BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/02/09 -- WordStream, Inc., a provider of keyword research and organization solutions for continuously optimizing and expanding pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts involving large numbers of keywords, has announced the Top SEO College Websites on their Internet marketing blog.

In a recent search query analysis study, WordStream identified 15 university websites that are excelling at SEO and keyword ranking by optimizing their websites organically to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs). Topping the list of Top SEO College Websites are Drexel University, University of Phoenix and Capella University. Also making the list are Ferris State University, Western Governors University, Pennsylvania State University, Northcentral University, Oregon State University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, University of Texas, Canyon College, Gonzaga University, American Sentinel University, University of Illinois and Grand Canyon University.

"As an SEO professional, it's exciting to see colleges starting to understand the power of SEO and beginning to implement it effectively on their websites, with important elements like HTML title tags and keyword expansion," says Ken Lyons, marketing manager at WordStream. "Even though the vast majority of colleges have yet to embrace SEO, the competition is definitely heating up among 'elearning' universities, like the University of Phoenix and Capella University, as well as colleges with online divisions, like Drexel University, because they recognize how crucial search engine visibility is to reaching their target audience."

The Top SEO College Websites were determined using SERP analysis, by counting how frequently a university's domain displayed in the top 10, 20 and 100 results for 20 of the most popular higher education and distance learning keyword phrases. Standouts like Drexel University, for example, have a leading SERP frequency rate of 23 in the top 100 results category, followed by the University of Phoenix with a frequency rate of 12, and Capella University with a frequency rate of 10.

To see the entire results from the study and read commentary on the state of SEO in higher education, go to http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2009/09/01/top-seo-college-websites-2009

About WordStream

WordStream is a provider of Keyword Management solutions for continuously optimizing and expanding PPC and SEO efforts, involving large numbers of keywords. WordStream provides a scalable, private, online keyword workbench -- which includes a conversion optimizer and a keyword research tool -- for conducting keyword discovery, keyword research, keyword grouping, search marketing workflow, and for turning research into action.

WordStream believes that an organization's keyword taxonomy is a valuable, proprietary asset, and that organizing, prioritizing, coordinating and executing of PPC and SEO management efforts around a comprehensive, researched and up-to-date keyword taxonomy is the key to PPC and SEO success. Keyword management improves search marketing productivity and enables greater relevance, which enhances the value of paid and natural search marketing efforts.