7 benefits of conversational AI search for universities

Students expect every digital experience to match the ease and speed of the AI search tools they’ve become used to, such as ChatGPT or Perplexity.

If your university website fails to meet these expectations, you’ll add friction to a prospective student’s journey before it’s even started.

Here’s how conversational AI search can transform your university's website and deliver tangible benefits.

Skip ahead:

• The challenge of website search in higher education
• What is higher education conversational AI search?
• 7 benefits of conversational AI search for universities
  • 1. Guide prospective students to relevant programs and scholarships
  • 2. Provide instant access to admissions and campus information
  • 3. Deliver clear guidance on policies and procedures
  • 4. Enhance course discovery and academic planning
  • 5. Improve accessibility and support inclusive design
  • 6. Reduce administrative burden and support costs
  • 7. Generate data-driven insights for continuous improvement
• What outcomes can universities expect from conversational AI search?
• Ready to implement a conversational search tool? Here’s what you need to consider

Higher education institutions face a critical challenge: how to help students, prospective students, and staff quickly find the information they need from increasingly complex digital ecosystems.

While universities have invested heavily in creating websites filled with valuable content, users often struggle to navigate these information-rich environments effectively.

Traditional higher education websites have evolved into complex digital ecosystems serving multiple audiences:

• Prospective students
• Current students
• Faculty
• Staff
• Alumni
• Parents

This complexity often results in what experts describe as websites that feel like "closets that haven't been cleaned out," with complicated navigation structures that frustrate users.

This becomes even harder for international students or those unfamiliar with higher education terminology, who may struggle to find basic information using conventional search methods.

Many users have resorted to using external search engines like Google to find specific information on their own institution's website – a clear sign that internal search functions aren't meeting user needs.

The solution? Conversational AI search. It enables users to ask natural language questions and get instant, precise answers.

Conversational AI search transforms traditional keyword-based search into an intuitive question-and-answer experience.

Instead of forcing users to guess the right keywords or wade through pages of search results, conversational AI search allows visitors to ask questions in their own words and receive clear, direct answers drawn from your institution's content.

Think of it as having a knowledgeable assistant available 24/7. Students and staff can ask questions like, “What scholarships are available for first-year engineering students?” and follow up with “Which options can be studied remotely?” The AI provides direct, contextual answers pulled from your website content (including documents), eliminating the need for endless scrolling or guessing keywords.

This technology represents a fundamental shift from "death-by-results-scroll" to instant, AI-generated answers based on content you control, creating ChatGPT-like experiences directly within your university website.

The benefits of conversational AI search extend across your entire university community, including prospective students, current students, and staff, while supporting key objectives like increasing enrollment and reducing operational burdens.

Instantly match students with best-fit academic options and financial aid opportunities based on their interests and eligibility.

When a prospective student asks, "Am I eligible for any scholarships as a first-year student?”, the system removes the frustration of searching through complex course catalogs and databases, helping drive higher enrollment by making both educational pathways and financial support more accessible.

This approach eliminates barriers that traditionally cause prospective students to abandon their search or turn to competitor institutions.

Answer common questions on the spot, such as application deadlines, event details, or support services, improving user satisfaction and reducing the burden on support staff. Students can ask, “When are the upcoming campus tours?” or “When is the next orientation day?”, and receive current scheduling information along with registration links.

This immediate access to critical information keeps prospective students engaged and moving through your enrollment funnel rather than seeking answers elsewhere.

Also, students who can easily find resources, support, and answers are more likely to continue in their academic journey, directly impacting retention and institutional success.

When students ask "How do I request an assignment extension?" or "Where can I get mental health support on campus?" they receive fast, clear, step-by-step guidance that helps them navigate university systems with ease

Clear policy guidance helps to reduce student confusion and frustration, supporting the university’s retention goals.

Enable students to ask natural questions like "What will I learn in Business Management 101?" and receive comprehensive answers that include course objectives, career outcomes, and links to related programs, student clubs, and internship opportunities.

Current students can ask, "What courses do I need to complete my psychology major?" and receive personalized guidance.

This enhanced discovery helps students make informed academic decisions and see clear pathways to their goals.

Conversational AI search enhances digital accessibility by allowing users to ask questions in natural language, bridging the gap between institutional terminology and everyday speech. This approach particularly benefits:

• International students who may struggle with academic jargon
• First-generation college students unfamiliar with higher education processes
• Users with disabilities who benefit from reduced cognitive load
• Students accessing information through mobile devices or assistive technologies

University staff across departments spend a huge proportion of their workday answering repetitive questions and helping users navigate complex information landscapes.

Conversational AI search automates these routine interactions, providing 24/7 support that scales without additional staffing resources, freeing faculty and staff to focus on meaningful student interactions and strategic initiatives.

This approach can cut support costs by up to 30% (IBM) while improving satisfaction.

Every search interaction provides valuable insights into what prospective students, current students, and faculty actually want to know, helping to identify content gaps and user intent patterns.

Universities can use this data to:

• Identify frequently asked questions about admissions, course requirements, or campus services that need dedicated content
• Understand how prospective students research programs versus how current students seek academic support
• Optimize content strategy based on whether users primarily search for deadline information, degree requirements, or student life details
• Improve website architecture by recognizing that users often can't find financial aid information or struggle to locate specific departmental resources.

These insights can help drive strategic decisions, improving both the student experience and administrative efficiency.

Universities implementing conversational AI search can expect to see significant improvements to staff and student experiences:

Increased student engagement and satisfaction: With easy and accurate access to information, students can engage more with the university. This can lead to increased satisfaction with the overall website experience and a greater connection with the university brand.

Reduced administrative burden: Support staff handle fewer repetitive questions about basic information like application deadlines, campus tour schedules, and course prerequisites. This means they can spend more time on complex student support that actually requires human help.

Lower operational costs: Universities typically see a reduction in support costs as conversational AI search handles routine questions 24/7 without needing extra staff. Also, fewer students call the help desk because they find answers instantly on the website instead.

Better conversion outcomes: When finding information becomes easy, more prospective students complete important actions like submitting applications, booking campus visits, and requesting information packets. The streamlined experience directly helps with enrollment goals.

Most organizations implementing conversational search discover a critical reality too late: the quality of AI answers depends entirely on the quality of your search results retrieved. Your conversational search is only as good as your site search.

Without exceptional search capabilities, even the most advanced AI will deliver disappointing results. That’s why we power Squiz Conversational AI Search with Squiz Funnelback Search.

Squiz Conversational AI Search

Built on Squiz Funnelback Search with 25+ years of enterprise search expertise, Squiz Conversational AI Search provides the superior search foundation essential for exceptional conversational experiences.

The solution includes conversational readiness tools to prepare content before implementation, ongoing monitoring to ensure answer quality, and content auditing capabilities to maintain performance as your content evolves.

Squiz Conversational AI Search helps higher education institutions deliver fast, accurate, and personalized answers to website visitors using natural language queries.

By making it easier for users to find relevant information instantly, without having to click through multiple links, universities can directly support key business objectives such as increasing student enrollment, improving retention, and boosting operational efficiency.

Ready to transform your university's search experience?

Discover how Squiz Conversational AI Search can help your institution deliver the modern, intuitive digital experiences that today's students expect.