Content Optimisation for UK Schools
High-Quality, Relevant Content for UK School Websites: Strategy, Governance & Measurement
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
Parents and carers search to complete tasks: check term dates, understand admissions, report an absence, or learn what your school stands for. Search engines reward sites that consistently meet those needs with fast, accessible and trustworthy content. This long-form guide assembles a complete system for UK schools and multi-academy trusts: how to research intent, write and structure pages, align with accessibility and safeguarding, prove quality signals, and measure impact. It avoids generic advice and focuses on practical, repeatable steps that work across multiple school sites.
What “high-quality & relevant” means for schools
Quality is not an abstract score; it is whether the page fully solves the user’s task in a trustworthy, accessible and efficient way. Google’s guidance describes “helpful, reliable, people-first content” and encourages authors to demonstrate first-hand experience, clear sourcing, and a strong purpose. For schools, the standard is also shaped by accessibility guidelines and safeguarding expectations.
- Task-completion: pages should enable the next step without friction (book, apply, report, contact, download, watch, read).
- Accuracy & currency: dates, fees, policies and contact routes must be correct. Stale pages erode trust.
- Accessibility: readable text, clear headings, alt text, captions/transcripts, and keyboard-friendly experiences.
- Trust markers: real authorship, policy transparency, Ofsted information, and external references where appropriate.
References: Google — Creating helpful content • Google — SEO Starter Guide • W3C — WCAG 2.2 Quick Reference.
Audience research for UK school sites
Before writing a word, understand the real jobs-to-be-done for each audience. In UK school contexts, the core groups are parents/carers, prospective families, pupils, staff and community stakeholders.
Signals you already have
- Search Console: queries that trigger impressions for key pages; filter by page or query.
- GA4: site search terms; top exit pages; page journeys to find friction.
- Office phone/email logs: recurrent questions (attendance, uniform, term dates).
- Social & newsletters: topics that drive replies or confusion.
Qualitative inputs
- Short parent interviews at events/parents’ evenings.
- Teacher/admin feedback on common information requests.
- Competitor SERPs: how neighbouring schools answer the same tasks.
Organise findings into intent statements: “A parent wants to report an absence today”, “A prospective family wants admissions criteria and deadlines”, “A pupil wants the PE timetable”. These become the backbone of your content plan.
Intent mapping: tasks, questions & content types
Map intents to content types so each job has a predictable home. This reduces duplication and makes navigation simpler.
| Intent | Primary page type | Secondary content | Success indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check term dates & INSET | Term Dates page | Calendar feed; link from News if dates change | Low exits; strong CTR on queries incl. year |
| Report an absence | Attendance/Absence page | Form or phone options; policy link | Visits complete form or call; fewer misclicks |
| Apply for admissions | Admissions hub | Appeals info; open events; catchment | Clicks to “Apply online” or LA portal |
| Understand safeguarding | Safeguarding hub | DSL contacts; policies; external help | Time on page; clarity; fewer off-topic calls |
| Uniform details | Uniform page | Supplier link; second-hand info | Reduced questions about items/costs |
Demonstrating experience, expertise, authority & trust
EEAT is not a badge; it’s the visible proof that your information is credible and maintained. For schools:
- Experience: photographs of real activities; quotes from staff and pupils; case studies of outcomes.
- Expertise: bylines with role (e.g., “Designated Safeguarding Lead”), and review notes where appropriate.
- Authority: consistent policy pages; Ofsted report links; governing body information.
- Trust: accurate contact details; accessible language; privacy and complaints information.
Reference: Google — Evaluate your content.
Page-level quality: structure, readability and accessibility
Structure that respects the task
- One clear H1 for the topic; task-oriented H2s for sections.
- Intro paragraph that states the outcome (“Check dates at a glance”, “How to apply”).
- Short paragraphs and bullet lists for scanning on mobile.
- Contents box for long pages with anchors to H2/H3.
Accessibility first
- Readable contrast and font sizes; avoid images of text.
- Alt text describing purpose; empty alt for decoration.
- Captions for prerecorded video; transcripts for audio.
- Descriptive link text (“Apply online”) not “Click here”.
References: W3C — WCAG 2.2 • GOV. UK — Content design.
Template patterns for common pages
Admissions hub
- H1: Admissions: How to Apply for [Year].
- H2: Key dates & deadlines.
- H2: Eligibility & oversubscription criteria.
- H2: Application steps (with H3 sub-steps).
- H2: Appeals and outcomes.
- H2: Open events and tours.
- H2: Contact admissions.
Attendance & absence
- H1: Report a Pupil Absence.
- H2: Report now (phone/form/email).
- H2: When to keep children off.
- H2: Evidence and who to contact.
- H2: Support if attendance is a concern.
Safeguarding hub
- H1: Safeguarding at [School].
- H2: How to raise a concern (DSL details).
- H2: Our approach & policies.
- H2: External support and urgent help.
Term dates
- H1: Term Dates [Year/Year+1].
- H2: Autumn term.
- H2: Spring term.
- H2: Summer term.
- H2: INSET days & holidays.
Internal linking & information architecture
Quality content still fails if users can’t find it. Internal links pass context and help search engines understand relationships.
- Hub-and-spoke: use hubs (Admissions, Safeguarding) linking to detailed spokes (Appeals, Open Events).
- Breadcrumbs: give location and create consistent link text.
- Body links: add links where people expect the next step (“See uniform list”, “Read attendance policy”).
- Avoid orphan pages: every page should have at least one meaningful internal link to it.
Reference: Google — Site navigation and links.
Safeguarding, UK GDPR & inclusive language
Schools communicate with a broad public audience and must remain careful with privacy, tone and claims.
- Privacy: avoid pupil-identifiable details in content and meta descriptions; be cautious with images and EXIF data.
- Neutral, supportive tone: particularly on safeguarding/SEND content; provide routes to help and DSL contact.
- Accuracy of contact routes: ensure telephone numbers, hours and inboxes are current for time-critical pages.
References: ICO — UK GDPR • DfE — KCSIE.
Images, video and documents that add value
Media should clarify, not distract. Favour on-page HTML over PDFs for core information such as term dates or uniform lists. If documents are necessary, provide accessible summaries and ensure the file names and titles are descriptive. Use captions/transcripts for video and alt text for images. Serve modern formats (AVIF/WebP) and responsive images to protect speed and usability.
References: Google — Image best practices • web.dev — Fast load times.
Measurement: Search Console, GA4 and qualitative feedback
Search Console
- Track impressions and CTR for page groups (e.g., “Admissions pages”).
- Inspect queries to confirm you are matching the task (“how to apply”, “term dates [location]”).
- See which pages are cannibalising each other and consolidate if necessary.
Use “Compare” to measure before/after content improvements across matched calendar periods.
GA4 & qualitative
- Observe user paths and internal site searches for unmet needs.
- Track conversions for tasks (form submissions, click-to-call).
- Collect feedback from office staff about reduced queries after improvements.
References: Google — Search Console Performance report • Google — GA4 basics.
Governance for MATs: workflows, audits and roll-overs
Quality scales when you standardise patterns and responsibilities across sites.
| Area | Policy | Owner | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern library | Approved structures for Admissions, Attendance, Safeguarding, Term Dates, Uniform | Comms/SEO | Reviewed termly |
| Editorial standards | GOV. UK style; reading age; headings ladder; internal link rules | Editors | Pre-publish |
| Accessibility | Alt text, captions, transcripts, keyboard and colour checks | SEND/Comms | Pre-publish |
| Safeguarding & privacy | Neutral tone; no PII; DSL sign-off for sensitive pages | DSL | Pre-publish |
| Year roll-over | Tokenised years and deadlines; reminders for July/Aug | SEO/Comms | Annually |
| Metrics | CTR by template; duplicate rate; % pages with valid descriptions and H1s | SEO | Quarterly |
Print-screen checklists
Page Quality Checklist (12 items)
Screenshot or print this card- Clear H1 states the outcome of the page.
- Task-oriented H2s divide the content logically.
- Intro explains what users can do next.
- Plain English; short paragraphs and lists.
- Accurate dates, fees, contacts and links.
- Alt text for meaningful images; captions/transcripts for media.
- Descriptive link text (no “Click here”).
- Internal links to the next step or related pages.
- Mobile readability verified on a real device.
- Meta title/description reflect the task without stuffing.
- Safeguarding tone appropriate; no PII or sensitive details.
- Updated review date and named contact/owner.
Trust-Wide Content Governance
Screenshot or print this card- Pattern library maintained and versioned.
- Pre-publish accessibility & safeguarding checks.
- Quarterly Search Console and duplicate audits.
- Annual year-rollover for date-bound content.
- Change log with owner and metrics.
FAQs
What’s the most important factor in content quality for schools?
Whether the page fully solves the user’s task—clearly and accessibly. Everything else (keywords, links, even design) supports this outcome.
How do we stop content going out of date?
Use tokenised years/dates in patterns, set calendar reminders before each academic year, and maintain a change log. Assign clear ownership per page.
Do we need bylines for every page?
Use bylines where expertise matters (e.g., safeguarding, SEND). For utility pages, include a contact or ownership note and a review date.
Is a news section necessary?
News can be useful for community engagement, but core tasks should live on evergreen pages. Avoid burying key information in news posts.
Should we publish PDFs?
Prefer HTML pages for core tasks. Use PDFs only where necessary and provide accessible HTML summaries and descriptive titles.
Need practical SEO support?
Speak With Paul Delaney
Paul Delaney helps schools turn complex SEO into simple, effective actions. As a guest writer for SEO for Schools, Paul shares step-by-step playbooks and evidence-based guidance that busy teams can apply immediately. With three decades’ experience working with UK and international institutions, he understands the challenges school teams face and is well positioned to offer support and guidance.
For our readers, Paul offers free 30-minute sessions for institutions exploring how to raise visibility, strengthen brand trust and streamline admissions. Sessions are practical, jargon-free and free from sales pressure. You can contact him using the buttons below—please mention SEOforSchools.co.uk.
