A program page that works for search and AI answers states the essential facts in plain text near the top (what it is, duration, eligibility, fees, dates), keeps each fact in a clearly labelled section a machine can quote, shows the date it was checked, and flags anything that conflicts. I'm Younus Fardeen, and below I use the official IIT Jodhpur BS in Management and Technology page as a worked example of what is already done well and what I'd tighten. This is an editorial critique of structure, not a claim that any change would improve rankings or AI citations. Facts are as of 9 October 2026.
Disclosure: I've worked on Masai School's organic social growth (Instagram 26K to 117K, LinkedIn 50K to 200K). Masai is the delivery partner for this programme, and the page lists a Masai email address for programme queries, so I'm not neutral. I have no access to this site's analytics and I'm not claiming any result for it.
Key Takeaways
- Put the facts a prospective student asks first (duration, eligibility, fees, dates, exit options) in visible text, not only in images or accordions.
- The official IIT Jodhpur page already follows a sensible order: highlights, curriculum, how you learn, who should apply, admission, eligibility, fees, comparison, FAQ.
- It also shows two inconsistencies worth fixing: the yearly fees add up to a different total than the stated total, and campus immersion is described in two ways.
- Mark up with Schema.org's EducationalOccupationalProgram if you like, but remember Google removed FAQ and course info rich results; markup is for clarity, not for a SERP feature.
- Add a "last checked" date and a source note on every volatile fact.
- I make no ranking claims. Google says there are no special requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
The example: what the official page contains
From the official programme page (read 9 October 2026), the key facts are:
- Programme: B.S. in Management and Technology (Off Campus), online, from IIT Jodhpur.
- Duration: 4 years, 8 semesters, 141 credits, 47 courses.
- Exit points: Certificate in Business Fundamentals (Year 1, 36 credits), Diploma (Year 2, 72), B.S. 3-year (Year 3, 108), B.S. 4-year (Year 4, 141).
- Dates: entrance test 11 October 2026; batch starts 1 January 2027.
- Eligibility: Class 12 or equivalent from a recognised board with 60% aggregate (50% for reserved categories); no age limit; students yet to take Class 12 boards are not eligible.
- Fees: entrance test ₹999 and seat booking ₹5,000 (both non-refundable); Year 1 ₹1,35,000; Years 2 to 4 ₹1,40,000 each; stated total ₹5,60,000 excluding the entrance test.
- Refunds: 100% before classes start, 50% within one month of start, none after that.
- Weekly engagement: 15 hours (6 courses, each with 2 recorded classes and one 50-minute live session).
I wrote the full applicant-facing version in my IIT Jodhpur BS fees, eligibility and admission guide. Here I only care about page design. The portal home is onlinedegree.iitj.ac.in.
The page's section order, and why it mostly works
The page runs: director's note, programme directors, highlights, curriculum overview, how you will learn, career section, who should apply, admission process, eligibility, fees, a comparison table, about IIT Jodhpur, videos, learner stories, media, blog, FAQ and contact. Roughly 24 FAQs, and calls to action including Apply Now, Download Brochure, WhatsApp and email.
What I like, from a structure view:
- Task-based headings. "Who should apply", "Admission Process", "Eligibility" and "Fees Structure" are phrases a student actually asks.
- A long FAQ covering the awkward questions such as JEE, deferral, exits, recognition and placements. Quotable answers sit best in short question-and-answer pairs.
- A comparison section. People compare programs; the page meets that need.
What I'd change
1. Put a facts block at the very top
Before the director's note, I'd add an 8-line "Programme at a glance" in plain HTML text:
| Fact | Value | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Award | B.S. in Management and Technology, IIT Jodhpur | date |
| Duration | 4 years, 8 semesters, 141 credits | date |
| Eligibility | Class 12, 60% aggregate (50% reserved) | date |
| Next batch | 1 January 2027 | date |
| Total tuition | ₹5,60,000 (excl. ₹999 entrance fee) | date |
A short, self-contained block is easier for a person to scan and for a retrieval system to lift than facts scattered across a long page. I'm describing a design principle; I can't promise it changes what any AI system cites.
2. Fix internal inconsistencies
When I added up the yearly fees on the page, ₹1,35,000 plus three payments of ₹1,40,000 equals ₹5,55,000, while the stated total is ₹5,60,000; an FAQ describes ₹1,40,000 per year over four years, which equals ₹5,60,000. The page also says both "two optional on-campus immersion modules" and "a 3-5 day annual campus immersion". I flagged both in my earlier guide. For any program page, contradictions do two harms: students lose trust, and a system summarising the page may pick either number. Have a single source of truth for fees and dates and generate every mention from it.
3. Show who checked it and when
Add "Fees and dates last checked on [date] by [team or role]" next to the facts block. This is simple, honest and helps readers decide how far to trust it.
4. Make the FAQ crawlable, plain and specific
The FAQ has real strengths. I'd make sure each answer is a visible 2 to 4 sentence text answer that doesn't depend on a click or script to appear, and that it cites the exact policy or number. Don't add FAQ markup in hope of a rich result: Google's FAQ structured data page records that FAQ rich results are no longer shown, with the documentation removed in June 2026.
5. Separate claims from promises
The official page states no placement guarantee. I'd keep it that way. A careers section should describe roles the program prepares for (the page lists business analyst, product manager and others) without numbers it cannot back with a source. For bootcamps, where salary and placement claims are common, I'd link any statistic to a methodology page.
Markup: what's worth doing
Schema.org's EducationalOccupationalProgram describes "a program offered by an institution which determines the learning progress to achieve an outcome", with properties such as timeToComplete (for example P4Y), programPrerequisites and offers. That fits this page well. But Google's course info page records that the course info documentation was removed in September 2025 and that these types are no longer shown in Search results. So treat markup as optional clarity that must match visible text.
Google's AI features guidance says you don't need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special schema.org structured data to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and that a page must be indexed and snippet-eligible. OpenAI's ChatGPT search help article says to allow OAI-SearchBot and check your CDN, and that placement isn't guaranteed. So the foundations are crawlability, clear text and accuracy.
A template you can copy
- H1: program name plus award and mode (for example, "BS in Management and Technology (Online)").
- Two-sentence direct answer: what it is, who it's for, duration.
- At-a-glance table with last-checked dates.
- Eligibility as a bulleted list with edge cases.
- Admission steps as a numbered list with dates.
- Fees as a table: item, amount, refundable or not, source.
- Curriculum by year, short and scannable.
- Format and weekly time commitment.
- Exits and credentials, with an honest note on how each differs from the full degree.
- Outcomes with no promises; link evidence if any exists.
- Compare with named alternatives and a fair "who should choose which".
- FAQ of 8 to 12 real questions.
- Contact and official sources.
A word on spam and quality
Program pages are often cloned across cities and cohorts. Don't. Google's spam policies describe scaled content abuse as many pages generated for the primary purpose of manipulating search rankings. One strong page per program is better than twenty near-copies. My audit order after the September 2026 spam update is in edtech SEO after the spam update.
How to measure, without overclaiming
- Check Search Console for the page's queries and clicks, in a before and after window with the change dates logged.
- Run a fixed set of student questions in AI tools weekly and log whether the official page is cited. Semrush's AI citations guide notes AI platforms don't let you track every citation, so expect gaps.
- Watch enquiry quality, not just traffic.
- Wait for patterns before concluding anything. My process is in how I audit AI visibility.
I am not claiming that this structure raised or will raise rankings, and I have no data from this page's owner.
What to do this week
- Add a facts block with last-checked dates.
- Reconcile every fee and date to one source.
- Remove duplicate or near-duplicate program pages.
- Keep the FAQ visible and specific.
- Add Schema.org markup only if it matches visible text.
- Set up a weekly prompt log.
FAQ
How should a degree program page be structured for SEO and AEO?
Lead with a short direct answer and an at-a-glance facts table, then eligibility, admission, fees, curriculum, format, outcomes, comparison and FAQ. Keep each in a labelled section.
What facts must a program page include?
Award, duration, credits, eligibility, fees with refund terms, key dates, format and time commitment, and how to contact admissions. Add a last-checked date for fees and dates.
Does FAQ schema help program pages now?
Not for a rich result. Google's documentation records that FAQ rich results are no longer shown. A visible FAQ still helps readers.
Should I use EducationalOccupationalProgram schema?
You can, as descriptive markup. Schema.org defines it for programs leading to a credential. It must match what is visible, and Google says special markup is not required for AI features.
Did the official IIT Jodhpur page have errors?
It has two inconsistencies I noticed: the yearly fee amounts sum to ₹5,55,000 while the stated total is ₹5,60,000, and campus immersion is described in two different ways. Confirm with the institute.
Will this structure get my page cited in AI answers?
I can't promise that. Google says there are no extra requirements beyond being indexed and snippet-eligible, and OpenAI says placement is not guaranteed.
How long should a program page be?
Long enough to answer a student's questions, and structured so the key facts are visible within the first screen. Length alone is not the goal.
How do I handle fee changes?
Keep one source of truth, update every mention from it and update the last-checked date. Link the official page for anything volatile.
Is it okay to show career outcomes?
Only if you can source them. Without evidence, describe the roles a program prepares for and avoid numbers or guarantees.
Is the IIT Jodhpur program Masai's?
The degree is awarded by IIT Jodhpur. Masai is described as the delivery partner for operations and learner support, and I have worked on Masai's organic social, so treat my view with that in mind.
Work with me
If you run a degree, bootcamp or course brand and want program pages that are clear, honest and easy for both students and AI systems to use, take a look at my work and contact me through the contact form at https://younusfardeen.in. I have 4+ years of marketing experience in organic growth, SEO and AEO, mostly with edtech and startups, and I will tell you plainly what a page can and cannot do.
Want help with search and AI visibility for your own site? Get in touch through the contact form.