In today's interview, we are very pleased to speak to Korinne Algie about SEO for the Education Travel Industry. She is the Owner and Director of Korinne Algie Education Marketing and has a lot of useful ideas and experiences to share with you:

1. Who is Korinne and how are you connected to the education industry?

I was born and raised in New Zealand. When I was 15 I was lucky enough to be selected for a Sister Cities Exchange Programme to Japan. That was my first real exposure to international education. Although it was tough at times, I had a wonderful host family that I am still in contact with today. After high school, I took a gap year and spent most of that time in Brazil.

After that, I was ready to get stuck in at Uni and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese and Spanish. My first job after graduation was at a Japanese Education Agency. My job was to place Japanese students into Kiwi schools and then act as a liaison for the duration of their study. This was extremely hard work but also really enjoyable. The lengths a good agent will go for their students is amazing - I have the utmost respect for agents and the breadth (and often random nature) of their work.

After working as an agent, I worked at a couple of English language schools in both student counseling and marketing. The further I got into marketing the more obvious it became that I needed to go back to school. I then studied a Post Graduate Diploma of Business Administration and a Master of Management in International Communications. Not too long after than I was hired by ICEF. I started at ICEF in 2009 and over time I grew from a Marketing Coordinator to Manager and finally to the Director of Marketing. I loved the travel and the international environment and I learnt so much about the industry and myself as a manager. After 8 years it was time for something new, and for me, that meant starting a family. Finally, about a year ago I decided to try my hand at consultancy, which is how Korinne Algie International Education (KAIE) Marketing began.

2. What services does Korinne Algie Education Marketing offer?

Korinne Algie International Education Marketing offers a range of services from content creation, brand development, strategy, SEO, content marketing, web design and development and also marketing services specifically for the Japanese market in collaboration with Becrosslink.

3. What’s the importance of SEO marketing in the International Education Industry?

When I started out I had no idea that SEO services would form such a large part of my business. Although, in hindsight, I should have guessed given how important and necessary it is for anyone marketing online. Fifteen years ago you could create a website and chances are you would be found on Google. But as we all know things change. These days there a literally billions of websites (and hundreds of thousands of education-related pages) on the internet.

The best way to really explain why SEO is important in international education is to give you an example. In London, there are over 100 British Council accredited English language schools. If a student was looking for a course in London, it is fair to guess that they might type in ‘English school in London’. A google results page usually lists around 10 results and, depending on the criteria, up to 4 ads per page. Research regularly shows that 90% of people do not search further than the first page of results. This means that of those 100 schools, a maximum of 14 schools (or more accurately listings) are taking the lion’s share of the traffic! The only way to improve the chances of being clicked-on by students is to work towards appearing on that golden first page. You do this through SEO.

4. Are there any milestones or future plans that you’d like to share with us?

Actually there is a lot going on at the moment! I have recently partnered with digital agency Straut & Skobelev to offer UX and UI web design services. This was a very natural progression for me, as many clients also want shiny new websites and/or increased usability. The team at S&S is amazing and I'm very excited to offer my clients a range of extra services. On top of that, I have made it to the shortlist for the "Best New Business" at the WIE Awards. The winner won't be announced until Nov 02, so please all cross your fingers!

5. Will we see you at any upcoming events?

I will be at ICEF Berlin. I still have some appointments slots available, so people can either book in with me via eSchedule Pro or they are welcome to call past and say hi! I am in booth 72 which is right next to where the stage will be. Aside from that, I will be in New Zealand from early December - mid-January. I am happy to meet with people while I'm there too. 

If you'd like to speak to Korinne or ask any questions, please feel free to either let us know or contact her directly on [email protected] / [email protected]