answer practical questions

Cover research areas, undergraduate research, centers, funding, and partnership paths.

Use descriptive headers

Turn brand label headers into questions or labels people can understand out of context.

Use human proof

Name faculty, labs, centers, student work, grants, partners, and outcomes.

Research pages need entities

The more clearly the page names fields, centers, people, methods, and partners, the easier it is to understand and cite.

Research Pages

Crafting a research page

What research areas does the school focus on?

Answer with named departments, flagship areas, and centers.

Can undergraduates get involved in research?

Say yes or no, then name the mechanism: faculty projects, labs, and think[box].

What centers and institutes are there?

List two or three centers and what each studies.

How can a company partner on research?

Explain the partnership path and who to contact.

Why it works

Each answer is direct, specific, and easy to cite.

Example page: case.edu/engineering/research

FAQ Research

Where real FAQs come from

Google People Also Ask

Use current question patterns around program and school terms.

Google Search Console

Performance > Queries shows the language visitors already use.

Keyword tools

Semrush, AlsoAsked, and Answer the Public can expand question sets.

AI answer checks

Prompt checks show what AI systems ask for, cite, or miss.

Internal teams

Admissions, advising, faculty, and advancement know the recurring questions.

Writing rule

Use the visitor's wording, then answer in two or three plain sentences.

Giving Pages

Giving pages: make the action and impact clear

Orient the donor

Start with what they can do, not only why giving matters.

Use donor language

Include donate, give, bequest, donor advised fund, IRA rollover, and charitable gift annuity where relevant.

Expand thin descriptions

Give each method enough context for donor confidence.

Clarify headers

Turn "Online" into "Give Online" and "By mail" into "Give by Mail."

Add trust signals

Use impact figures, donor quotes, planned giving guidance, and visible Give Now paths.

Keep the next step visible

Make Give Now, contact, and method specific paths easy to find.

Giving Pages

Crafting a giving page

Before

Online
By mail
By phone

Strategic Giving text is broad and hard to scan.

After

Under "How to Donate to Case Western Reserve": Give Online, Give by Mail, Give by Phone.

"Plan a bequest, charitable gift annuity, IRA rollover, or donor advised fund gift that supports Case Western Reserve while meeting your financial goals."

The content job

Combine transaction clarity with donor confidence. Put Give Now above the fold where possible.

Example page: case.edu/give/ways-give

News Articles

News articles: make authority claims portable

Full name early

Use Case Western Reserve University near the top, with CWRU as supporting abbreviation.

Self contained claim

Write the core claim with institution, ranking, source, and date context.

Reusable boilerplate

End with an About Case Western Reserve paragraph that can travel with excerpts.

External pickup

Pursue mentions on trusted sites so the claim is corroborated outside CWRU.

Why this belongs in the training

News, PR, program pages, school pages, and external coverage all teach AI systems what the university is known for.

News Articles

Crafting a news article

Before headline

CWRU now #1 fastest growing research university in AAU

After headline

Case Western Reserve University is the fastest growing research university in the Association of American Universities

Why it works: the headline and first line can stand alone when excerpted or cited.

About boilerplate

Case Western Reserve University is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, known for research strength across medicine, engineering, and the sciences.

Example page: case.edu/news/cwru-now-1-fastest-growing-research-university-aau

Prioritization Bridge

How to turn the review into action

Quick wins

Fix duplicate titles, first sentences, section headers, and visible next step language.

Reusable standards

Add page type rules for fact boxes, FAQs, boilerplate, proof, and dated claims.

Governance path

Separate content owner edits from design, CMS, policy, and approval dependencies.

Use the workshop to prioritize

Sort candidate changes by impact, effort, owner, and dependency so the team leaves with practical next steps.

Day 2

Priority workshop and next steps

Turn examples into standards CWRU can carry forward

Prioritization

Priority workshop board

Use this after the worksheet decisions are named: sort the team's action backlog by impact, effort, owner, and dependency.

Quick wins

Rewrite vague H2s into reader questions.

Replace repeated "learn more" links.

Add page job statements before editing.

Standardize

Program/school/entity boilerplate.

Fact boxes, FAQs, proof, and dated claims.

Rules for alt text and CTA language.

Governance

Who owns program boilerplate?

What needs brand, legal, or accessibility review?

What needs CMS or design work?

Leave alone

Do not turn every page into an AI page.

Do not chase every prompt variation.

Do not hide the human reader behind machine optimization.

Priority Practice

Final exercise: fix, standardize, leave alone

Use one CWRU page. Capture page-specific edits, reusable standards, and items to hold for later so the next step is clear without a presenter.

Fix first

Page-specific fixes for this page.

Use when this page or section can be improved now with a content edit.

What to fix

The page, section, heading, CTA, table, image, or copy block.

Why it matters

Name the reader, accessibility, search, or AI search impact.

Owner

Who makes the change or moves it to the right person?

Standardize

A reusable rule applied everywhere.

Test: every time CWRU says this, the team means it the same way.

The reusable rule

Write the standard, not just the example from this page.

Page types it applies to

All program pages, news pages, blog pages, school pages, or another set.

Approval path

Owned by CWRU: note who approves the standard before rollout.

Leave alone

Hold items that should not change right now.

Use for future ideas, blocked fixes, and questions without an answer yet.

Not worth changing now

Low impact, low confidence, or not worth the tradeoff.

Needs redesign or CMS work

Good idea, but not solvable by content edits alone.

Open question

No clear answer yet, so hold it until ownership or policy is decided.

Recommendation: keep this as the single-page worksheet. Keep the priority workshop board as the team backlog that comes after it.

Wrap Up

Participant takeaway

Use one framework first

AudienceQuestionEvidenceActionSignal

Before rewriting, diagnose the page. The framework keeps copy, UX, accessibility, SEO, and AI search decisions connected.

Carry these rules forward

01Use real reader questions as headings. Make skimming useful before asking visitors to read.

02Name important entities consistently. Programs, schools, people, places, credentials, and proof should be explicit.

03Connect owned pages to external signals. Program, school, newsroom, and PR language should reinforce the same claims.

04Let AI search tactics sharpen editorial judgment. Do not let the tool become the strategy.

Case Western Reserve University

Thank you

Web Writing + AI Search Training

Presented by
Search Influence

Training dates
June 9-10, 2026