School Reputation Management
Building a Positive Online Brand Image for Schools: Strategy, Content & Community
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
A strong online brand reduces admissions friction, reassures parents and attracts staff. This playbook gives UK schools a policy-safe system to grow a positive digital reputation: brand pillars, content strategy, ethical review generation, Google Business Profile (GBP) optimisation, and compliance with safeguarding and data protection.
Define your brand pillars (what you want to be known for)
Pick 3–5 authentic pillars that map to parent and community needs, for example: Safeguarding & Wellbeing, High-quality Teaching, SEND support, Enrichment & Clubs, Community & Values. Use these pillars to steer every post, page and prospectus paragraph.
Optimise and maintain your Google Business Profile
- Accuracy: confirm school name, categories (e.g., Secondary School/Primary School), address, phone and term-time hours.
- Photos: add recent, consented images that reflect your pillars (see data protection/photo guidance below).
- Posts & updates: publish a weekly highlight (awards, clubs, SEND showcase, community projects).
- Q&A: seed FAQs and answer promptly.
- Reviews: encourage honest, balanced feedback after events—never incentivise; report policy-breaking reviews for removal through GBP. (Official policy & reporting guidance in References)
Content system: calendar, formats & distribution
Editorial calendar (termly)
- Weekly: 1 “pillar” story, 1 celebration (student voice), 1 operational update.
- Monthly: a longer feature (e.g., curriculum spotlight), a gallery with alt text, and a staff profile.
- Termly: impact summary (“You said, we did”), community partnerships, safeguarding awareness week.
Formats
- Website news page (canonical home); cross-post snippets to GBP, Facebook and newsletter.
- Short video with transcripts/captions; keep pupil data safe and permissions recorded.
- Carousels/galleries with descriptive alt text; avoid identifiable data in filenames/captions.
Community engagement: turn moments into stories
- Student voice: publish achievements, councils, eco projects.
- Parent partnerships: invite contributions to newsletters and community pages.
- Staff expertise: showcase CPD, subject leadership and wellbeing initiatives on the school site and LinkedIn.
- Local links: highlight charity work, sports partnerships and employer encounters.
Ethical review generation (policy-safe)
Ask for feedback after events, transitions and resolved cases. Provide optional review links (QR on event exit, footer link on newsletters). Never offer incentives or require only positive reviews. If a review breaches policy (e.g., hate speech, personal data, fake content), report it via GBP. See Google policy links in References.
Safeguarding & privacy by design
- Safeguarding first: if any online interaction suggests risk of harm, stop engagement and escalate to the DSL in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
- UK GDPR: treat pupil images and certain staff data as personal data; ensure a lawful basis, inform individuals and respect consent/objection where required.
- Photos & video: follow the ICO’s advice on photographs in schools; use consent logs and avoid publishing sensitive details.
- Complaints: maintain a public complaints procedure; do not debate pupil-specific issues on public platforms—signpost the formal route.
Governance: roles, moderation & social media
- Roles: Comms Lead (owner), DSL (risk triage), Headteacher (approvals), Governor/Trust Comms (oversight).
- Moderation: adopt a clear moderation statement on social channels (hide/remove posts that breach platform rules or UK law; retain evidence for records).
- Staff social media: clarify acceptable use, professional boundaries and image sharing; reflect DfE expectations for online safety and staff conduct.
Accessibility & inclusion
- Add captions/transcripts to videos and alt text to images.
- Use plain English; explain acronyms (DSL, SEND, EAL).
- Ensure mobile readability (short paragraphs, headings, lists).
Measurement & KPIs (monthly dashboard)
| Metric | Target/Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GBP views & actions | Up and to the right | Directionally tied to admissions enquiries and calls |
| Review volume & sentiment | Steady growth; ≥4.4 average | Ethical, non-incentivised requests only |
| Response time on reviews | Median ≤ 24h | Policy-safe, non-identifying replies |
| Content cadence | ≥ 1 pillar story/week | Mapped to brand pillars |
| Engagement quality | Saves/Clicks > shallow likes | Prioritise website and newsletter traffic |
| Safeguarding/complaint escalations | Logged 100% | DSL acknowledgement times tracked |
Copy-ready blocks
GBP post (celebration)
Headline: Year 6 lead our Eco-Garden harvest ????
Body: Our pupils harvested the first crops from the new Eco-Garden, supported by local volunteers. Thank you to families who donated tools and seeds. Read the story and see photos on our website.
CTA: Learn more → [link to news post]
Website news (pillar story)
Title: How we support reading for pleasure across the school
Deck: From cosy book corners to student librarians, here’s how reading is embedded every day.
Body: 3–5 short paragraphs + 4 image gallery with alt text + staff quote (with permission).
Review request (ethical)
We hope you enjoyed Parents’ Evening. If you’d like to share your honest experience to help other families, you can leave a review on our Google profile. Reviews are optional and not incentivised. Thank you for your support. [Insert GBP review link]
FAQs (Featured Snippet-ready)
How can a UK school build a positive online brand quickly?
Define 3–5 brand pillars, post one pillar story weekly, keep GBP accurate with photos and posts, reply to reviews within 24 hours, and publish a termly “You said, we did” update.
Is it OK to ask for reviews?
Yes—ask ethically without incentives or gating. Provide optional links after events and encourage honest, balanced feedback. Use GBP’s reporting tools for policy-breaking reviews.
What about pupil images on social media and the website?
Follow UK GDPR and ICO guidance for photographs in schools. Record permissions, avoid sensitive data in captions, and remove on request where appropriate.
What should we avoid posting?
Anything that identifies a child without a lawful basis/permission, medical or safeguarding information, or content that breaches platform rules or UK advertising standards (e.g., misleading testimonials).
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.
