Djuric, Vanja
(2023)
Searching for a better segment: segmentation of student body through the use of online search data to improve university enrollment.
Doctor of Business Administration thesis, University of Liverpool.
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Abstract
The University of Akron, a public higher education institution, located in Akron, Ohio, USA identified a problem regarding a decrease in enrollment and recognizes the importance of online marketing because of changes in consumer behavior, especially those that happened during the isolation due to COVID-19. The research aimed to develop a segmentation model that can be used based on consumer behavior online. Recent research findings have reinforced the importance of search query volume (SQV) data to create segments based on a given interest and better understand consumer behavior. Consequently, there is an ongoing practical need for and research interest in the effective use of search query for management decisions. To improve the use of search query data within an organization, companies have begun to put practices in place that analyze and forecast search queries data in the hope of achieving a better forecasting model. While this phenomenon has created a lot of interest, it has hardly been the subject of serious investigation guided by research questions and executed research methodologies. In particular, hardly any insights exist into the higher education use of search query data for better management of student enrollment. To explore such activities in a systematic way, this thesis turns the attention to the enrollment data within the University of Akron for identifying relevant patterns of student enrollment and linking them to search query volume. This is accomplished through the use of enrollment data obtained from the Institutional Research at the University of Akron, and action learning sets which serve as ways to gather feedback, collaboration, and direction based on research findings. To achieve the link between student enrollment data and search query volume data, relevant keywords are identified, and search query volume data is collected through the use of Google Trends. The results show that we can break down the prospective students based on their online search behavior and geo-locations. There are opportunities to optimize our marketing efforts on specific keywords based on the home location. It is also quite important to consider demographics associated with these keywords, as they tend to provide a better direction on what type of content should be associated with those search phrases. Men tend to look for content proving that the University and/or its programs are top or the best, while women are searching iii for benefits beyond being the best. But most importantly, it also provides an opportunity for the university to further improve its diversity efforts. Understanding which search phrases will provide a higher reach to men vs. women, allows us to make sure that we are balancing out our marketing efforts, and continuously increasing our reach to diverse groups of potential students.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctor of Business Administration) |
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | analytics, segmentation, marketing, digital, advertising, education |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Management |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Feb 2024 09:13 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Feb 2024 09:13 |
| DOI: | 10.17638/03177178 |
| Supervisors: |
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| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3177178 |
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