13.7% of more than 55,000 Google searches generated an AI Overview 64.7% of question-based Google searches in the same study generated an AI Overview 30% of pages cited in AI Overviews didn’t appear in the regular first-page search results 8% of Google visits with an AI summary resulted in a click on a traditional search result 15% of Google visits clicked on a traditional search result when no AI summary appeared 63%of U.S. high school students have used AI tools during the college planning process 74% of students have seen a college poster or sign at their school 56% of students who saw a college sign went on to look up the institution online 65% of Canadians aged 25 to 64 have completed post-secondary education. 35.9% of Canadian businesses expect recruiting skilled employees to be an obstacle 51% of U.S. small-business owners reported few qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill
Students are making decisions about your program beforethey reach your website.
A 2026 study of more than 55,000 Google searches found that AI Overviews appeared in 13.7% of queries overall.
For searches phrased as questions, that jumped to 64.7%. Nearly 30% of the pages cited in those AI answers didn’t appear in the traditional first-page search results.
That changes what visibility can look like for higher education, especially as prospective students continue to ask program questions:
➡️ What can I do with this degree? ➡️ Is this program designed for working professionals? ➡️ How long will it take? ➡️ How is this different from a certificate? ➡️ What support will I receive? ➡️ Is this the right next step for my experience?
These are the kinds of questions AI-powered search is increasingly designed to answer.
Your next move:Make your program pages answer-ready.
Strong program content should make it easy to understand:
➡️ Who the program is for ➡️ What students will learn and be able to do ➡️ How the format, timeline, and requirements work ➡️ How the program differs from alternative pathways ➡️ What evidence supports your outcomes and claims ➡️ What a prospective student should do next
Clear headings, direct answers, consistent facts, FAQs, and credible proof points reduce uncertainty for the student making the decision.
A quick test:If an AI system pulled one paragraph from your program page to answer a prospective student’s question, would that paragraph still be accurate, useful, and compelling on its own?
We procured 38X more AI visibility for an innovative online university.
Among them, 56% went online to look up the institution.
This should serve as your reminder that traditional media can create enough curiosity for a prospective student to reach for their phone.
Think in handoffs, not channels.
When an offline interaction creates interest, ask:
➡️ What appears when a student searches your institution or program? ➡️ Does the website reinforce the message they just encountered? ➡️ Can they quickly find the info, outcome, or experience that caught their attention? ➡️ Is there an obvious next step for someone at their stage of the journey? ➡️ Are your recruitment and digital experiences telling the same story? ➡️ Can you see whether awareness is progressing toward inquiry?
Remember:The strongest recruitment experiences build continuity between offline and online assets. Awareness is most valuable when students know exactly where to go next.
“Career-ready” is stronger when students can see the skills behind it.
Employers are still looking for career-specific capabilities.
In Canada, 35.9% of health care and social assistance businesses expected recruiting skilled employees to be an obstacle.
The challenge is visible in the U.S., too. 51% of small-business owners surveyed by NFIB reported few or no qualified applicants for the positions they were trying to fill.
For higher education, this creates an opportunity to make the connection between learning and application much easier to see.
Terms like “career-ready”, “hands-on learning”, and “industry-relevant” can be valuable, but they become much stronger when students understand what they mean in practice.
Your next move:Turn broad outcomes into visible pathways.
Here’s what your messaging should show to really drive home to showcase the value of your program:
➡️ The specific skills students develop What will they actually know how to do?
➡️ The problemsthose skills help them solve What challenges will their learning prepare them to approach?
➡️ Where those capabilities are relevant Which roles, industries, or professional settings connect to them?
➡️ How students practise what they learn Projects, placements, simulations, research, labs, or applied assignments can make learning tangible.
➡️ What makes the pathway credible Accreditation, faculty expertise, employer connections, advisory boards, graduate outcomes, and student work can provide meaningful proof.
➡️ What makes this program distinct Help students understand why this particular curriculum, learning experience, and institution fit the future they’re trying to build.
Strong program marketing helps make the connection between education, capability, and opportunity easier for students to understand.
A quick test:Could a prospective student explain the career value of your program without using the words “career-ready,” “hands-on,” or “industry-relevant”?
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