Case Study
Paid Advertising for Semester at Sea
Scope
Overview
In a highly competitive market, Semester at Sea faced the challenge of driving meaningful engagement and enrollment among prospective students. Partnering with Vital, the organization set out to refine its Google Ads strategy and achieve measurable results.
Over the course of a year, the collaboration led to a clear increase in ad visibility, stronger engagement with prospective students, and a higher number of enrollments. The campaign achieved remarkable efficiency, significantly reducing costs per lead while delivering a substantial increase in conversions.
153.44%
Increase in Conversions
About Semester at Sea
Semester at Sea is a well-established study abroad program that blends classroom learning with life-changing travel experiences. It all started back in 1926, when Professor James Edwin Lough came up with the idea of a floating university that would travel the world. Today, Semester at Sea is partnered with Colorado State University to offer students an unmatched way to explore different cultures, earn college credits, and gain a global perspective.
PPC Challenges
When we took over Semester at Sea’s advertising efforts, there were a few key issues limiting their success:
- Low Conversion Rates: Advertising efforts were heavily focused on top-of-funnel campaigns like display, video, and branded ads, which increased visibility but didn’t drive enough inquiries or applications.
- Ineffective Targeting: Broad audience targeting missed prospective students actively searching for educational programs, leaving intent-driven traffic untapped.
- Platform Optimization: While SAS utilized platforms like Google, Meta, and TikTok, its campaigns were not optimized for efficiency or conversions.
- Missed Opportunities: SAS had not yet explored platforms like Snapchat, which could enhance their reach to key demographics.
By implementing a few key changes and focusing on highly-targeted search campaigns, we increased inquiries and attracted more qualified traffic, at the same time helping Semester at Sea maximize their ad spend and achieve higher enrollment.
Our Solution
It took a strategic overhaul to drive stronger results. Here’s how we approached it:
Conversion-Focused Campaign Goals
The first major change was shifting the focus of all campaigns from website traffic to conversion-based goals. This allowed us to prioritize inquiries and enrollments instead of just clicks, aligning campaigns with tangible business outcomes.
Restructured Campaigns
We organized campaigns by student (voyager) type, destination, and competitors. This structure made it easier to tailor messaging and targeting for specific audiences, improving relevance and engagement.
Audience Segmentation
By focusing on voyager types and voyage destinations, we were able to segment audiences more effectively. This allowed us to deliver ads that resonated with each group’s unique motivations and needs.
Platform Optimization
Using Google Ads alongside social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, and eventually Snapchat, we selected the most impactful platforms for each audience. Lower-funnel, conversion-driven campaigns across these platforms ensured a steady flow of qualified leads.
Optimization Techniques
With a clear campaign structure and goals in place, we fine-tuned keywords, adjusted bids, and continually optimized ads to maximize performance. These efforts quickly led to a significant increase in attention and, subsequently, an increase in enrolled students.
This approach transformed SAS’s campaigns, delivering more efficient and impactful results across the board
Proven Results
When Semester at Sea partnered with us, their campaigns were solely focused on driving website traffic. Since then, we’ve achieved a dramatic increase in conversion volume. By leveraging their established brand, we tailored campaigns to align with seasonal trends.
Initially it was the branded campaigns that delivered exceptional traffic, even with a reduced budget. However, over six months of our new approach our non-branded campaigns began to drive significantly more traffic and conversions.
The numbers speak volumes
Key Takeaways
The partnership between Vital and SAS shows how a thoughtful and strategic approach to advertising can make a big impact in the competitive world of higher education. By focusing on conversion-based goals, restructuring campaigns to target the right audiences, and optimizing platform usage, we helped SAS achieve significant boosts in engagement and enrollment.
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