The Dirty Secret of Search in Higher Ed

A critical oversight lurks within the digital landscape of many universities. It concerns the very tool that guides our students, faculty, and stakeholders through the vast expanse of online resources: the search function. If a university doesn't own its search experience, it's essentially driven by commercial interests, often to the detriment of its academic mission.

The Reliance on Free Search Tools

Many universities, in an effort to cut costs or due to historical oversight, rely on free search tools to power their websites. While initially appealing for budget-conscious institutions, this choice comes with hidden costs. These free tools often prioritize affiliate revenue, skewing search results in favor of commercial content. Worse, some universities find their search results marred by advertisements, a jarring inclusion that detracts from the scholarly atmosphere and can mislead users. Even if you don’t have ads displaying in the results, you have little to no control of the algorithm driving those results.

The Impact on Higher Education

The consequences of not controlling the search experience extend beyond the aesthetic. In higher education, where the quality and relevance of information are paramount, allowing commercial interests to dictate search results undermines the institution's educational goals. It distracts from academic content, dilutes the authority of the university's digital presence, and potentially misguides the research efforts of students and faculty.

The Expectation of Digital Excellence

As digital natives, today's students expect seamless, efficient, and relevant search experiences. Universities that fail to provide this level of digital sophistication not only frustrate users but also risk their reputation for excellence in the digital age. The standard set by leading brands and institutions in managing their search experiences is now the minimum expectation across all industries, including higher education.

Take Control

The bottom line is clear: universities must own their search experiences. This means investing in search solutions that prioritize academic content and shield users from irrelevant commercial influences. By doing so, institutions reaffirm their commitment to providing an environment conducive to research and learning, free from the distractions of the commercial web.

Web Directors, we can’t justify the search experience with "I don't receive many complaints" because students won't complain about a broken search. They will assume "you don't have what I need" or even worse? "this campus is a hot mess".?

In the digital transformation journey of higher education, controlling the search experience is not just an operational upgrade; it's a reaffirmation of the university's mission to educate and inform without compromise. The integrity of our academic content and the utility of our digital resources depend on it.

I’ve spoken with a few Universities this year who have declared 2024 as their year to tackle search.?

So, who has search on their radar for 2024?

Jill Ormond Whitaker , Jennifer Sonne , Jason Buzzell , Elizabeth Simcock , Gaurav Mandan , Ray Lam , Joshua Charles , Rebecca Joffrey , Shawn Preisz , Max Bronsema , Rachell Underhill , John Powell , Kirstin Swagman , Christopher McComas , Paul Schantz , Aren Cambre, D.Eng. , Jon-Paul Estrada , Jason Maslanka , Radhika Maheshwari , Ken Newquist , Annie P. , Robin Wade , Justin Barkhuff