Program Manager, Search Strategy and Digital Conversion

The Program Manager, Search Strategy and Digital Conversion at Eastern Kentucky University is responsible for overseeing the university’s digital environment as a comprehensive conversion system. This role manages the entire conversion path from the initial search result a prospective student encounters through to the submitted application. The position ensures seamless integration across the university website and CRM-hosted student-facing platforms, including inquiry forms, application portals, status pages, and event registration pages, which operate on distinct domains and templating systems. The Program Manager acts as the university’s internal technical expert on search, web conversion, and digital measurement, collaborating closely with various departments such as Enrollment Operations, Web Content, IT, Admissions, and academic colleges to optimize digital performance and reporting.

Key Responsibilities

- Own EKU’s organic search strategy across academic program pages, admissions content, and high-intent conversion paths. Conduct keyword, intent, and competitive research to identify visibility gaps compared to regional and national competitors, including online-first institutions. Establish and maintain technical search standards related to site architecture, page speed, metadata, structured data, internal linking, and mobile performance. Prioritize optimization efforts and collaborate with Web Services and academic content owners to implement improvements. Monitor indexation, ranking trends, and organic conversion metrics, reporting on necessary interventions.

- Manage the alignment between search intent and destination pages for both organic and paid search. Maintain the keyword-to-landing-page mapping used by agency partners and enforce standards for landing page quality, especially for high-spend paid search terms. Design, build, and test landing pages, inquiry forms, and CRM portal pages such as application and status pages. Collaborate with internal creative teams and agencies to write and revise search ad copy focused on relevance to landing pages. Implement A/B testing with support from the Marketing and Engagement Analyst, aiming to reduce friction in the inquiry-to-application process by simplifying forms, improving mobile experience, and streamlining navigation. Ensure portal templates comply with brand, accessibility, and performance standards and establish publication standards for new digital content.

- Maintain the integrity of EKU’s digital measurement infrastructure by defining and documenting the conversion action dictionary, tagging architecture, and campaign parameter standards. Enforce these standards across all university digital activities, including those managed by external partners. Ensure cross-domain measurement between the university website and CRM surfaces, enabling accurate source and campaign attribution through to enrollment. Partner with Enrollment Operations to reliably track application starts and submissions. Serve as the authoritative source for data definitions in institutional marketing reporting and collaborate with the Marketing and Engagement Analyst to ensure data accuracy. Identify and resolve measurement issues and work directly with paid media vendors on landing page optimization and integration.

- Act as the primary technical liaison to external digital and media agency partners. Brief agencies on institutional academic priorities, enrollment goals, and program context to guide campaign strategy. Review and validate agency recommendations, including keywords, budgets, and bidding strategies, escalating conflicts with institutional priorities. Evaluate agency deliverables to ensure compliance with university measurement standards. Maintain clear responsibility boundaries between agency-managed advertising platforms and university-owned measurement systems. Consult with academic colleges, Enrollment, and Student Success on digital strategy for program launches and initiatives. Provide internal training and guidance on search and conversion best practices. Stay current on search platform updates, privacy regulations, tracking technologies, and AI-driven search trends, advising leadership on their implications.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Information Systems, Analytics, or a related field is required. Equivalent experience may substitute for the specific degree but not the educational level.

- Minimum of three years of progressive experience in search engine optimization, web analytics, AI search, or conversion optimization. Experience must include direct responsibility for organic search performance on a large website and hands-on configuration of web analytics and conversion tracking.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

- While no specific preferred qualifications or benefits are listed, the role offers full-time employment with a schedule of 37.5 hours or more per week, occasional evening or weekend work for enrollment events or major digital campaigns, and participation in the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System (KTRS).

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Employment offers are contingent upon a satisfactory background check. Eastern Kentucky University is an Equal Opportunity employer and educational institution, committed to non-discrimination in all aspects of employment and education.