RFP Finalist Discussion · May 2026

Walsh University
Online Marketing Campaigns & AI SEO

A focused, enrollment-driven digital marketing strategy for adult learners, graduate programs, and traditional undergraduate - connected to Slate and measured against what matters.

Prepared bySearch Influence

Presented toWalsh University

Proposal dateApril 13, 2026

1

Before we begin

You have the proposal.
Today is about the recommendation.

01

The Opportunity Walsh's key challenge and why a focused strategy changes the outcome across all three campaign areas

02

The Strategy Audience-by-audience recommendation: what we'd do differently, why it works, and proof it does

03

The Relationship Setup, ongoing optimization, reporting, and the path to July 1 launch

Reserved for you The final portion is yours: questions, priorities, and the decisions Walsh needs to make before July 1.

2

Walsh's Key Opportunity

Focus spending where it converts.

Challenges to Address

Adult learner leads declining YoY

Admissions is sounding the alarm.

Budget spread too thin

Too many programs and platforms competing for the same dollars, limiting impact everywhere.

Paid search costs rising

AI is reshaping search, reducing reach and driving up cost per inquiry.

No AI search strategy

Strong media presence and off-site assets that could be working harder, but aren't yet.

Approach

Consolidate and focus

Prioritize the highest-intent channel per audience. Shift budget to programs with the clearest ROI signal.

Win in AI search

Optimize pages, content, and citations so Walsh appears in AI-generated answers when students are deciding.

Connect to enrollment outcomes

Slate CRM integration tracks leads through the funnel. Report on applications, not just clicks.

3

Strategy Overview

From fragmented spend to focused impact

Audience	Current Digital Activity	Search Influence Recommendation
Undergraduate	Google Paid Search Meta Ads YouTube Ads Google Search, YouTube, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), and direct mail (prior years: SnapChat and TikTok)	Google Paid Search Google Demand Gen Google Paid Search + Google Demand Gen to build awareness and familiarity early, before students start comparing schools
Adult Learners	Google Paid Search Meta Ads TikTok Currently running 'complete your degree' messaging for healthcare and business buckets across 3 platforms.	Google Paid Search Meta Ads Google Paid Search + Meta Advertising to reach working adults before they start searching and re-engage those who didn't convert.
Graduate	Google Paid Search YouTube Ads Meta Ads LinkedIn Ads Four platforms and five programs competing for the same budget; MBA consuming a large share; seasonality underused; no dedicated AI-search visibility strategy	Google Paid Search LinkedIn Ads AI Search (incl. Organic) Google Paid Search + LinkedIn Advertising to reach educators and business professionals by career profile, not just search intent. Show up in AI searches for prospective students searching for key programs.

4

Audience 1 of 3

Undergraduate Platform Strategy

Google Paid Search

Google Demand Gen (YouTube, Gmail, Discover)

Google Paid Search

Google Paid Search anchors the undergraduate strategy by capturing students and parents actively researching colleges and admissions options. It protects Walsh's branded visibility and reaches high-intent prospects at the bottom of the funnel.

Google Demand Gen

Google Demand Gen reaches prospective students earlier in their journey across YouTube, Gmail, and Discover with visually engaging messaging around Walsh's brand, campus experience, and undergraduate opportunities.

How the two work together

Students who have already seen Walsh on YouTube are more likely to engage when they encounter a Walsh search ad weeks later, making paid search more efficient and every dollar work harder.

Recommended Campaign Structure

Branded Campaign Undergraduate Brand / General Awareness Priority Program / Admissions Demand Gen: Awareness + Consideration

5

Audience 2 of 3

Adult Learners Platform Strategy

Google Paid Search

Meta Advertising

Google Paid Search

Google Paid Search captures adult learners who are actively researching degree completion options right now. These are high-intent prospects searching for specific programs, flexible schedules, and fast paths to a degree. It is our primary lead generation engine for this segment.

Meta Advertising

Meta reaches adult learners earlier in the decision process, before they start searching. It builds awareness, re-engages site visitors who didn't convert, and keeps Walsh top of mind for prospects who need more time to decide.

How the two work together

Together, these two platforms cover the full funnel: capturing demand that already exists and building demand among adults who are close but not yet ready to search.

Recommended Campaign Structure

Branded Campaign Adult Business Degree Completion Adult Healthcare / Fast-Track BSN Meta: Awareness + Remarketing

6

Audience 3 of 3

Graduate Platform Strategy

Google Paid Search

LinkedIn Advertising

AI SEO

Google Paid Search

Google Paid Search captures graduate prospects actively researching specific programs, the highest-intent candidates at exactly the right moment. It is the foundation of the graduate strategy.

LinkedIn Advertising

LinkedIn serves as a supporting awareness channel for MAED and MBA, reaching educators and business professionals by career profile rather than search intent. We keep it focused on traffic and awareness.

AI SEO

AI SEO starts with DPT and MOT, building visibility in AI-generated answers before peak search activity begins in fall. Starting in July gives us a 3-4 month runway before the December 1 application deadline.

How the platforms work together

Prospects who encounter Walsh on LinkedIn are more likely to engage when they later search, improving efficiency across both channels. MBA uses branded Google Search plus LinkedIn. DPT and MOT budgets increase late summer through fall. MAED shifts heavier investment into late winter and spring.

7

Paid Ads Case Study

The focused playbook works: Tulane School of Architecture

Google Paid Search

LinkedIn Display

Challenge

Needed more qualified graduate inquiries through a more focused and effective digital advertising strategy.

Strategy

LinkedIn: Precise targeting and remarketing to reach the right professionals
Paid Search: Program-specific campaigns driving qualified traffic to inquiry pages

35 RFI Forms Submitted 5x increase from previous campaign efforts

41,458 Clicks to Graduate Program Pages LinkedIn & Google Paid Search combined

6.61% Click-Through Rate vs. 5.74% Higher Ed industry benchmark

8

The AI Search Opportunity

AI search is already shaping the graduate shortlist.

50% of prospects use AI tools daily or weekly AI Search in Higher Education, UPCEA + Search Influence

79% read Google AI Overviews during research UPCEA + Search Influence prospect study

56% more likely to trust brands shown in AI Overviews UPCEA + Search Influence prospect study

4.4x higher conversion rate from AI-referred visitors Semrush AI referral benchmark

Why this matters for Walsh

DPT and MOT candidates are asking comparison questions before they click. AI search visibility can help Walsh show up while students are forming the initial program shortlist.

Recommended start: DPT and MOT now, then MAED after December 1 to build visibility before spring demand peaks.

9

ChatGPT Visibility Snapshot

ChatGPT can find Walsh in narrow prompts. The opportunity is broader discovery.

ChatGPT Visibility Sample May 7, 2026. Sample prompts for DPT and MOT discovery behavior.

Prompt tested	Walsh result	Examples surfaced
DPT programs in Ohio	Not surfaced	Ohio U, OSU, Cincinnati
Best DPT programs, small campus and clinical experience	Not surfaced	Cleveland State, Mount St. Joseph, YSU
Occupational therapy graduate programs in Ohio	Not surfaced	OSU, Bowling Green, Cincinnati
OT master's programs with hands-on clinical prep	Partial	Walsh mentioned, but not as a primary cited source
Catholic universities in Ohio with DPT or OT	Surfaced	Walsh appears in the answer

What this tells us

Walsh can appear when the prompt is narrow or explicitly faith-based.
The broader program-discovery prompts are where prospective students build the shortlist.
DPT and MOT are the best starting point for AI search visibility work.

Takeaway

The goal is not just to be findable when someone already knows Walsh. The opportunity is to show up when prospective students are comparing programs and have not yet decided which schools belong on the list.

10

Google AI Overview Snapshot

Google AI Overviews show the same visibility pattern.

Google AI Overview Visibility Sample May 8, 2026. Same DPT and MOT discovery behavior, reviewed in Google Search AI Overviews.

Prompt tested	Walsh result	Examples surfaced
DPT programs in Ohio	Not surfaced	OSU, Ohio U, Cleveland State, BGSU
Best DPT programs, small campus and clinical experience	Not surfaced	Belmont, USAHS, UNE, Seton Hill
Occupational therapy graduate programs in Ohio	Not surfaced	OSU, Findlay, Cleveland State, Shawnee State
OT master's programs with hands-on clinical prep	Not surfaced	USAHS, Kean, Clarkson, Shenandoah
Catholic universities in Ohio with DPT or OT	Surfaced	Walsh appears as a named program option

What this tells us

Walsh appears when the query explicitly includes Catholic universities.
Broader DPT and OT discovery prompts surface other schools first.
Google AI Overviews are already summarizing program choices before the click.

Takeaway

Showing both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews makes the same point: Walsh has a credible story, but the broader discovery queries need stronger signals.

11

AI & Organic SEO Case Study

Maine College of Art & Design: competing for online enrollments and winning.

Competing for online enrollments against major universities in the Northeast

Challenge & Goal

Needed 30 new enrollments for new online graduate certificate programs
Arts Education, Expressive Arts Therapy, Arts Leadership

Strategy: Dual-Targeted SEO

Visibility: Structure content for discoverability by AI systems and search engines
Conversion: Optimize program pages for clear messaging and conversion paths

53 New Enrollments Goal was 30 for Fall 2026

+3,894% Keyword Growth 719 rankings vs. 18 at baseline

+171% Website Sessions Engagement time up 11%

Why this matters for Walsh

DPT, MOT, MAED, and Exercise Physiology are the kind of niche programs where AI search can shape the shortlist before paid media captures demand.

12

Scope of Work: Setup

Before launch: simplify the architecture and connect the data.

Onboarding & Goal Setting

Align on enrollment goals by program; confirm SMART KPIs
Gain access: website, analytics, ad accounts, Slate CRM
Set UTM governance, conversion tracking, and reporting cadence

Google Paid Search Setup

Fresh keyword research across all three campaign areas
Audit: campaign settings, bidding, ad copy, landing pages, tracking
New campaign strategy, creative, and ad copy
Connect Google Ads and Analytics; UTM and conversion setup

Meta Advertising Setup

Audience and demographic research
Audit: campaign settings, creative, Meta Pixel
Custom audiences from first-party data; lookalike audiences
Campaign strategy, ad copy, and imagery

LinkedIn + Demand Gen Setup

Audience targeting; campaign and ad group strategy
LinkedIn: 4 target messages; custom audiences; conversion tracking
Demand Gen: YouTube, Shorts, Gmail, Discover; Walsh video coordination
Landing page selection by audience and program

Dashboard, Analytics & Reporting Setup: GA4 audit, Search Console review, Looker Studio dashboard connected to Google, Meta, and LinkedIn with SMART goal attainment and inquiry tracking.

13

Scope of Work: Ongoing Optimization

After launch: pace, learn, and reallocate.

Paid Search & Demand Gen

Campaign analysis and optimization every month
Ad copy and landing page testing
Creative rotation when performance dips below benchmarks
Budget pacing and allocation adjustments to maximize ROI

Meta & LinkedIn

Audience refinement based on engagement and conversion data
Creative and asset rotation with Walsh's design team
Testing of formats, messages, and audience signals
Ongoing optimizations toward enrollment goals

Seasonal Budget Shifts

DPT/MOT: always-on; budget surges late summer through fall ahead of Dec 1
MAED: year-round; heavier late winter through spring
MBA: branded Paid Search + LinkedIn; not broad non-brand
Exercise Physiology: steady-state; refined on lead data

AI SEO (if approved)

Relevance: program page optimization; content to build topical authority
Authority: directories, digital PR, LinkedIn and YouTube optimization
Discoverability: schema implementation; internal linking improvements
Strategy planned in 3-month increments for agility

Creative rotation: Multiple versions run simultaneously. When performance dips, we refresh in coordination with Walsh's in-house design team. Every decision is data-driven.

14

Dashboards, Analytics & Reporting

Measure what moves enrollment, not just what generates clicks.

Undergraduate KPIs

Cost per inquiry; impressions; clicks; CTR; lead volume
Demand Gen: video view-through; YouTube/Gmail/Discover engagement

Adult Learner KPIs

Paid Search: CPI; clicks; CTR; lead volume by program (Business, BSN)
Meta: reach; CPC; retargeting conversion rate; lead volume

Graduate KPIs

CPI by program: DPT, MOT, MAED, MBA, Exer. Phys.
LinkedIn: CTR by audience (MAED, MBA); assisted conversions

AI SEO KPIs (if included)

AI visibility score by program; AI-driven and organic traffic
Keyword ranking growth; citation presence across AI platforms

Reporting Cadence

24/7 live Looker Studio dashboard
Emailed insights report by the 15th of each month
Monthly strategy meeting: performance review and next steps
Monthly status meeting: creative, budget pacing, project updates

Tools

GA4 Search Console Looker Studio Scrunch Advanced Web Ranking Slate CRM

Every campaign connected to Slate

Track leads through the funnel. Feed qualified inquiry and application data back into Google, Meta, and LinkedIn for optimization. Report on what's driving enrollment, not just clicks.

15

Timeline for Impact

May/June setup → July 1 launch → seasonal optimization

Setup Phase: May/June

Stakeholder kickoff; align enrollment goals
Gain access: analytics, ad accounts, Slate CRM
Audit existing campaigns; keyword research
Build strategy, creative, and ad copy

Launch: July 1

All campaigns live: Undergraduate, Adult, Graduate
AI SEO work begins immediately for DPT and MOT
Can take over existing campaigns July 1 while building fresh ones
Looker Studio dashboard connected and live

Optimize: Months 2–12

Intense monitoring in pre-December 1 window
DPT/MOT budgets surge fall; MAED surges spring
Monthly insights reports and strategy reviews
Spend always follows enrollment momentum

Catholic mission as competitive advantage

Walsh's Catholic identity is a genuine differentiator. Our messaging goes beyond program features: close community, personal attention, education grounded in purpose.

Investment Summary

Core program: $334,970 (just $4,970 over budget)
AI SEO (additive): $105,020
6 conversion landing pages: $8,950

Walsh owns all ad accounts with full spend transparency.

16

Discussion Priorities

What we should align on before launch

Which audiences and programs get the strongest first push when campaigns launch July 1?
Is additive AI SEO approved: should DPT and MOT be first, given the December 1 deadline runway?
Are conversion landing pages approved? Which six pages should be built first?
What current vendor data can be shared before kickoff: spend, leads, CPL, applications by program/channel/month?
What needs to be live July 1 vs. transitioned after? Are there existing campaigns we should take over immediately?
What Slate conversions are available now, and can qualified inquiry/application data be fed back into Google, Meta, and LinkedIn?

Ready when you are

Onboarding in May or June puts us on track for July 1. Jess Toben (Account Manager) and Jenna Movahed (Digital Ads Strategist, who manages Tulane Architecture) are ready to begin immediately upon contract signing.

(504) 208-3900 · www.searchinfluence.com

17

Walsh UniversityOnline Marketing Campaigns & AI SEO

You have the proposal.Today is about the recommendation.

Focus spending where it converts.

From fragmented spend to focused impact

Undergraduate Platform Strategy

Google Paid Search

Google Demand Gen

Adult Learners Platform Strategy

Google Paid Search

Meta Advertising

Graduate Platform Strategy

Google Paid Search

LinkedIn Advertising

AI SEO

The focused playbook works: Tulane School of Architecture

AI search is already shaping the graduate shortlist.

ChatGPT can find Walsh in narrow prompts. The opportunity is broader discovery.

What this tells us

Google AI Overviews show the same visibility pattern.

What this tells us

Maine College of Art & Design: competing for online enrollments and winning.

Challenge & Goal

Strategy: Dual-Targeted SEO

Before launch: simplify the architecture and connect the data.

Onboarding & Goal Setting

Google Paid Search Setup

Meta Advertising Setup

LinkedIn + Demand Gen Setup

After launch: pace, learn, and reallocate.

Paid Search & Demand Gen

Meta & LinkedIn

Seasonal Budget Shifts

AI SEO (if approved)

Measure what moves enrollment, not just what generates clicks.

Undergraduate KPIs

Adult Learner KPIs

Graduate KPIs

AI SEO KPIs (if included)

May/June setup → July 1 launch → seasonal optimization

What we should align on before launch

Walsh University
Online Marketing Campaigns & AI SEO

You have the proposal.
Today is about the recommendation.