Why students can’t find what they need on your website (and how TCU is fixing it with AI)

Students often turn to site search when they can’t find what they need on a university website, but too often the results lead to dead ends.

When Texas Christian University (TCU) analyzed their search data, they uncovered a familiar pattern across higher education: “no results” queries, zero-click searches and students struggling to find critical information. Rather than treating search as a basic utility, TCU used search analytics and practical AI to better understand student intent and improve how information is discovered.

In this session, TCU’s director of website management Corey Reed and higher-ed digital strategist Jeff Dillon will share how their team used search data to identify content gaps, reduce failed searches and create a smarter search experience that better connects students with the answers they need.

Key takeaways:

• Why site search is the most underutilized tool in your digital marketing stack, and what TCU's query data revealed about real student needs and content gaps.
• How Practical AI can reduce dead-end searches and give marketers control over result quality at scale.
• How to use search analytics as a strategic decision-making tool, not just a reporting dashboard, to inform content strategy and seasonal campaigns.