SEO for Job Posting: 8 Strategies to Rank for Job Results

Intro

Job postings are an essential part of the recruitment process, but they can be easily overlooked if SEO practices are not applied.

Search Engine Optimization can help ensure that job seekers can find your listing when searching online. By using the right techniques, you will earn more visibility and have a stronger chance of finding the right candidate for the job opening.

Google for Jobs

Google for Jobs is a feature of Google that helps job seekers find relevant job postings.

Whether you are looking to hire a full-stack developer or a software engineer, getting listed on Google will help your job postings to be seen in the search engine results. This is especially important for SEO purposes, as potential candidates are more likely to click on the job postings that appear at the top of their search results.

To get started, sign up for a Google for Jobs account and create a job listing in the appropriate category.

Choose whether you are posting a listing on your website or using a third-party job board.

If you are using the second option, just check if your job provider is already participating in the job search experience on Google.

If you opt for the first option, be sure to implement schema markup by following these steps.

Implement Schema Markup

Schema markup is a form of HTML that helps search engines understand the content on your website. It is an important SEO tool that can be used to boost the visibility of job postings.

By adding structured data to your website, search engines can easily recognize job postings and show them in the search results.

To get started, create a schema markup code for each job posting and add it to your job list page.

You can follow the official Google documentation:

Or, you can use a schema markup generator or the Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the code.

Once you have created the code, add it to your job list page and then test it with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.

Now that your job postings have been optimized with schema markup, it’s time to focus on SEO keywords.

Use the Right Keywords

Job postings should include keywords that match the job title, qualifications, and other relevant criteria.

These terms should be strategically placed throughout the job description to ensure that SEO works in your favor.

When selecting the right terms, think about the language you would use if you were searching for a job opening.

The keywords you select should also be based on the type of job posting, industry, and location. For instance, a job opening for a graphic designer in New York will require different terms than a software engineer position in California.

You can find relevant keywords by using different free resources, like

• Answer The Public
• Google Keyword Planner
• Ubersuggest

With these tools, you will be able to generate a keyword list that includes your job title and related phrases that are frequently searched for in your location. Plus, you can find out the number of times each keyword is searched per month!

Ideally, you should place your target term in the:

• Job title
• First paragraph
• URL
• Meta title
• Meta description

Once you have selected the right keywords, it’s time to optimize your job postings for SEO.

Optimize URL

The URL of a job posting should be short, descriptive, and SEO-friendly.

It should include the title of the position and any relevant keywords that are used in the job description.

For example, a Graphic Designer job posting in the NY area could have the following SEO-friendly URL:

example.com/designer-jobs-newyorkcity

In general, follow these best practices for optimized URLs:

• Make sure your URL is relevant and concise (incorporating your target terms)
• Avoid numerical values or special characters (unless it's part of the job title)
• Don't use excessive hyphens, as this will make your URL lengthy.

Write Proper Titles and Meta Descriptions

The title of your job listing should include the position, location, and any relevant keywords that were identified in the keyword research phase.

You should also include the title in your meta description as this will help SEO and inform potential applicants about what to expect from the job.

Your meta description should be SEO-friendly and describe the job position in an appealing way. It should also include your target keywords at least once.

For the best results, keep your meta titles and descriptions as short yet descriptive as possible. Limit meta titles to 65 characters or less, and meta descriptions to 155 characters or fewer for optimal readability in search engines.

You want the right candidate to identify right away if your job opening is their ideal fit.

Unless you are confident that your target users will be hunting for your company specifically, don't make the opening words of your content about it. A clear title, as well as a description, should work.

In case you're wondering how to begin, try recreating a job candidate's journey by searching for the role on Google; take note of what shows up in the first place!

Create Detailed Job Descriptions

Your job postings should include detailed descriptions that are SEO-friendly.

Begin by including relevant qualifications such as the industry experience, technical skills, and educational background needed for the position.

Include SEO keywords in the job description to make it easier for search engines to index and rank your job posting.

Make sure that the job description is comprehensive, yet concise. You don't want it to be too long-winded, as users may get bored of reading and might not apply for the position.

Include Location and Salary

Every job posting should include the job’s location and salary details.

Job seekers are likely to choose your job post if they know that it's in the right geographical region and the salary is suitable for their lifestyle. Including this information will make your job posting SEO-friendly as well.

Furthermore, having these details in your job posting will help you to attract the right kind of applicants.

Build Links to Your Job Postings

Link-building is an essential strategy when it comes to promoting your listings.

Some of the most effective ways to build links for job postings include:

• High-Traffic Job Boards
• Popular Forums
• Your Own Blog
• Social Media

High-Traffic Job Boards

Job boards such as Monster and Indeed are popular among job seekers.

Posting your job listing on these sites will help to attract more traffic to your website and improve SEO.

Popular Forums

You can post your job listing on various forums related to the job you're offering. This will help to create backlinks and increase SEO value for your job posting.

Your Own Blog

You can create a blog post about the job opening and include SEO-friendly content, such as keywords and backlinks. This will help to boost SEO for the job listing.

Social Media

Promote your job postings on social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Facebook to reach out to more potential applicants. You can also use SEO-friendly content and keywords to ensure better performance.

Final Words

Search engine optimization can be a powerful tool for improving the visibility of your job postings.

If you want to maximize the reach of your job listings, ensure that they are SEO-friendly by including relevant keywords, detailed descriptions, and building links as discussed earlier in this article.

Doing this will help to drive more traffic to your job postings and attract more potential applicants.

Good luck!