Loyola University New Orleans Online
AI SEO & Digital Advertising Proposal
A focused growth plan for the online Bachelor of Applied Science: adult degree completers, true transfer flexibility, Google + Meta demand capture, and answer-ready AI search visibility.
What's inside
A proposal built around the BAS opportunity, not a generic online-program campaign.
Why adult learners' questions are shifting from keywords to answer engines.
Where the transfer-friendly story is strong, missing, or too buried.
How Search Influence connects AI SEO, paid media, content implementation, and analytics.
AI SEO, Google Paid Search, Meta Advertising, Dashboard/Analytics/Reporting, and AI visibility tracking.
Higher-ed experience, AI search leadership, and the working model.
Low, Medium, and High options with spend + management shown per platform.
AI Search Opportunity
Adult learners are asking longer, more personal questions about credits, time, cost, work experience, and whether they can finish what they started.
AI Is Becoming a Primary Discovery Channel
Prospects are using AI tools and AI-influenced search results to explore, compare, and choose programs.
Source: AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, UPCEA & Search Influence.
How AI Search Works
AI systems generate answers from repeated, trusted signals. Loyola's BAS has the substance; the work is making that substance clear, crawlable, and consistent.
BAS page, PBA page, transfer-pathway pages, FAQ/schema, internal links, admissions pages, and clear specialization language.
Partner-school announcements, LCTCS/MGCCC pathway proof, Quality Matters learner support, City of New Orleans provider status, and trusted third-party citations.
Clear sections, FAQs, schema, internal links, and crawlable proof points that help AI systems understand who the BAS is for.
Repeated connections among Loyola Online, BAS, associate degree transfer credits, adult learners, specializations, transfer pathways, PBA, and online completion.
Loyola BAS Findings
The BAS opportunity is specific: finish what you started, keep more of your credits, and turn applied experience into a Loyola degree.
You Should Be the Answer. AI Is Not Consistently Saying So.
Search and AI-style queries surface broad competitors and explainer content before they surface Loyola's strongest BAS differentiators.
Generic transfer-credit explainers and competitor completion pages, including Franklin, Tiffin, Marshall, ASU Online, and other broad online-transfer resources.
LCTC and MGCCC pathways that transfer all 60 credits from conferred associate degrees to the BAS, plus Fletcher junior-standing language and dedicated transition support.
Directory pages, LSU Online, University of Louisiana options, Louisiana online-college roundups, and other broad online-degree resources.
Adult-focused BAS, 51 electives, two specializations, 100% online classes, 8-week sessions, six starts per year, PBA, and dedicated success coaching.
Sources reviewed: Loyola BAS page, Loyola PBA page, Fletcher/Loyola transfer announcement, and current public search results.
BAS Page: Transfer Friendly Needs Proof.
Loyola can win on a claim many schools make casually. The page should show exactly why Loyola means it.
The BAS page clearly states the 120-credit structure, 30 credits of major courses, 51 general electives, two specialization areas, and AU-ABC transfer credit for eligible CCAF coursework.
The strongest transfer proof is split across admissions and partner pages: LCTC/MGCCC all-60-credit language, Fletcher junior standing, and transcript support are not prominent on the BAS page itself.
A crawlable section titled "Bring Your Associate Degree With You" with examples for A.A., A.S., A.A.S., CCAF, technical coursework, and partner-school transfer paths.
Page reviewed: https://www.loyno.edu/academics/colleges/loyola-online/bachelor-applied-science-online
Performance-Based Admission: Connect It to the BAS Story.
PBA is a powerful second-chance message, but it needs to be tied directly to adult BAS prospects who may count themselves out.
The PBA page explains the undergraduate pathway: relevant work experience, high school/GED completion, possible prior college attendance, 12 online credits, financial-aid eligibility, and matriculation after a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
The BAS audience may not connect PBA with their own situation unless the message is repeated on BAS, transfer, and campaign pages.
FAQs and internal links such as "Can I apply if my old GPA was low?" and "How work experience can support your Loyola Online BAS path."
Page reviewed: https://www.loyno.edu/loyola-online/admissions/performance-based-admission-pba
Partnerships are Search Assets.
LCTCS, Fletcher, MGCCC, and City of New Orleans relationships should become structured pages, FAQs, ads, and retargeting messages.
- Create partner-specific copy blocks for LCTCS and MGCCC audiences.
- Explain junior-standing pathway and applicable-credit rules.
- Add internal links from BAS, transfer, and admissions pages.
- Associate degree, technical, and applied credits can matter.
- No-charge transcript ordering where allowed reduces friction.
- Success coaches and 8-week sessions help working adults keep momentum.
- Google ad groups around associate degree transfer, BAS completion, applied science degree, and partner-school terms.
- Meta retargeting for finish-your-degree and second-chance messaging.
- Landing-page modules tied to geography and partnership.
Pages reviewed: https://www.loyno.edu/news/apr-29-2026_fletcher-loyola-university-new-orleans-sign-historic-agreement-expand-access; https://www.loyno.edu/news/apr-27-2026_loyola-university-new-orleans-mississippi-gulf-coast-community-college-formalize; https://www.solacc.edu/about-us/news/1821431/loyolatransfer
Goal: Grow BAS Demand Without Making Loyola Sound Generic
The plan connects answer-ready content, paid demand capture, retargeting, and analytics into one optimization loop.
Define the BAS as the path for adults with associate degree credits, older credits, technical/applied coursework, work experience, and a desire to finish.
Build and update page sections, FAQs, schema, internal links, and supporting content and off-site references as part of AI & Organic SEO.
Use Google Paid Search for high-intent transfer/completion queries and Meta for story repetition and retargeting to move prospects down the funnel.
Use dashboard, AI visibility tracker, AI traffic, paid media, GA4/GSC, and Slate feedback to prioritize monthly work.
Scope of Work
Recommended workstreams for an integrated BAS growth program.
Onboarding & Goal Setting
Confirm the goals, stakeholders, access, timelines, and reporting expectations needed to start cleanly.
- Website/CMS access as appropriate
- GA4, GSC, Bing Webmaster Tools, Google Ads, Meta Ads, Slate/reporting exports, and form access
- Existing EAB/campaign learnings, BAS assets, brand guidance, and start-date calendar
- Stakeholder introductions
- Day-to-day contacts, decision-makers, and reviewers
- Publishing, campaign, and content review/approval workflow
- BAS inquiry/application/start goals
- SMART goal setting
- Launch milestones for AI SEO, Google, Meta, dashboard, and reporting
- Reporting frequency and methods
AI SEO Initial Analysis & Strategy
Initial analysis connects entity, content, technical, authority, and baseline visibility work into an actionable 3-month roadmap.
Prioritize BAS entities: applied science, associate degree transfer, adult degree completion, technical credits, PBA, specializations, and Louisiana/Mississippi audiences.
Review BAS, PBA, transfer, admissions, partner, and campaign pages against search results and AI answer patterns.
Assess crawlability, structured data, indexation, site architecture, internal linking, and page templates within Drupal constraints.
Evaluate partner announcements, citations, AI visibility, organic rankings, backlinks, directories, and trusted third-party sources.
Custom 3-month AI and organic SEO plan with targeted entities, keywords, page updates, authority opportunities, and campaign-aligned content priorities.
Execute AI SEO Strategy
Content implementation support is included inside AI SEO.
- Align content with key entities and search intent
- Optimize title tags, headings, and metadata
- Strengthen entity connections through internal linking and structured data
- Differentiate with information gain and subject matter expert insight
- Lean into content freshness
- Write and publish blog/page content for topical authority
- Secure backlinks and citations
- Optimize directories and industry listings
- Publish digital PR with strategic links/language
- Optimize/create YouTube videos and LinkedIn articles where appropriate
- Implement schema
- Improve crawlability, speed, and mobile health
- Improve navigation, internal linking, and URL structure
- Local search listing/content/link work where applicable
Google Paid Search Setup
Show up quickly for high-quality searches tied to BAS, associate degree transfer credits, degree completion, partner pathways, and adult learner intent.
- 4-6 weeks from kickoff
- Keyword research
- Campaign and ad group strategy
- Setup campaigns and ad groups
- Up to 9 ad groups plus branded ad group if appropriate
- Responsive search ads for each ad group
- Ad extensions: callout, sitelink, location, etc.
- Connect Google Ads & Analytics
- UTM tracking
- Google Ads conversions / import GA goals or key events
- Integrate CallRail / Google Ads and update extensions/URLs if relevant
- Campaign analysis and updates
- Conversion optimization recommendations
- Ad copy and landing page testing/tuning
- Ad creative rotation
How We Separate SI and EAB Google Ads Activity
Separate accounts can work when Loyola, EAB, and Search Influence define ownership clearly and actively prevent auction overlap.
- SI runs BAS/program-specific Google campaigns only.
- Campaigns focus on BAS, degree completion, associate-credit transfer, and high-intent program queries.
- BAS landing pages, URLs, and UTMs are clearly labeled for SI reporting.
- EAB excludes BAS terms, BAS landing pages, and close variants.
- Both accounts use shared negative keywords to prevent overlap.
- No duplicate Loyola ads target the same query intent.
- Weekly search term review at launch to catch leakage.
- Clear campaign naming and UTM conventions keep reporting separate.
- SI flags overlap quickly so SI/EAB can adjust negatives or ownership.
Meta Advertising
Use Meta to retarget and reinforce the finish-your-degree story for adults who need more time and confidence before applying.
- 4-6 weeks from kickoff
- Audience targeting research
- Campaign and ad group strategy
- Creative: ad copy and imagery
- May include videos, reformatted images, graphics
- Up to 4 target messages
- Targeting groups, including custom audiences from first-party data
- Select landing pages
- Conversion tracking
- Meta Pixel
- Meta Event Tracking
- CallRail / Facebook Ads and URLs if relevant
- Campaign analysis and updates
- Monitor performance relative to goals
- Ongoing optimizations
- Creative rotation when appropriate
Dashboard, Analytics & Reporting
Reporting should connect strategy, completed work, visibility, traffic, and funnel signals in language the Loyola team can use.
Analytics assessment, GA4, GSC, Bing Webmaster Tools, AWR, SEMrush/Scrunch inputs as available, conversions, events, and Looker Studio dashboard setup.
SMART goal attainment, inquiries, keyword rankings, overall and organic traffic, and content performance.
AI traffic, AI visibility, prompt/citation trends, pages cited in AI answers, and other sites appearing for tracked prompts.
Emailed insights report by the 15th, completed deliverables/tactics, and a monthly meeting to review results and discuss optimizations.
AI Visibility Tracker
Track Loyola's presence in AI-powered conversations and identify where content, citations, and authority signals should be strengthened.
Overall presence in AI-powered conversation and visibility across tracked AI platforms.
Presence, position, sentiment, and competitive context for priority BAS prompts.
Pages cited in AI answers and other sites that appear for tracked prompts.
AI Traffic Performance
Reporting helps the team see which AI tools drive visits, which pages benefit, and how engaged those visitors are.
Which AI tools drive visits to the site, and how that changes over time.
Which BAS, PBA, transfer, and supporting pages receive AI-referred traffic.
How engaged AI tool visitors are compared with other traffic sources and priority pages.
Why Search Influence
Nimble higher-ed strategy, AI search leadership, paid media management, and reporting built for decisions.
The Partner for a Focused, Nimble BAS Push
Loyola asked for quick recommendations, concrete implementation support, and a stronger data feedback loop. That is our operating model.
Work with institutions and adult/online audiences, including prior positive collaboration with Tulane SoPA.
Search Influence studies AI search behavior in higher education and builds reporting around AI traffic and visibility.
AI SEO, paid search, Meta, analytics, reporting, and content implementation work together instead of as separate silos.
Investment
Three levels of monthly support. Each digital advertising platform shows spend + management fee separately.
Recommended Investment Options
All tiers include AI SEO, Google Paid Search, Meta Advertising, Dashboard/Analytics/Reporting, AI Visibility Tracker, and platform-level spend + management.
| Budget component | One-time setup | Low Monthly | Medium Monthly | High Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic levelProgram focus and growth posture | n/a | Conservative BAS push | Recommended level for launch | Expanded BAS growth |
| Onboarding & Goal SettingOne-time kickoff, access, goal setting, and launch planning | $2,500 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| AI SEOIncludes content implementation support | $4,200 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Google Paid SearchSetup plus monthly spend + gross-based management | $4,200 | $3,500($2,500 spend + $1,000 mgmt) | $5,000($4,000 spend + $1,000 mgmt) | $6,250($5,000 spend + $1,250 mgmt) |
| Meta AdvertisingSetup plus monthly spend + gross-based management | $4,200 | $3,500($2,500 spend + $1,000 mgmt) | $4,000($3,000 spend + $1,000 mgmt) | $5,000($4,000 spend + $1,000 mgmt) |
| Dashboard, Analytics & ReportingIncludes AI Visibility Tracker | $3,640 | $940 | $940 | $940 |
| TotalInitial setup plus selected monthly level | $18,740 | $11,940/mo | $13,940/mo | $17,190/mo |
AI SEO Investment Only
This view isolates the AI SEO recommendation from the full integrated paid media recommendation.
| Budget component | Strategy, Creative, and Campaign Creation | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding including Kickoff, Goal Setting, Assets and Access Collection | $2,500 | - |
| AI SEO | $4,200 | $5,000 |
| Dashboard, Analytics Support, and Monthly Reporting incl. AI Visibility Tracker | $3,640 | $940 |
| Total | $10,340 | $5,940 |
Payment Terms & Billing Practices
Standard billing assumptions for setup, monthly services, and third-party providers.
- Payments are made by credit/debit card
- Credit card authorization is standard, though exceptions to pay by ACH or check are available for universities
- One-time/setup charges are billed upon contract signing
- SEO monthly charges are billed on the 1st of the month after onboarding or the following month, depending on the final arrangement
- Digital advertising monthly charges near campaign launch, then on the 1st monthly thereafter
- First partial month ad spend/management fee prorated with minimum $1,000 management fee
- Third-party providers such as Google, Meta, and CallRail are billed directly where applicable
- Monthly reporting and strategy review are included in the recurring engagement
Next Steps
A practical path to launch.
Confirm Low, Medium, or High and any changes to Google/Meta media allocation.
Approve setup/monthly scope, then collect access to analytics, ad platforms, website/CMS, forms, and available Slate reporting.
Launch onboarding, baseline measurement, AI SEO analysis / strategy, Google/Meta strategy / setup.
Thank you
Search Influence is ready to help Loyola Online make the BAS story visible, understandable, and measurable.
Prepared for Loyola University New Orleans Online - confidential proposal draft.