Your course site isn't converting visitors into students
Slow pages, missing course schema, and weak social proof are costing you enrollments. Our free audit finds the technical issues keeping your course off page one.
Common issues we find on course sites websites
These are real issues from our audits, not hypothetical problems.
No Course schema markup
Missing rich results showing course details, price, and ratings in search
Missing social proof markup
Student count and ratings not visible in search results
Slow page load from video embeds
Heavy video players and unoptimized thumbnails push LCP over 4 seconds
Poor mobile experience on course pages
Course content unreadable on phones; buttons too small to tap
No FAQ schema on sales pages
Missing expandable FAQ results that answer buyer questions directly in Google
Industry benchmarks
Average course site scores 37/100
Course platforms commonly fail on page speed (video embeds), missing schema markup, and poor mobile layouts for curriculum pages.
69% of course sites have no Course schema
Without Course schema, Google can't display pricing, duration, or ratings in search results — the exact details that drive enrollment decisions.
Why course sites need a strong website
Course pages
Course pages with schema get 45% more organic clicks
Search Engine Journal / Schema.org Course Study
73%
online learners research courses on Google before enrolling
Class Central Learner Survey
Mobile traffic
Mobile traffic accounts for 58% of course discovery searches
Google Education Vertical Insights
Top fixes for course sites websites
- 1Add Course schema with name, description, provider, price, and aggregate rating
- 2Lazy-load video embeds with a static thumbnail placeholder until clicked
- 3Add FAQ schema to course sales pages for expanded Google results
- 4Optimize mobile layout: readable text, tappable buttons, scrollable curriculum
- 5Display student count, completion rate, and testimonials with structured data
Common mistakes course sites make on their websites
Avoid these pitfalls that cost course sites customers every day.
Loading video players on every page load
Embedding YouTube or Vimeo iframes directly means the full video player loads even if no one clicks play. Use a facade pattern: show a static thumbnail with a play button, and only load the video player on click. This alone can improve your LCP score by 2-4 seconds.
No structured data for pricing and reviews
When someone searches "best React course" or "Python course review," Google shows rich results with pricing, ratings, and student counts for courses that have schema markup. Without it, your listing is a plain blue link competing against enhanced results from Udemy and Coursera.
Hiding social proof below the fold
Student testimonials, enrollment numbers, and completion rates should be visible without scrolling on your sales page. These trust signals are what convert browsers into buyers. If visitors have to scroll past three sections to see that 5,000 students rated you 4.8 stars, most will leave before getting there.
Non-responsive curriculum pages
Many course sites look fine on desktop but become unusable on mobile: lesson lists overflow, video players extend beyond the screen, and navigation menus overlap content. With 58% of course discovery happening on mobile, a broken mobile experience means losing over half your potential students.
Missing FAQ section on sales pages
Course buyers have predictable questions: "Do I get lifetime access?", "Is there a money-back guarantee?", "What's the time commitment?" A FAQ section answers these and, with FAQ schema, can appear as expandable results in Google search, taking up more real estate on the results page.
What is Course schema for online courses?
Course schema is structured data defined by schema.org that tells search engines your page offers an educational course. The key fields include name, description, provider (you or your organization), offers (with price and currency), aggregateRating (student ratings), coursePrerequisites, and hasCourseInstance (for live/scheduled courses). Google uses this data to display rich results showing your course price, rating, and provider name directly in search results. For course creators, the most impactful fields are offers (so pricing shows in search), aggregateRating (for star ratings), and provider (to build brand recognition). You can also use ItemList schema on your course catalog page to show multiple courses as a carousel in search results.
Free tools for course sites
Free Schema Markup Audit
Get rich snippets and stand out in search results
Free Speed Snapshot
Know if slow speed is costing you visitors
Free Core Web Vitals Check
See if your site meets Google's speed requirements
Free Mobile Friendly Test
Find out if mobile visitors can use your site
Free CTA Visibility Check
See if visitors know what to do when they land on your site
Free Trust Signals Check
Find out if your site builds enough visitor confidence
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a website audit check for a course site?
What is Course schema and why do I need it?
How do I speed up pages with video embeds?
How long does the audit take?
I host on Teachable / Thinkific / Kajabi — does the audit work?
Should I audit my course landing page or the full curriculum?
Related resources
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