by Brita Long
In today’s competitive job market, it’s more important than ever to attract the best talent. One way to do that is to make sure your job descriptions are optimized for search engines. This process is called search engine optimization (SEO).
Following SEO best practices makes your job descriptions more visible on the web. This gives search engines the details they need to understand your posting and deliver it to the right people.
By utilizing job description SEO, you make your position discoverable by a wider pool of qualified candidates. Search engines scan job boards, company websites, and social media platforms for job postings to deliver as search results.
SEO Creates New Avenues for Job Seekers to Find You
Finding great candidates when you need them can be a challenge for many companies, even using online job search platforms. In a 2023 survey, 93% of businesses actively hiring had difficulty finding qualified applicants.
You can use job description SEO to expand your reach beyond the job sites and social media, making it easy for candidates searching online to find your postings.
How To Utilize Job Description SEO
Search engines are incredibly efficient at delivering highly relevant information. Strategic tweaks to the wording and formatting of your job postings can help you reach a larger audience through search engine results. Here are seven ways to make your job description more discoverable.
1) Keep Your Job Title Simple and Targeted
Consider how potential candidates might search for your job opening. You want the title to be descriptive and accurate, using familiar and highly searched terms. For example, instead of “Developer,” “Backend Java Developer” pinpoints the technical stack, role focus, and specialization.
It’s vital to use the most common phrase for your job title. For example, while “Brand Evangelist” might sound exciting, titles like “Brand Manager” or “Marketing Specialist” are going to match more relevant search queries.
Avoid jargon, abbreviations, or company-specific terms. If you are a hiring manager for an engineering firm, the term “PE” often stands for Professional Engineer. Yet, in the broader job market, “PE” might also refer to Physical Education Instructors or Private Equity Specialists.
2) Include Relevant Keywords
Keyword relevance plays a pivotal role in job description SEO. It gives the search engines the data they need to deliver your posting to the right people.
Ensure that your job title and description contain relevant keywords that potential candidates might use in their search.
For instance, if you’re hiring a Digital Marketing Specialist, your job description should naturally incorporate relevant and related terms like search engine marketing (SEM), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and conversion rate optimization (CRO).
And yes, you need to include both the shorthand and the full terms, because you don’t know which keywords will be included in a candidate search!
Location is also critical to SEO. Google and the other search engines will show your listing to candidates in your geographic area. Rather than including the location in your headline, have it in your job listing.
While relevant keywords are essential, too many make your posting hard for people and search engines to read. Keyword stuffing will inhibit your search engine results. The best use of keywords is to create a precise, targeted job description that aligns with your target candidate.
3) Make Your Posting Scannable and Easy to Read
A well-structured, scannable job posting is more search-friendly and is more likely to capture a job seeker’s attention. Here is how you can make your post scannable and easy to read:
- Use clear headings such as ‘Responsibilities,’ ‘Qualifications,’ ‘Benefits,’ and ‘About the Company.’
- Under these headings, use bullet points to list out details. This format is much easier to digest than dense blocks of text.
- Keep paragraphs short, with a maximum of three or four sentences each.
- Highlight crucial points with bold text or italics.
4) Use Structured Data Markup (Schema Markup)
Schema markup is a code your web programmer or designer can add to your job description. It tags critical information to give search engines a richer understanding of your content.
Using schema markup is not necessary, but it will improve how your job description results show up in the search engine results. Details like the job title, location, and salary are more likely to be listed directly in the search results, making it instantly more attractive to potential candidates.
Some tools and plugins can assist in adding structured data markup to your careers page. One example includes Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.
5) Link to Your Website
Include at least one link in your job posting to connect to your company’s website or social accounts. Not only does this connect your job posting to your company for search engines, including relevant links improves the candidate experience. Give job seekers additional ways to learn about your organization or to connect with you.
6) Optimize for Mobile
Many job seekers rely on mobile devices for their job search. Optimizing your job postings for mobile is crucial for reaching a wider audience.
Ensure your job listings adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes, from smartphones to tablets. A responsive design ensures that text is readable, images are viewable, and navigation is smooth regardless of the device used.
Mobile users are known for their short attention spans. Potential candidates might move on if your job listing takes too long to load. Buttons and links should be adequately spaced and easily tappable. Avoid tiny links that are hard to select on a touchscreen.
7) Update Your Job Descriptions Regularly
You may lose search engine visibility over time if you frequently hire for the same position and use the same job description. Search engines prioritize newer job postings. When you update your job listings, you signal to search engines that the content is current.
Additional Job Description Tips
Aside from using SEO to write job descriptions, follow these tips to attract the best candidates.
1) Be Honest and Transparent
A comprehensive and accurate job description attracts qualified candidates and sets clear expectations. A new hire’s experience will match their expectations, creating a smoother transition for them and their team. Misrepresenting a role can lead to wasted efforts for the hiring team, disappointment, and increased turnover.
Your job listing serves as a window into your company’s culture and ethos. Candidates gravitate towards roles that offer a transparent glimpse into the company’s operations and values. By providing a detailed and truthful portrayal of the position and the organizational culture, you enhance the likelihood of attracting applicants who align with your company’s vision and objectives.
2) Leverage Social Sharing
Social sharing can help you reach candidates who might not have seen your listing through traditional channels. The first step is to design your job listings with shareability in mind, including compelling visuals and concise descriptions that resonate with your target candidates.
Encourage your current employees to share the job listings on their personal social media profiles. When a job recommendation comes from a trusted source, it carries more weight.
Another way to increase your reach through social sharing is to directly integrate social media sharing buttons on your job listing page. Visitors can share the listing with a click.
When sharing on company profiles, highlight company culture by including a behind-the-scenes glimpse of team events or testimonials. This gives potential candidates a feel for working at the organization.
Relevant hashtags related to the job industry, role, or skills required will also increase your post’s discoverability.
Make It Easier for the Right Candidates to Find You
Following a few simple steps transforms your static job description on a job board or company website into a highly indexable posting that will appear in relevant search results.
If you are struggling to find skilled candidates, Insight Global can help. Our nationwide job seeker database and dedicated recruiters are committed to helping our clients succeed. Connect with us today and discover how Insight Global can help you grow.
by Anna Morelock 
by Alexandra Woodford 
