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On first reference, full department names are written out in entirety and capitalized (i.e., Department of Biological Sciences). On second reference, it may be shortened and lowercased (i.e., the department, NOT biological sciences).

The Drupal Training Manual provides step-by-step guides for creating and managing elements on Kent State’s websites. Learn how to build and edit content that aligns with www.kent.edu’s design and structure.

Learn how to ensure your website meets web accessibility guidelines for all users.

Read press releases that contain information that may need updated on your website. Mark your calendar to make the update within a week of the change.

Division administrators should review the University Leadership site every semester to confirm the information is up to date.

If a department name or location changes, please  and select “Website Name Change or New Website Request” from the Request Type Details section.

Sign up for the Drupal Email List to stay informed of the changes to the web content management system, web marketing standards and more. They always contain important updates and reminders so please be sure to read them when they arrive in your inbox.

Discover Kent State’s design principles and branding guidelines to maintain a cohesive look and feel across all university websites.

Encounter A Broken Link On Our Website? We appreciate your help in keeping our content accessible and up-to-date!

Find out how to use digital information gathering tools properly on Kent State websites.

Learn about the buttons available to use to enhance your pages

This policy applies to all Kent State University websites and web pages that are available generally through the worldwide web or the internet.

View the Complete Guide to University Style 

Explore standout projects and discover essential web practices that ensure every Kent State website is effective, accessible and aligned with university standards.

This type of SEO focuses on:

• Keyword research: Finding the best keywords to target on a page of content
• Content creation: Publishing high-quality content focused on target keywords
• Keyword optimization: Using the target keyword in all the right places and using good meta tag SEO.

Where to begin?

On-site quick wins: Focus on inherited content and simple improvements for immediate impact.

• URL & Page Title/Headers
  • By default, the URL of your page is derived from your title. We also automatically make it semantically correct and remove the junk words that search engines don’t care about, like articles and conjunctions. Note that searchers often prefer shorter URLs, so if you’re looking for click-throughs, keep it short. Search engines also do not understand how to separate words in URLs when they run together without a separator (some can’t interpret underscores, plus signs, spaces), use a hyphen between words (automatically done on pages in Drupal)
  • Each page should have a unique H1 that describes the main topic of the page. As the main descriptive title of the page, the H1 should contain that page’s primary keyword or phrase. You should avoid using header tags to mark up non-heading elements. It’s an outline. Use header tags to introduce what the following content will discuss.
• Other Heading Tags (H Tags)
  • H tags (or heading tags) are HTML elements used to structure your content into a clear hierarchy, making it easier for both users and search engines to understand your page. They range from H1 to H6, with each level representing a decreasing level of importance.
    • H2: Subheadings that divide the content into major sections. Use H2s to introduce key topics or themes.
    • ��3–H6: Sub-subheadings that further break down content within sections. Use these sparingly to add depth where needed.
  • Why H Tags Matter
    • For Users: Headings improve readability and help visitors quickly find the information they need.
    • For Search Engines: H tags provide context about your content’s structure and priority, helping search engines understand the relevance of your page.
  • Best Practices for H Tags
    • Use descriptive, keyword-rich headings to signal what each section covers.
    • Maintain a logical structure (e.g., don’t skip from H1 to H4).
    • Avoid overloading keywords in headings; focus on clarity and relevance.
    • By using H tags effectively, you enhance the user experience and improve your site’s search engine rankings.
• Body
  • In the first 100 words so that when Google crawls your page, they’ll see that the keyword you’re highlighting is an actual topic on the page. It may also help that keyword show again on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Then seed it another one or two times throughout the page. You want it to read naturally and not like you’re keyword stuffing.
• Keywords
  • Google Uses , which reads the content on your page and links together related words, so for the search engine, it may not matter to them if you say “college” or ”school”, however keyword usage on the page is still important to the user.
  • To find the words that user’s are looking for we can use .
  • You can either start with a keyword in mind and get related keywords, or plug in your website and see what they suggest for keywords.
  • Once you have your keywords, you can run a comparison on them using a tool like Google Trends. So if Nursing School and Nursing College are the top keyword recommendations for a page, they’re pretty similar, and you may want to just choose one. 
• Meta Tags
  • All the way back in 2009, Google announced that meta descriptions (and meta keywords) have no bearing on search rankings. That’s not to say that these descriptions aren’t important for SEO, though. What displays on the SERP can entice someone to click through, and those click-through rates affect your SEO.
• Images
  • Drupal inserts hyphens for words, but we don’t on uploaded images, so please be sure to save with hyphens before you upload. Also, if your keywords are applicable to your image, why not include it in your filename and alt text so that you show up in GIS?
• Links
  • Part of a website’s crawlability lies in its internal linking structure. The more links, the less equity your link has, so don’t stuff a link to everything on your site on your homepage, and also keep your user experience in mind. If they click and see a page of links without quality content, they may back out and increase the page’s bounce rate, which will then affect the ranking.

Optimizing your page

Intermediate Wins: Target more advanced strategies and new content creation.

• Optimize existing content with keyword research
• Enhance metadata for improved click-through rates
• Structure content to align with search intent
• Use analytics to identify and refine underperforming pages
• Improve content depth and quality

Elements for displaying feeds of articles, events, and basic pages.

If your updates are not appearing after you save them, try clearing the cache of the page.   

1. Select "Open Utilities"
2. Select "Clear Node Cache"
3. This will open a page that is titled "Self Service Node Invalidate"
4. Select "Clear Node Cache"

 If the issue persists after clearing, there may be a technical issue and you should submit a support ticket.

what is off-site seo?

 help strengthen the influence and relationship your website has with other websites. This means sites outside the domain.

• Links from other reputable websites help build your website’s reputation and authority. Search engines will see your website as an ideal search result because it is linked to from reputable sources. 

We can control which sites are linking to us by using a backlink checker

For sites linking to your content, see which ones are ranked more highly and see if there are ways to pitch more content to them. 

• If they are a news site, see if you can pitch them more articles or press releases. 
• If they are a blogging site, see if they will let you write a guest post and when you include your bio, have a link back to your site.

How do you expand your backlinks?

• Check a competitors site in the backlink checker and compare to your page. 
• Do they have sites linking to them that aren’t linking to you? Are there
  opportunities to engage the higher ranked sites? 

See the button styles available to use on your web pages.

Explore the design and content elements available to build and enhance your website.

The types of SEO included in this category relate to:

• Site speed
• Mobile-friendliness
• Indexing
• Crawlability
• Site architecture
• Structured data
• Security

Aside from optimizing your image file sizes and using H tags (see here -- ), you can mostly rely on the IT web presence group and UCM web team to tackle the technical components of SEO.

Technical SEO relates to non-content elements of your website.

It includes strategies to improve a site’s backend structure and foundation. Technical SEO improves a site’s readability (which makes it easy for search engines to crawl and understand the site) and provides a good user experience, which helps search engines see that the site is high quality. A good user experience is also important for readers, and can affect overall traffic and engagement rates.

Compress all media before putting it on your website

This is a small but important step in the SEO process. As your blog or website grows, you'll undoubtedly have more images, videos, and related media to host there. These visual assets can help retain your visitors' attention, but it's easy to forget these assets are still technically computer files -- and computer files have file sizes.

As a general rule, the bigger the file size, the harder it is for an internet browser to render your website. And it just so happens that page speed is one of the most important  when search engines decide where to place your content in its index.

So, the smaller the file size, the faster your website will load, and the higher you can rank on Google as a result. But how do you shrink a file size once it's on your computer?

If you're looking to upload an image to a blog post, for example, examine the file for its file size first. If it's anywhere in megabyte (MB) territory, even just 1 MB, it's a good idea to use an image compression tool to reduce the file size before uploading it to your blog. 

Ultimately, keeping your files in the kilobytes (KB) can sufficiently protect your website's page speed.

Be careful when compressing your images, and check the file's actual size once you export it back to your computer. While some tools might not be true to the size it shows you, others can sacrifice some image quality when compressing the artwork.

Styling on your text should remain consistent across your website.

Ensuring consistency, compliance and efficiency in digital communication through approved platforms and guidelines.

Leadership Tuscarawas 

Problems with SEO

• Landing page appeared in Google Search underneath some of its subpages
• No content underneath the title in search

Causes of faulty SEO

• No Page Title
  • Keyword in header
• No Summary
  • Image source code at the top of the page
• Keyword in Links
• Image filename
  • download.jpg - not descriptive

CPM Information Technology 

Problems with SEO

• Discovered that students were finding the CPM site via Google over the Kent Campus IT resource
• Could not optimize the IT page, because it is in the Knowledgebase, outside of Drupal

Causes of faulty SEO:

• Sitemap indicated this site was a priority
• No unique summary to be pulled by the meta description

Find illustrations that showcase various element combinations.

This policy outlines the requirements and guidelines for microsites, third-party vendors and commercial sponsorships on Kent State University websites.

SEO Resources

On-Site SEO 

• SEO playbook - see pages two and three (PDF)
  • The rest is related to a different project

Off-Site SEO 

Technical SEO 

SEO Blogs to Follow 

UCM photographers make high-quality KSU photos available for your usage.

This policy outlines requirements and guidelines for Kent State University websites.

Support Tickets

Submit a Ticket - Please Do Not Email

Please be sure to check the Known Issue list on this page before submitting a support ticket. If the issue is listed as a Known Issue, it is a site-wide issue that has already been assigned to development for a resolution. 

Reminder: Emails will not be addressed as quickly as a support ticket, and they are not tracked or in a queue like a support ticket.

Request a New Department Website

Meta Title (H1 Header)

• Include at least one of your target keywords
• Keep meta titles to a max of 70 characters

Meta Description

• Include at least one keyword
• Incorporate a CTA to encourage users toclick through to the page
• Keep meta descriptions to a maxof 160 characters

Example Screenshot: 

Our Kent State University “brand” is our image as seen by others - a unique expression of the university and its reputation.

Issues List

• Flickr embeds will not display nicely.
  • This is a system limitation. You may want to use the Modal Image Gallery BP Paragraph element (which holds a maximum of 8 images per gallery and allows for multiple galleries to be stacked) instead or link to your Flickr gallery. .
• Navigation/Menu Process Changes
  • To reorder or add a link to your navigation, copy get the Node ID of your page (or URL if it's an external link). Then, log in to your homepage (e.g. /group-name)., select the Group tab (Edit mode) or button (View mode) then select OG Menu. Click edit menu to see the navigation for the site.  Click "Add Link" and paste the Node ID (remember, the format is /node/123456) into the link field. Select a parent nav item, if applicable.
  • If a page needs moved, you can drag and drop it to a new location.  The navigation level can be changed if needed. 

This resource provides essential data, from graduation rates and campus locations to national rankings and prestigious awards. 

Access our Support and Training Hub for assistance managing your website.

Technical setup, content and links are critical to getting a website into the search results. Monitoring your efforts helps improve your strategy further.

Measuring SEO success means tracking data about traffic, engagement and links. And though, most companies develop their own sets of SEO KPIs (key performance indicators), here are the most common ones:

• Organic traffic growth
• Keyword rankings (split into branded and non-branded terms)
• Conversions from organic traffic
• Engagement rate and the bounce rate
• Top landing pages attracting organic traffic

Explore the full range of services we offer to help you build, optimize and maintain your website.

The screenshot below shows the default design of "Program" page with its the elements and the customizable areas highlighted.

Click here to view the full-size Default screenshot. (JPG)

From your content export or your group's accessibility dashboard, find a link to a specific File content type that needs archived and follow these steps.

1. To convert a File to a File Archive, click on the Open Utilities.

    

2. Select Convert Bundle. 

    

3. Confirm that the convert option says File Archive then click Next. 

    

4. On the next screen, scroll past the field mapping section. All relevant fields should be mapped correctly by default. Click Next at the bottom of the page. 

    

5. Do not check the box to create values where there were no values on the previous File. Click Next again. 

    

6. Confirm that you would like to start the conversion to the File Archive content type. Click Next a final time. 

    

7. Once the initialization screen appears, you may close or navigate away from the page. The process will finish before the status bar updates so you do not need to wait for the page to finish updating.

    

8. After a few minutes, if you return to the node URL, you will see that the conversion has taken place and that the File Archive message is now on the page. 

    
9. After conversion, the file's URL structure has changed — any existing links pointing to the old file path will now be broken. Update any links you are aware of, such as those in body content, navigation, or other nodes. To catch links you may have missed, use your Siteimprove Quality Assurance report to identify and fix remaining broken links across your site.

Get to know the people behind Kent State’s digital success and how we support your web projects.

Its Introduction Block and Contact Info have been replaced, and it has all four custom sections populated: Program Info Header, Contact Form, Program Info Footer, and Career Info Footer

Click here to view the full-size customization screenshot. (JPG)

The Accessibility Hub provides two ways to track and audit PDFs on your site:

PDFs uploaded using the 'file' content type — These are PDFs properly uploaded through Drupal's File content type and linked to a node ID. This is the recommended approach and what this tutorial covers.

PDFs linked directly or embedded in content — These are PDFs that were linked directly in WYSIWYG editors or hosted externally (often appearing as https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/... URLs). A separate dashboard tracks these files.

This tutorial focuses on auditing PDFs uploaded using the file content type.

1. Navigate to your group's homepage and click the Open Utilities button.

    

    

2. From the utilities pop-up menu, select Accessibility.

    

    

3. You'll be directed to the Drupal Accessibility Hub for your group. Click on the "PDFs uploaded using the 'file' content type" link.

    

    

4. You'll see a table listing all PDF files created using the "file" content type. Each row displays the node ID (links to the edit page), filename, and an Audit PDF link. Once a PDF is audited, results appear in the Summary column.

    

    

5. Select a PDF and click Audit PDF.

    

    

6. On the Audit PDF page, if no accessibility report exists yet, you'll see a message indicating this.

    

    

7. Click the Scan PDF button to generate a new report. Report generation typically takes several seconds depending on file size.

    

    

8. After scanning, results display in a table showing only issues that need attention. Failed tests and manual checks required are flagged for your review. Passed tests are not displayed in the table.

    

    

9. When you return to the PDF files table, scan results appear in the Summary column. Click any summary link to view the full report.

    

    

10. To update a PDF: Click the node ID link in the first column to access the edit page, upload the corrected PDF file, and return to the PDF files table. You'll see a notification that the audit is out of date. Click Audit PDF again to generate a new scan with the updated file.

     

Your event or news can be considered as featured items across the following platforms:

• Kent State University website
• Kent State Today
• Kent State University Calendar
• Social media channels
• KSU Mobile
• Faculty/Staff News Now

Learn More

This academic program page integration initiative allows for an extra bit of search engine optimization on the page. As a result, you may want to review this document and/or be prepared to review it when building your page.

SEO Playbook / Tips

Building the Page

This screenshot compares the front view of a program page with its editing view. The lines between the two show where each field applies on the front end.

Key:

• Red/solid lines are required fields.
• Blue/dotted lines are modifiable content.
• Gold/dashed lines are fields that can insert new content.
•  

Click here to view the full-size field comparison screenshot. (JPG)

The Accessibility Hub provides two ways to track and audit PDFs on your site:

PDFs uploaded using the 'file' content type (separate tutorial) — PDFs properly uploaded through Drupal's File content type and linked to a node ID. This is the recommended approach for new uploads.

PDFs linked directly or embedded in content — These are PDFs that were linked directly in WYSIWYG editors or hosted externally (often appearing as https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/... URLs). This tutorial covers how to audit these files.

This tutorial focuses on auditing PDFs linked directly or embedded in content.

1. Navigate to your group's homepage and click the Open Utilities button.

    

    

2. From the utilities pop-up menu, select Accessibility.

    

    

3. You'll be directed to the Drupal Accessibility Hub for your group. Click on the "PDFs Linked Directly or Embedded in Content" link.

    

    

4. On the next page, click Find Embedded / Linked PDFs
   1.  
5. Wait for the processing to complete
   1.  
6. Once complete, you will see a listing of all such PDFs on your site. 
   1.  

Content can be considered for promotion across the following platforms:

• FlashLine Notifications: Notifications that appear behind the red bell in the FlashLine masthead.
• FlashLine Banners: Visual banners on FlashLine’s Welcome page or Dashboard.
• University Emails: Targeted emails sent to select audiences when specific criteria are met.

Learn More

• Advisor
  • Use the –or ending, not –er
• Catalog
  • Referenced as catalog, not graduate catalog or undergraduate catalog.
• Eight-campus system
  • Copy should be eight-campus system, not eight campus system, 8-campus system or 8 campus system.
• FLASHcard
  • Not flashcard, flash card, flash-card, FLASHCard, flashCARD, or FLASHCARD.
• FlashLine
  • Not flashline, flash line, flash-line, FLASHLine, FLASHline, flashLINE or FLASHLINE.
• Kent Core
  • Not Kentcore, Kent core, or Kent-core.
• Kent State ID Number
  • Not Kent State ID # or other variation.

• KSU

  • When referring to the university, avoid KSU. Spell out Kent State University on first reference, and then use Kent State or university in subsequent references.
  • When university is used alone to mean Kent State University, it is in lowercase.

Maintain consistency and professionalism across Kent State’s digital platforms with this web editor reference guide. Follow these guidelines for university style, terminology, and best practices to ensure accurate and cohesive content.

• Ampersand (&)

  • University style uses “and,” not an ampersand unless an ampersand is part of the proper name of a nonuniversity entity or if it is being used as a navigation or design element in the website
  • Use "and" — avoid & (ampersand) — in names of Kent State programs, offices, departments, schools, colleges and divisions.
  • Exception: On the web, use of & (ampersand) is allowed in titles and links for the purpose of brevity.
• Commas
  • University style does not use a comma before the conjunction in a simple series, commonly known as a serial or Oxford comma (e.g., “blue, gold and white”). A comma may be added only when needed for clarity – for example, when the last item in a list could be interpreted as part of the preceding item, potentially causing confusion.
    • “As a first-year student, she registered for English literature, Intro to Psychology, and Fiber Arts.”
• Emails
  • Kent state email address, email is one word and all lowercase.
• Phone numbers
  • xxx-xxx-xxxx (use hyphens, not parentheses).
• Day/time treatment
  • 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
  • 8:15 a.m.–noon.
  • noon is not capitalized.
• Date/month treatment
  • January 2010 (not abbreviated without a date).
  • Jan. 15, Feb. 21, March 7, April 12, May 24, June 13, July 8, Aug. 22, Sept. 23, Oct. 31, Nov. 11, Dec. 12 (abbreviated with a date).

Leverage Google Analytics to track website traffic, analyze user behavior, and make data-driven decisions to improve engagement. Use Siteimprove to monitor accessibility, content quality, and overall site performance, ensuring compliance with Kent State’s web standards. 

Your go-to reference for maintaining consistency and professionalism in your website’s design and content. This guide ensures your site aligns with Kent State’s branding and messaging standards.

Web Accessibility Training includes instruction on how to correctly add content in Drupal accessible to users affected by disability. These sessions are offered in partnership with the Office of Accessibility.

Detailed guidelines for selecting, creating and using images and graphics on Kent State websites. Ensure your visuals are optimized for web use, accessible and consistent with university branding.

Here you can find step-by-step guides on how to create many of the elements designed for Kent State's websites.

A powerful tool for monitoring and enhancing your website’s performance, accessibility and content quality. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on using Siteimprove to identify issues, track improvements and ensure your site meets Kent State’s web standards.

Explore the design and content elements available to build and enhance your website. Drupal Paragraphs serve as flexible building blocks, allowing you to create dynamic and engaging web pages with ease.

"Focus 2" Major & Career Information

• Create an account in Focus 2 to reveal your best career-fit and explore majors that connect you to your career

Match Majors to Careers

U.S. Department of Labor Websites

•  - Learn about occupations including responsibilities, salaries, education required, and employment outlook
•  - Explore careers, salary and benefits, training required, and employment seeker services by state
•  - Quick search tool for Ohio employment data and more

Ohio's In-Demand Careers

•  - Learn about growing fields in the state of Ohio

Talk with Faculty, Family and Professionals

• Find out what a career is really like by speaking to someone in the field. 
• Review the informational interviewing questions to ask.
• Talk with your professors who have a wealth of knowledge about their career fields.
• Chat with family members about their work experiences and:
  • how they selected their careers
  • what they find rewarding/challenging
  • what skills they utilize
  • what their long-term goals are

A centralized source for verified data, awards and key statistics to enrich your web content.

Finding Your Catalog URL

1.) Visit and select Courses A-Z from the primary menu. 
 

2.) Find your program from the alphabetical list, right click, and copy the link. 

Integrating Course Offerings in Drupal
 

1.) Under Utilities, select Layout. 
 

2.) In the Layout editor, select Add block. 
 

3.) In the block menu, search for and select Catalog Courses Block.
 

4.) Configure the Catalog Courses Block to your liking, click Update or Add block when done. 

• Title — Check Display title and fill the in the box to display a custom heading above your course block. 
• Courses URL — You MUST paste the URL to your program's course offerings in this field for it to work. 
• Min/Max Course Level — Can display all courses (00000 - 899999) or split by undergraduate and graduate levels.
   

5.) Scroll back to the top, and click Save layout. 

A complete listing of university websites, providing quick access to the pages you need.

Quickly submit your web issues or requests, and our team will assist you with solutions.

We offer Drupal 1, Drupal 2 and Web Best Practices training sessions. 

Keep an eye on the calendar for upcoming dates!

Learn how to update faculty, staff or department information in the Kent State online directory.

Interactive elements that showcase headlines, images, and summaries, providing visual previews that link to full content.

Review guidelines for selecting and using images and graphics effectively on Kent State websites.

Helpful Resources

• Instructions
• Criteria
• Approval Process

Expandable and collapsible elements, including accordions and tabs, that help organize content and improve navigation by toggling visibility.

Connecting you with campuswide teams to help amplify your message across platforms.

Estimated Timeframe: 1-2 Weeks

Known Issues & System Updates

The issues and system updates listed below are site-wide. Select the plus sign to see either the status and/or a work-around. Once resolved, issues will be removed from the list. 

Add hierarchy, content, visual interest, and layout changes to your web content

Crafting responsive, user-friendly websites that reflect Kent State’s unique identity.

Estimated Timeframe: Project Dependent

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Display images and videos in visually appealing sliders and galleries.

Offering in-depth analytics and quality assurance tools, guidance and insights to optimize your site’s performance.

If you are needing to remove a PDF from your website, , so that a Drupal Web Administrator can delete the file from the server. Deleting the "File" Node ID will not delete the "Document" that is housed within it. Nor will removing that document from the File Node ID. Once restored, PDF deleting instructions will be located on this page. 

We've added a number of new card-based elements to our web design options.

Creating effective content strategies to enhance SEO and deliver a clear, engaging message.

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Need help with your website? Get assistance with content updates, design changes, technical issues, accessibility improvements, SEO or analytics setup.

Boosting your site’s visibility and traffic with targeted SEO techniques.

Date/Month Treatment

• January 2010 (not abbreviated without a date)
• Jan. 15, Feb. 21, March, April, May, June, July, Aug. 22, Sept. 23, Oct. 31, Nov. 11, Dec. 12 (abbreviated with a date)

Time treatment 

• 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
• 8:15 a.m.–noon
• noon is not capitalized

Get the training you need to manage your website with confidence. Whether you're new to web editing or looking to refine your skills, we offer a variety of resources to support you. Explore our documentation for step-by-step guidance, best practices, and troubleshooting tips, or sign up for hands-on training sessions to learn directly from our experts.

Tracking and analyzing campaign success with custom UTM parameters and insightful reporting.