TLDR: I have 10 years of web editing experience, but no writing portfolio, little knowledge of SEO and even less of analytics. How do I break into marketing communications, especially in higher education?

I've been working as a web editor for, well, I guess almost 10 years now--started as the student web editor at my university, then did 5 years freelancing, now I'm back at my alma mater as the resident Web Content Manager. I feel like I have a lot of potential as a writer, I want to write, but I've always been editing. That said, being a web editor, I have a lot of knowledge (and a bit of wisdom) about writing for the web. I feel like I could easily start.

But I have no portfolio! Also, while I know some SEO fundamentals, I'm not an expert. Analytics is also foreign to me, though I know I need to get good at it to make it in marketing communications.

I'm trying to get more experience in my current job--Admissions needs a lot of content edited, and I'm hoping I'll be tapped to do some of the writing. I also sometimes write landing page content. But it's not a lot.

I was thinking of freelancing to get a writing portfolio going. I was hoping to find higher education job posts, but those are few and far between. I could write in other niches, but they all want a portfolio to look at, which I do not have. In any case, it would not get me closer to my goals in terms of SEO and analytics--it's all still foreign to me.

What are my options? Do I NEED to get a communications degree? I'm in an MBA program and plan to take marketing electives. Would that be enough? I WANT to get a communications degree eventually, because I want to excel in what I choose to do, but that's a few years down the road. (FYI: my BA was in French, so...not helpful.) Taking online courses doesn't get me a real credential, so it might help me understand SEO and analytics better, but not enough to help me get a marketing communications position, I don't think.

Am I overthinking it? Do you think, with my experience, someone might hire me as a "communications specialist" and train me in what I don't know?

Thanks for reading!