Higher Ed Pulse

The Future is AI-Powered Site Search

Episode Notes

Learn more about AI-Generative Site Search

Hosts Mallory and Seth dive into the future of higher education website design, focusing on AI-powered site search as a game changer for recruitment. They discuss the evolution of user behavior in search and how institutions can harness AI to provide a more engaging, personalized experience for prospective students. This episode highlights the power of proactive search tools and their potential to increase student engagement and application rates.‍

Key Takeaways

AI-powered search is transforming higher ed recruitment: Personalized, responsive search can keep students engaged on your site.
Prospective students are asking longer, more specific questions: Institutions need to adapt to new search behaviors, like conversational queries similar to Google or ChatGPT searches.
Reducing friction leads to better results: AI site searches can reduce drop-off rates by offering seamless, intuitive answers in real-time.
Improved discoverability can reduce the need for traditional inquiry forms: By providing instant answers, AI can streamline the recruitment process.
New technologies like Element Discovery are already in the market: This tool offers a generative AI solution to enhance prospective student engagement on websites.

‍How can AI-powered site search transform recruitment?
Seth and Mallory start by reflecting on a shared childhood obsession—fluffernutters—but quickly transition to more serious topics around website search in higher education. Mallory explains that websites play a critical role in the recruitment process, and if they're difficult to navigate or search, prospective students will quickly move on to competitor sites. Seth emphasizes the importance of ensuring the primary audience, prospective students, can easily find the information they need. The key to success? Discoverability.

‍How is user search behavior evolving, and why should higher ed take note?
Mallory highlights that prospective students today are more likely to use longer, conversational queries, similar to how people search on Google or ChatGPT. A student might ask, "What will I learn in Business Management 101?" rather than just typing "business management." The challenge for higher ed institutions is to adapt to this shift in search behavior. By leveraging AI, schools can provide more concise, relevant results that truly answer the student's question, creating a more meaningful interaction.

‍What role does AI play in revolutionizing the higher ed website experience?
Mallory and Seth discuss the potential of AI in enhancing the user experience on college websites. AI-powered tools, like Element Discovery, can provide answers directly within the search function and even anticipate follow-up questions. This seamless experience allows prospective students to gather the information they need without leaving the site, reducing the likelihood of them switching to a competitor. Seth also notes how this approach could eventually reduce the reliance on traditional request-for-information forms, making real-time engagement more efficient and effective.

By streamlining the search process and providing immediate answers, AI has the potential to revolutionize how students interact with higher ed websites. Mallory and Seth express excitement about the future of this technology and how it could enhance recruitment efforts by transforming how institutions serve prospective students online.