Enterprise AI Analysis
A strategic framework for enhancing university rankings based on webometrics criteria: a descriptive-analytical approach
Author(s): Khalid Gasmalla, Omar Almamoun, Jihad Elsiddig
Publication Date: 2025-01-28
Global academic rankings, such as Webometrics, are essential tools for evaluating higher education institutions and guiding efforts to improve their academic and research performance at both local and global levels. Many universities, particularly those in remote regions with limited access to basic services, face similar challenges that hinder their ability to succeed in such rankings. Quantitative, comparative, and correlational analyses were conducted to evaluate Al Salam University's Webometrics indicators over a six-year period (2019–2024), using a descriptive-analytical approach. The Webometrics criteria evaluated in this study are openness, transparency, and excellence. Analytical tools such as Majestic (for backlinks, trust flow, and citation flow) and Neil Patel's Ubersuggest (for website traffic, SEO performance, and domain authority) were used and compared with Webometrics indicators to identify and confirm weaknesses, as they provide critical insights related to ranking performance. The university experienced a sharp decline in visibility over the six-year period, reaching its lowest point in 2024 (30,558), However, that year also saw a noticeable improvement in both global and local rankings, attributed to significant progress in openness (2276) and a relative improvement in excellence (6967). The findings inform a proposed strategic framework. Its key elements revolve around the three core Webometrics criteria: visibility (web impact), transparency (citation strength of top researchers), and excellence (number of high quality scholarly outputs) with the aim of improving performance across all three. This strategy also serves as a guideline for institutions facing similar ranking challenges, helping them to improve both global and local standings and establish themselves as credible academic institutions.
Executive Impact
Key findings and strategic implications for enhancing university rankings based on Webometrics criteria.
Key Findings
- Al Salam University's Webometrics ranking improved significantly in 2024 (Global: 22,766, Local: 42) after years of stability (2019-2023).
- The improvement is primarily driven by a substantial increase in the 'Openness' factor (from 8183 in 2023 to 2276 in 2024), indicating enhanced open-access publishing and Google Scholar engagement.
- The 'Impact' score (visibility) declined from 27,538 in 2019 to 30,558 in 2024, highlighting persistent weaknesses in online presence, backlinks, and SEO.
- 'Excellence' (high-quality research output) remained stable but below continental averages, suggesting a need for more targeted research incentives and support for Scopus-indexed publications.
- Majestic and Ubersuggest analyses confirm low backlink profiles, no organic/paid traffic, and moderate domain authority (DA 16), necessitating comprehensive SEO and link-building strategies.
- The proposed strategic framework emphasizes phased implementation, decentralized open-access repositories, and community-driven research tailored for resource-constrained remote universities.
Strategic Implications
- Universities must prioritize stabilizing and enhancing their online network infrastructure (website stability, accessibility, SEO) as foundational to all other ranking improvement efforts.
- Targeted interventions for 'Openness' (e.g., mandatory faculty profile updates, institutional repositories) can yield rapid improvements, especially for institutions in remote areas.
- Investing in strategic partnerships (local NGOs, international universities) is crucial for diversifying backlink profiles and boosting 'Impact' scores.
- Developing clear incentives for high-impact publications and academic writing workshops can elevate 'Excellence' scores and overall research quality.
- The framework promotes a diagnostic, phased approach that allows institutions to build capacity incrementally and adapt strategies to their unique constraints and opportunities.
- Continuous monitoring of Webometrics indicators and SEO metrics is essential for data-driven adjustments and sustainable progress in rankings.
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Global Rank Improvement (2023 to 2024)
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Openness Rank (2024)
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Excellence Score (2024)
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Visibility Decline (2019 to 2024)
Deep Analysis & Enterprise Applications
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The Webometrics ranking system, developed by the Cybermetrics Laboratory, evaluates over 31,000 higher education institutions worldwide primarily based on their web presence and visibility. It focuses on research output, openness, and excellence, aiming to promote open-access knowledge dissemination. The criteria are weighted as Visibility (50%), Transparency/Openness (10%), and Excellence (40%). While invaluable for assessing research quality and institutional performance, Webometrics faces criticism for disproportionately emphasizing digital footprint over core academic dimensions like teaching quality, and for linguistic bias towards English content. Institutions in remote areas, like Al Salam University, often struggle with limited resources for digital infrastructure, making sustained web presence challenging despite the ranking's accessibility benefits.
Webometrics Evaluation Criteria Weightage
Impact (Visibility) 50%
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Openness 10%
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Excellence 40%
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Overall Ranking
31,000+
Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Webometrics
Al Salam University's Webometrics ranking data (2019-2024) shows a fluctuating performance. While global rankings remained stable between 2019 and 2023 (26,675 to 27,344), 2024 saw a significant improvement to 22,766. The local ranking also rose from 56 in 2023 to 42 in 2024. This positive shift is primarily attributed to a sharp increase in the 'Openness' factor (from 8183 to 2276). However, the 'Impact' score (visibility) experienced a decline from 27,538 in 2019 to 30,558 in 2024, indicating persistent online presence weaknesses. The 'Excellence' score remained relatively stable around 6650, rebounding slightly in 2024 to 6967 after a dip in 2023, but still lags behind continental averages.
| Year | Global Rank | Local Rank | Impact | Openness | Excellence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 26,675 | 48 | 27,538 | 8602 | 6115 |
| 2020 | 27,210 | 49 | 28,245 | 5819 | 6626 |
| 2021 | 27,137 | 48 | 27,095 | 6488 | 6650 |
| 2022 | 27,171 | 48 | 27,131 | 6492 | 6650 |
| 2023 | 27,344 | 56 | 27,226 | 8183 | 7237 |
| 2024 | 22,766 | 42 | 30,558 | 2276 | 6967 |
22,766
Al Salam University Global Rank (2024)
Analytical tools such as Majestic and Neil Patel's Ubersuggest were employed to diagnose specific weaknesses contributing to Al Salam University's Impact score decline. Majestic analysis revealed a low backlink profile (17 fresh inbound links, 4 referring domains) compared to regional benchmarks of 120. Ubersuggest confirmed the absence of organic or paid search traffic and ranking keywords, alongside a Domain Authority (DA) of 16 (indicating limited ranking potential) and 498 total backlinks (44 NoFollow), with minimal impact on search engine rankings. These findings collectively underscore a critical need for comprehensive SEO strategies and targeted link-building initiatives to enhance online visibility and authority.
| Metric | Majestic Findings | Neil Patel Ubersuggest Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic Overview | Not provided by tool | Organic and paid traffic = 0 |
| Backlinks | 17 (Fresh) | Total backlinks = 498 |
| Referring Domains | 4 (Fresh) | Not specified |
| Domain Authority | Not provided by tool | DA = 16 (SEO-based metric) |
| NoFollow links | Not provided by tool | 44 |
| Indexed URLs | 1 (Crawled) | Not specified |
16
Al Salam University Domain Authority (DA)
The proposed strategic framework is a data-driven, actionable roadmap for Al Salam University, integrating technical, policy, and organizational dimensions. It focuses on enhancing Visibility (Impact) through SEO optimization, digital outreach, and strategic partnerships; Transparency (Openness) via academic profile enhancement, institutional repositories, and community engagement; and Excellence (Scholarship) by supporting research development, faculty training, and student involvement. The framework emphasizes phased implementation, starting with low-cost, high-impact initiatives like free SEO tools and crowdsourcing backlinks, and moving towards long-term goals like achieving top-tier national rankings and increasing high-impact publications. Crucially, it advocates for continuous monitoring using tools like Google Analytics, Majestic, Scopus, and Web of Science.
Proposed Strategic Framework Flow
Situation Analysis
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Defining Goals & Objectives
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Strategy Framework
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Implementation Plan
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Monitoring & Evaluation
Impact of Open Access Initiatives
The study highlights how Al Salam University's Openness score jumped from 8183 in 2023 to 2276 in 2024. This significant improvement is attributed to targeted efforts to increase open-access publications and greater engagement with highly-cited research. This demonstrates that even with limited resources, focusing on making scholarly outputs freely accessible and promoting researcher profiles on platforms like Google Scholar can yield substantial positive impacts on Webometrics rankings. The framework recommends further institutional support for open-access repositories and mandatory faculty profile audits to sustain this momentum.
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Your AI Implementation Roadmap
A phased approach to integrate AI strategically and achieve measurable results within your organization.
Phase 1: Foundation Building (0-6 Months)
Focus on immediate, low-cost, high-impact initiatives to stabilize digital infrastructure and kickstart visibility.
- Initiate website stabilization and accessibility improvements.
- Basic SEO optimization (metadata, keywords, site structure).
- Begin link-building efforts through local NGO partnerships.
- Activate official social media accounts and initial content sharing.
Phase 2: Transparency & Engagement (6-12 Months)
Implement initiatives to boost academic visibility and community interaction.
- Mandate and audit faculty profiles on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, ORCID.
- Develop an institutional repository for theses and publications (open access).
- Organize joint events, conferences, and webinars.
- Run targeted social media campaigns for research outputs.
Phase 3: Excellence & Global Reach (1-3 Years)
Aim for sustained research quality, international collaboration, and top-tier rankings.
- Support research centers with funding for innovative projects.
- Incentivize publication in Scopus/Web of Science indexed journals.
- Organize workshops on research methodologies and academic writing.
- Expand international partnerships and student involvement in research.
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