We love seeing new program listings. For the very basics on HOW to create a new one, check out this article.
From your dashboard visit Content > Program Listings > + Add New Program.
Once you've hit the Add New Program button, you'll be prompted to select what kind of program you're creating. This is a vital first step! Choosing the right program type will ensure that the right people are seeing your listing, which will lead to more conversions and a higher rate of campaign success. This will also determine what criteria alumni will be prompted to rate you on and which pages your program will appear on, so be sure to choose the most fitting option.
Made your choice? Great -- here comes the fun part! Below, we'll walk you through best practices for your listings.
Title
Think of this title as a brief description of your program. This is what will make users interested in clicking on your listing to find out more. Be specific and make each of your program titles unique. You do not need to include your company name in your title, as the company title will always be tagged wherever the listing appears.
When choosing a title, think about a user on the website searching for programs and finding a list of options. The user will likely click on titles that are descriptive and eye-catching. A descriptive title may include information such as what kind of program it is (ex. Teach Abroad), what activity it is (ex. conservation), its location (ex. country), its timeframe (ex. summer program), and/or who it’s for (ex. graduates). Other things to remember:
Title do's
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- Category / Activity / Location
- Ex. Volunteer with Wildlife in Spain
- 65 Characters Max
- If longer, it will become truncated in Google & Go Overseas
- Use proper grammar
Title don'ts
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- Using all CAPS (Except acronyms)
- Exclamation Points or any punctuation except - & : , -
- Foreign Language or characters (unless it’s a proper noun)
- The word “New”
- "New Program" tag added to listing teaser for 45 days
About and Highlights Section
Take this opportunity to include 1-2 paragraphs of unique content about your program. Be sure to create a completely unique listing description here (always avoid copy and pasting), which will ensure that the page is SEO optimized.
The listings are a reflection of your company’s values, mission, and vision. Use this section to give a clear, concise description of the program. Try to give users insight into what daily life may be like on the program so they may imagine themselves as a participant.
Go Overseas users tend to skip around when they first arrive on a listing. One of the first things users skim for is your Highlights. You can add up to five, and it is in your best interest to use all five of them. Highlights should be used to bring attention to the unique parts of your program. Use this section to show why your program is special and to highlight unique opportunities -- what are the top five things you want users to know about your program?
Tag your program to help the right people find it
This details section determines where your listing appears on Go Overseas, so be sure to fill in all of the details that are relevant to your program. It is important that you use only tags that are pertinent to your program so that users have a clear understanding of what the program entails.
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- Make sure to add all locations where your program operates.
- Fill in all the relevant fields that you can, with as much information as possible (ie. pricing, what is/is not included, age range, accommodation types, length of program, etc).
- For volunteer programs, be sure to write an Impact section telling users why your program's project makes a difference in the host community.
- Be as specific as possible, but don’t check boxes that aren’t relevant to the program (we monitor for over-tagging).
Choose the right landing pages
This is your chance to direct the user to the best, most relevant, most informative page on your website. When a user clicks to your website, it is important that they go directly to a landing page specific to that program.
Make sure you keep your links updated! If you change the URL on one of these pages, come back to Go Overseas to update them (ie. if you switch your website to a secure site, be sure to update the URL to https from http).
The “Visit Site” button should link to the relevant program page on your website. It's imperative to match user intent. For example, if a user is reading about Interning in Spain, don't direct them to your homepage– send them to your Intern in Spain landing page. Implementing a lead form on this page is a great way to curate leads so you can reach out directly to interested users.
The “Apply Now” button should be a call to action, ideally a simple lead form. We strongly suggest implementing one that's unique to Go Overseas so you can easily track conversions. The way we see it, users have spent an average of 2:30 on your listing reading through reviews, scrolling through pictures and reading all of your sparkling content. By the time they click off, they're ready to input their information and wait to hear back from somebody with their next steps.
Special Announcement
You're getting ready to wrap up your listing - great! Is there something else you want to mention that doesn't quite fit in anywhere else? Whether it's a temporary scholarship or just exciting news about your organization, we created the Special Announcement box just for that!
Your special announcement is an eye-catching blue box that populates across all of your listings and your provider page. This announcement allows you to add another link to your website and to highlight any unique information. The announcement will populate below the Highlights section and above the Q&A.
Create an announcement via Dashboard > Edit Provider > Add Announcement.
Some creative ideas for announcements:
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- Application deadlines (link to your application)
- Start dates (link to the program page)
- Scholarships or special offers (link to the relevant page of your website)
- Get in touch (link to a contact form)
Commonly Asked Questions:
Why isn't my program published?
After you create a listing it is sent to our content team to be reviewed. We will double-check your submission for unique text in the program description, media, correct silo and tags, along with testing your CTA links. Please note that this process typically takes up to 2 business days. Once reviewed by our team, the listing will move from your unpublished queue to your active listings. To help with processing times, please do not reach out if we are within our review window.
Can I add links to my program description?
Links are not allowed within the program description or pricing details. However, you can add links to your website under our “Your Links” section (these will be generated as your “Visit Site” and “Apply Now" buttons). You can also add a link in the Special Announcement.
How is a program listing different from my profile homepage?
Your profile should describe your organization, whereas the program listing should describe the specific program you are trying to advertise.