Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) , located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is all about giving students job-ready skills and encouraging them to become entrepreneurs, not just handing out degrees. They’re known for their work in helping people build sustainable lives and have earned recognition nationwide.
For example, CUTM’s School of Vocational Education & Training was formally recognised as a “Centre of Excellence” by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship — making it the only university in India to receive that distinction.
But, their online game wasn’t as strong as their real-world efforts. That’s where Plan-D Media came in to help.
The Challenge: A Weak Digital Engine
Centurion University was facing some issues with their digital marketing and website:
Paid ads were only getting about 20 leads each month from their ad campaigns, and they were paying a lot for each lead. The ads themselves weren’t great, which hurt results.
Website Traffic was a mystery. It was hard to tell where their website traffic was coming from. Plus, the site had some technical problems including difficulty functioning in mobile phones.
Social media was mostly random posting: posts generated only 4–5 engagements on average, there was no monthly calendar, and no competitor benchmarking or brand guidelines.
Lead nurturing and automation were virtually non-existent. There was no good tracking of the user journey, the admissions team couldn’t accurately calculate ROI of digital spend, and the flow from digital lead to walk-in was poorly managed.
In short: high cost, low output, poor optimisation, and no real system for conversion.
The Solution: A Multi-Faceted Digital Makeover
Plan-D Media employed a comprehensive strategy across multiple digital channels and touch-points.
1. Performance Marketing – Google Ads for Lead Generation
they created well-tagged Google Ads campaigns focused on keywords tied to engineering and university admissions. These campaigns were organised with proper ad groups and weekly monitoring of metrics like cost per lead, ad quality, landing page relevance, negative keywords, and bid models. Demographic and geo-targeting, vernacular ads were used to reach rural segments and landing pages were designed for high relevance to improve quality score. Weekly reviews and changes were normalised to improve click-through rate and conversion rate.
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
* Figuring out the right words to target: Using tools and checking out what competitors were doing manually to find keywords that could really make a difference.
* Fine-tuning the website: Fixing meta tags, headers, and content, plus running technical checkups to fix anything that slowed down the site or made it hard to use on phones.
* Building links and planning content: Posting regular blog posts about topics that matter to students, getting links from popular websites, and copying successful link-building strategies from competitors.
3. Google Maps / Local SEO
* Google My Business: Check your information, add cool photos and videos, get local links, and ask students to write reviews.
* Local SEO: Helps students find schools nearby.
4. Social Media
* Content plan: Schedule posts about why attend college in Odisha and how it helps your career.
* Targeted ad campaigns on social media to get the word out and get people involved.
* Talking to followers, answering questions, and creating posts that encourage interaction to build a community and get more views.
5. Website Review
We did a full website review, checking for things like broken links, slow loading speeds, and phone issues.
Content check: We checked if the site’s info was helpful, up-to-date, good for search engines, and matched what the admissions office wanted.
The website was made easier to use for future students.
6. Lead Care
* We set up email campaigns to send useful content, offers, and news based on lead interests.
* Marketing tools were added to sort and manage leads and send follow-up messages.
* The admissions staff made calls and sent messages to help students with enrollment questions.
The Outcome: Evident, Measurable Gains
Centurion University saw very solid results from this overhaul:
A 40% increase in quality leads through the improved Google Ads + SEO efforts.
A 30% increase in local inquiries and visits, thanks to better Google Maps ranking and local optimisation.
Social media engagement jumped by 50%, with meaningful growth in followers and interactions.
Website traffic increased by 25%, and lead conversion rate from the website improved by 20% following the technical & content audit.
Our nurturing strategy boosted lead-to-customer conversion (paying students) to 60%.
Total sales from online channels went up by 35%, really helping their revenue grow.
Here’s what we learned and what works best:
Don’t just use paid ads: If you skip things like organic SEO, local optimization, and a solid website, paid ads will cost you more and won’t work as well.
Organization is key: Break up your campaigns, tag your ad groups, and check in weekly. This cuts down on the cost per lead and gets you better conversions.
Tech setup helps growth: You need a website that’s fast, mobile-friendly, easy to use, and technically sound for good online results.
Good content + links = more organic traffic: Blog posts, looking at competitor backlinks, and getting links from high-authority sites will boost your domain authority and organic traffic over time.
Local SEO still counts: Even universities need to think local. People google things like “college near me” or “engineering college in Odisha.” If you fix up your maps and Google My Business, you can get more people walking in.
Lead nurturing completes the funnel: Generating leads is only half the battle — following up, segmentation, automation, personalised communication convert leads into enrolled students.
Measurement & Optimisation: Track ROI, watch metrics (CTR, quality score, conversion rate, etc.), and make changes to improve.
In Conclusion
Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) and Plan-D Media show how a good digital plan with paid ads, SEO, local SEO, social media, website improvements, and lead nurturing can change how students get into a school. By focusing not just on leads, but on quality leads, and by building a system that carries them all the way to enrolment, the university was able to turn digital spend into measurable business results.
If you’re involved in higher-education marketing (or any sector where lead generation, local presence and digital conversion matter), this case is a strong model to study.
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