Stabilising and Scaling Search Performance for MAHE Under Platform Constraints

Context

Manipal Academy of Higher Education operates at national scale, with admissions demand concentrated within a defined seasonal window between March and May. April has historically accounted for the highest volume of search interest and lead generation.

Despite strong institutional brand recognition, MAHE’s website infrastructure had remained largely unchanged for an extended period. During the same time, peer institutions had invested in modern platforms designed for search-led discovery and course-level visibility.

This created a structural imbalance. Admissions demand increasingly originated from search, while MAHE’s digital foundation limited its ability to capture non-branded course discovery at scale. The timing of this gap mattered because search visibility during the admissions window has direct downstream impact on applications.

What Changed

In early 2025, MAHE initiated a review of its digital acquisition channels and identified a growing dependency on branded search traffic. Non-branded discovery for several priority courses remained limited.

MAHE had already commissioned a third-party agency to build a new website. However, the project faced repeated delays, with no confirmed launch timeline as the admissions season approached.

At that point, internal teams recognised that waiting for the new platform would expose admissions performance to avoidable risk. External clarity was required to stabilise and improve search performance on the existing website, while also preparing for an eventual migration.

Envigo was engaged in January 2025 to address both requirements in parallel.

Envigo’s Responsibility

Envigo was responsible for designing and executing a 360-degree SEO and content programme for MAHE.

• SEO strategy and prioritisation 
• Technical SEO assessment and remediation planning 
• Course page structure and content redesign guidance 
• Large-scale content planning and delivery 
• Non-branded search visibility growth 
• Digital PR and authority development 
• SEO migration planning for the future website

Strategic Decisions

Decision 1: Optimise the existing website instead of waiting for the new platform

Envigo observed that admissions seasonality left limited tolerance for delay. Envigo chose to strengthen the legacy website immediately to protect peak demand. Deferring SEO until the new website launch was rejected due to timing risk.

Decision 2: Increase content velocity ahead of the admissions window

Envigo observed that course-level content depth was insufficient for non-branded discovery. Envigo chose to significantly exceed the committed monthly content output during peak months. Maintaining steady but lower volume was rejected in favour of maximising seasonal impact.

Decision 3: Redesign course pages within legacy constraints

Envigo observed inconsistent course page structures and weak intent alignment. Envigo chose to standardise and redesign course pages within the existing CMS. Waiting for a clean redesign on the future platform was rejected due to uncertainty in delivery timelines.

Decision 4: Address SEO debt without destabilising traffic

Envigo observed toxic backlinks, outgoing competitor links, and weak canonical discipline. Envigo chose a phased clean-up approach. Aggressive remediation was rejected to avoid volatility during the admissions period.

System Design

Envigo designed the work to remain effective beyond the legacy platform.

Search, content, and technical structures were aligned so that:

• Content could be migrated without rework 
• Course page frameworks could be reused on the new website 
• Authority gains would compound rather than reset post-migration 

Technical recommendations were documented with migration readiness in mind. Content was structured for portability. Internal linking decisions were made to scale across programs and future site architectures.

The system was designed to perform under platform constraints without becoming dependent on them.

Outcomes

During 2025, organic performance improved consistently.

Organic traffic in 2025 exceeded 2024 levels across all months, with the strongest gains recorded between March and June. Organic search became the primary contributor to overall traffic growth.

Keyword visibility strengthened materially, with sustained movement from lower pages into Page 1 and Page 2 positions. Non-branded queries contributed an increasing share of total search visibility.

Authority indicators improved steadily. Backlinks increased by approximately 52% over the year. Referring domains grew by approximately 4%. Domain authority increased by approximately 3.5%.

Scope Expansion

Following the stabilisation of search performance, Envigo’s role expanded.

Envigo assumed ongoing responsibility for SEO strategy, content planning, authority development, and migration readiness. This expansion reflected the need for continuity across platforms rather than isolated execution tied to a single website version.

Closing Reflection

This engagement reinforced that search systems must be designed to operate reliably under seasonality, platform limitations, and delivery uncertainty, rather than assuming ideal conditions or perfect timelines.