Google and job searching go hand in hand these days. A large portion of searches are job-related, so we cannot ignore the phenomenon of search engine optimization (SEO). Google’s entry into the careers space began in 2017, but only recently has it truly been taken by storm. And as more job seekers continue to use search engines to find their next role, employers and staffing firms must fully understand how this marketplace works and leverage their job ads in the most effective way possible.
Google for Jobs
Google for Jobs works by searching the open web for job ads and gathering them in one convenient location. These jobs could be posted anywhere – from the careers page of a mom and pop business to top job listing sites like Indeed. Job seekers can use filters to narrow in on location, industry, role, salary, experience, qualifications, and even commute time and employer’s ratings.
Getting a website to appear in a standard Google search is how an employer or staffing firm’s job postings are displayed on Google for Jobs, which depends on its search engine optimization (SEO). While the tool got off to a slow start, it is now one of the top destinations for job seekers, with access to between 5500 and 7000 job boards simultaneously. It triumphs competition since it pulls job listings from company websites as well, not just job posting sites.
Optimize Listings
Staffing agency job postings can be through a third party or on their own site. For those going through a third party, you will need to check whether your provider is participating in Google’s job search experience. If your provider isn’t partnering with Google, it might be worth considering a switch. Staffing agencies posting jobs on their own website can add structured data to the HTML of the job ad web pages to directly integrate with Google so Google can then pull new job ads from the staffing site as soon as they’re added.
Optimizing Content and Structured Data
Those grandfathered into a homegrown job engine or just seeking to cover the bases should ensure that they include all of Google’s required fields and as many recommended fields as possible. This can be difficult for staffing agencies with limitations on data they can publish publicly due to client agreements or competition poaching. Determine Google requirements with what will display in your job postings to make your firm’s best decision.
Google’s Required Fields/Properties:
- Date posted
- Description
- Hiring organization
- Job location
- Title
Google’s Recommended Fields/Properties:
- Applicant location requirements
- Base salary
- Employment type
- Identifier
The Process
With valid job posting content and structure, you can then determine how to post them in an SEO method. There is the choice to go the easier route with limited control over your job posts, or the hard way, which will give you total control. The easy way is to use a third-party provider such as a job board or a WordPress plugin on your own site to optimize the posts. The hard way is to code everything yourself from the ground up.
Choosing the easy route can be as simple as utilizing a job posting site, but this may leave you missing out on leveraging the agency website and won’t offer the level of control that coding the entire thing yourself does. If the agency has the ability to code, then there is the option to exercise total control over the job post SEO by coding everything from the ground up.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (877) 256-0468 to speak with one of our representatives.