WHAT IS SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and the term denotes the practice of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website from search engines.
But, if you’re looking for a slightly simpler explanation, SEO boils down to optimizing a website (or page) so that it ranks higher (ideally as the first result) on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Yes, the Great Resignation may be slowing down. But its consequences are not. In fact, it could be argued that the main change caused by last year’s trend is people’s willingness to take their career paths into their own hands. Even if that means being unemployed for a short time.
Now, for recruiters, this means one thing and one thing only. More than ever, they need to up their game to ensure that they attract and bring in talent
And, it just so turns out that SEO could be the secret ingredient to successfully doing so in 2022 and beyond.
WHY IS SEO IMPORTANT FOR RECRUITERS?
Ranking first on Google may not seem all that significant to you.
But if you look at the available data about how people search for jobs (or any information for that matter), you’ll quickly realize you should start implementing SEO at once:
- According to a survey conducted in 2020, 64% of college seniors search for jobs using either Google or LinkedIn.
30% of all Google searches are job-related. - Google users rarely view the second page of search results. In fact, the combined click-through rate for the first three positions on Google is more than 55%. Position no.10, on the other hand, only generates a 2.5% CTR.
- Data from Google reveals that the most-searched “how-to-become” jobs include real estate agent, flight attendant, notary, therapist, pilot, firefighter, personal trainer, psychiatrist, physical therapist, and electrician. This shows that recruiters working in these industries must use SEO to get their job adverts in front of the right people.
- Niche-specific content tends to rank higher on Google due to low competition. This means you could use SEO to reach and recruit talent for hard-to-fill jobs, even without access to niche-specific resource pools.
- Finally, don’t forget that appearing at the top of search engine results pages means that your potential clients are guaranteed to discover your services and automatically increases your chances of getting more work without investing in paid advertising.
How to start implementing SEO in recruitment
If you’re intrigued by the benefits of investing in SEO for recruitment, you might find yourself stuck.
After all, search engine optimization is not something you can just start doing on your own. For real results, you will need the help of a reliable agency that can deliver quality.
Nonetheless, there are a few DIY tips you can use when getting started.
TIP #1: DO KEYWORD RESEARCH
First and foremost, you need to learn the basics of keyword research so that your job postings attract your audience.
Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to find out whether your search terms are attracting enough interest and to get some ideas for related keywords you can use.
TIP #2: IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE
Don’t hesitate to invest in your website.
Knowing that more than 50% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices, you need to optimize for smaller screens.
This will ensure your target audience has an enjoyable experience looking at your job postings. (And, not to get too technical, but it will also compel them to stay on your site for longer, sending signals to Google that your content is valuable and therefore worthy of higher SERP rankings).
TIP #3: USE GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Don’t forget to keep an eye on your site’s analytics.
It will inform you about your site’s traffic, your most successful pages, how long your audience is staying on your site, whether they’re navigating to specific pages, and how many people leave without converting or visiting a second page.
Moreover, analytics will tell you your most prolific traffic sources, which is a piece of info you can use when building brand awareness as it will highlight the distribution channels with the highest potential ROI.
TIP #4: EMPLOY CONTENT MARKETING
Finally, as you look for ways to implement SEO, don’t forget that producing high-quality and relevant content makes for one of the best ways to reach your target audience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Investing in SEO may not be the most popular way for recruiters to advance their business.
However, it is a strategy that will benefit you in the long run.
Implementing SEO won’t just get you more work. More than that, it will help you save on advertising costs, allow you to reach top talent, and, most importantly, give you the means to build up your reputation as a trustworthy and reliable recruiting business.
