*Integrate tips from JobSite training and say in the blog that the info is coming from the horse’s mouth to give it more credibility. Saying that our consultant are trained by job boards is beneficial.
When you place an advert for a new job, of course you want to reach as many jobseekers as possible. It's simple logic, the more applicants you have, the better chance you have of finding the perfect recruit. So it pays to dip into the world of Search Engine Optimisation to make sure as many people possible see your advert.
Don't go at the other extreme thought by writing purely for Google. You want greater visibility, but always write for humans, not algorithms. That said, you'll get a lot more people looking at your ad if you optimise it properly. A study by Career Builder has shown that that's a massive slice of the market that you may be missing out on.
So here is your 4 step SEO checklist for your next job advert:
- Use a Common Job Title
Sounds simple doesn't it? Keep it that way. It might sound impressive placing an ad for an Executive Information Architectural Supervisor, but if everybody is searching for IT then your intelligence, and your advert, is wasted.
Keep the job title as simple, broad and all-encompassing as you can., Get everybody interested and then slowly filter out the unsuitable candidates with the qualifying statements. Model your ideal candidate, think what they'd put in to the search box and see what other, big brands, have used for the same type of role.
Expert Recruiter Tip:
Put the location in the job title field and your advert will rank higher in Google.. That's what the job hunter tends to look for, so for instance, don't just put Sales Manager, opt for: 'Sales Manager Birmingham'. Think like your candidate would, you’d mainly search for job title and location. It may get you better responses if you put the salary in the job title too.
- Keywords are critical
Find similar jobs online, look at the keyword combinations, the critical skills and the phrases that come up time and again.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can find out how many times people search for a certain phrase on Google. I’ve ran this example for you using Google Trends.
The options to find out what you need:
- Target by location (worldwide, UK, England, Wales, etc)
- Target by time period
- Target by category (jobs, but your specific industry too)
- You can see search volumes per city
- You can get inspiration from the related searches lower in the page
Now that you know which are the popular words to use, you should repeat them, in the same combination, 3-5 It will make sure you get seen on job board searches, too.
Always remember, that you're optimising the ad for search engines, but a human has to read it and respond. So don't be tempted to turn it into a nonsensical mess for the sake of the search engines.
Expert Recruiter Tip:
Repeat your keywords, of which the job title is most important, 3-5 times in the ad and job boards will rank it highest.
- Get the Advert Shared on Social Media
Social Media sharing has become an intrinsically important value for Google. The theory is simple, a post, picture of even job advert that is interesting enough for people to share must have some value to the world at large.
A job advert is unlikely to go viral, it does happen but it's rare and it's often a stunt. With just a few shares, though, your post will immediately become more important than the vast majority of material on the internet. So share it yourself, get your employees to 'give it a push', even ask your friends to help with your online presence. It will help your visibility.
So send them out on Facebook, Twitter and even get yourself a Pinterest board. You don't have to see a direct result from any one of these to feel their impact. So make them part of the routine, no matter what you think now, and slowly they'll help elevate your job post to the top of the pile.
