Gallery: GEO & SEO

University of Exeter｜GEO & SEO Search Strategy in the China Market

The University of Exeter is a member of the UK’s Russell Group.

Nanjing Marketing Group supported its 2026 MSc Metamaterials program—a highly specialized STEM field subject—with a Chinese generative engine optimization (GEO) campaign.

Metamaterials is a niche subject that people will research via search engines and AI tools, and we wanted this major to show up there when they do.

What did we do?

1. Identifying Keyword Opportunities

During keyword research, we found that high-quality Chinese content related to MSc Metamaterials was extremely limited.

Based on this gap, we created a keyword strategy that included both broad-topic keywords and program-specific keywords.

Because the MSc Metamaterials program was brand new to the Chinese market, many prospective applicants were unaware of the University of Exeter’s offering. This meant we needed to target searches about the program itself and the broader searches students might use when first researching the subject.

Examples included:

• Metamaterials Study Abroad
• Metamaterials Degree
• MSc Metamaterials
• Metamaterials Master’s Programs
• UK MSc Metamaterials Application
• MSc Metamaterials Entry Requirements
• Can cross-disciplinary students apply for MSc Metamaterials?

This helped us reach students at different stages of research—from learning about the subject for the first time to comparing specific master’s programs.

2. Layered Content Structure

We produced three original articles that matched different stages of user search behavior.

The first focused on application-related questions, including entry requirements, curriculum structure, and scholarship information. The second emphasized the program’s value, highlighting CMRI’s research strengths and its industry connections.

Together, these two articles addressed the most common questions students usually ask first： “Can I apply?” and “Is this program worth applying for?” both closely reflect real-world search behavior.

The third article then moved into a more detailed introduction to the field itself, explaining what metamaterials are, why they are considered a future technology, and how the University of Exeter’s MSc Metamaterials program connects to these industry trends and applications.

3. Multi-Platform Publishing and Optimization

The content was published on Sohu, Baijiahao, and Zhihu using Nanjing Marketing Group’s existing accounts.

These accounts had built strong domain authority by consistently publishing high-quality education-related content, which helped improve visibility and indexing performance in search engines and AI search results.

For instance, the Sohu article was cited by Baidu AI on the day of publication, while the Baijiahao piece ranked #1 organically for the keyword “MSc Metamaterials” on Baidu’s search results page within one week.

On each platform, we adjusted headlines and opening sections to better match user reading habits and platform search behavior.

While the core information stayed consistent, we avoided directly copying the same article across platforms.

4. Search-Friendly Content Structure

The articles were structured with clear subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet points; keywords were integrated naturally rather than artificially inserted.

This format improves both readability and search engine crawlability.

What Does This Campaign Teach Us About Marketing on Chinese Social Media?

Niche Overseas Programs Lack High-Quality Chinese Content

In China’s search ecosystem, highly specialized overseas programs are often discussed very little, even when students are actively searching for related topics.

This creates opportunities for universities to build visibility early by publishing clear, search-focused Chinese-language content before the space becomes more competitive.

Platform Differentiation Improves Visibility

Placing content on multiple platforms helps get cited in AI tools. Tailoring headlines and structure—while maintaining consistent messaging—helps improve indexing and expand reach across platforms.

Using our existing accounts helps content become more visible to search engines

Rather than using only brand accounts belonging to the University of Exeter, we also use our own, which have a history of publishing high-quality content and seem to appear in Baidu AI results more quickly.

Educational content should reach users at multiple stages in their research

MSc Metamaterials is a brand new course and, therefore, unknown to prospective students. This meant we had to explain the course, as well as grab the attention of those learning or interested in learning metamaterials.