Digital marketing for international and independent schools
Freelance SEO, AI search visibility and Google Ads for schools that need more of the right enquiries, from local families to relocating and overseas parents. Many years of school work, measured on admissions rather than clicks.
- International School of Schaffhausen
- The British School of Brussels
- Rugby School
- University of Warwick
Since 2026 · SwitzerlandA Swiss boarding school that isn’t in the Alps
The International School of Schaffhausen approached me at the start of 2026, on the back of my work with the British School of Brussels and my wider experience with schools. The brief is to increase demand and enquiries for its boarding offer.
That offer is unusual. Most Swiss international boarding schools sit high in the Alps. ISSH is a forest school at lower altitude, in Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, and smaller than many of its competitors. Those are real advantages for the right family, but only if they are found and understood.
I work on the school’s SEO, its visibility in AI search, and Google Ads. So far it is going very well.
What “forest school” actually means at ISSH
The setting isn’t a backdrop. It is part of how the school teaches, and part of what the marketing has to explain to families comparing it with Alpine schools.
- 01
A woodland classroom
A woodland classroom a short walk from the campus, where younger pupils explore, build dens and learn through what they find outdoors.
- 02
Outdoors every week
Forest time is a regular part of the week for the youngest year groups, in all weathers, so the outdoors works as a second classroom rather than an occasional trip.
- 03
A Naturpark School
A recognised Naturpark School since 2018, with practical projects that connect pupils to the surrounding landscape, the wildlife in it and the nearby Rhine.
- 04
Linked to the IB curriculum
Learning outdoors supports the inquiry-led approach of the IB Primary Years Programme, building confidence, teamwork and a sense of responsibility for the environment.
Positioning on the map, not just the page
Lower, greener and smaller than the Alpine norm.
Around 13 years · BelgiumThe British School of Brussels, my longest retained client
I have worked with the British School of Brussels for longer than any other client. The school hasn’t followed an agency, it has followed me, as its dedicated account manager through Decibel Digital, Tangent and ADAO, and now freelance.
Over that time the work has spanned the website, search and paid campaigns for families in Belgium and overseas, and it is still going. How it was done, and what it delivered, is in the full case study.
- Decibel DigitalWhere the relationship began
- TangentAccount carried over
- ADAOAccount carried over
- FreelanceStill working together today
“Owain has supported our school’s SEO/PPC work over many years. Professional, creative and reliable. Open to challenges and happy to brainstorm new ideas! A pleasure to work with.”
Brussels, and the school just outside it
Around 13 years with the same school, and counting.
What I do for schoolsFour things that move admissions
SEO for admissions
Clear, findable answers to what parents ask about curriculum, fees, boarding and admissions, with the technical SEO underneath.
AI search visibility
Query-based FAQs, structured data and consistent facts, so ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews can cite the school accurately.
Paid search and social
Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn Ads targeted to the countries and families a school actually recruits from.
Tracking to applications
Enquiries, visit bookings and completed applications attributed to their source, so budget follows what works.
Also in education:Rugby Schoolandthe University of Warwickfor smaller one-off projects.
FAQsQuestions schools ask
Answers on SEO, AI search and paid search for schools, and how working together runs.
Do you specialise in digital marketing for schools?
Education is one of the sectors I know best. I have worked with the British School of Brussels for around thirteen years, through Decibel Digital, Tangent and ADAO and now freelance, and since the start of 2026 with the International School of Schaffhausen. I have also delivered smaller one-off projects for Rugby School and the University of Warwick.
What does SEO for a school actually involve?
It starts with the questions parents ask: curriculum, fees, boarding, transport, results, admissions dates and what daily life is like. Each needs a clear, findable answer on the website, supported by technical SEO, structured data and pages for each audience, from local families to relocating and overseas parents.
How do you make a school visible in AI search?
AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews answer longer, question-based searches, so the school needs specific, well-structured answers they can cite. I build query-based FAQs, structured data and consistent facts across the site and third-party listings, and monitor how the school appears in AI answers over time.
Can paid search reach overseas families?
Yes. Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn Ads can be targeted by country, language and audience, so budget goes to the markets a school actually recruits from. For the British School of Brussels that includes domestic and overseas families, and high net worth audiences able to meet termly fees.
How do you measure success for a school?
On admissions, not clicks. Tracking is set up so enquiries, visit bookings and completed applications are counted and attributed to the channel that produced them, which makes it clear where budget and effort are paying back.
How do you work with schools, and what does it cost?
I work directly with the marketing or admissions team, remotely by default, at £80 per hour. Work can be a fixed project or rolling month to month. Many school relationships run for years, and the British School of Brussels is my longest retained client.
Next stepWant more of the right enquiries for your school?
A thirty minute call is usually enough to see where SEO, AI search and paid search can bring in more admissions enquiries and completed applications.
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