Optimising job ad reach has always been essential for attracting top talent – but in today’s AI-driven landscape, it might become even more important. As search engines start using AI in their SEO algorithms, a lot of things are destined to change.
It’s no secret that by leveraging SEO techniques, such as keyword research, optimised content, and user experience enhancements, you can ensure your job ads rank higher in search results, capturing the attention of more qualified candidates. But how do you actually apply SEO principles to maximise your job ads potential – and how should you adjust your strategy with AI-powered SEO in the picture?
Keep your keywords in the right places
Using keywords will not be new to most recruiters anymore – but stuffing your job ad with all the keywords you can think of simply isn’t going to cut it. You want to choose a few keywords that best relate to the role you’re recruiting for and stick with those – and if you want to be sure you’re choosing the right ones, you might want to use a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner.
After you know what keywords you’ll be using, it’s time to plan where exactly you should place them – because it does matter.
Meta description
The maximum amount of characters you will see in a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is 160, but the sweet spot for Meta Descriptions is somewhere between 120 and 158 characters.
Image alt text
There are no hard and fast rules for the length of Alt text, however, it is important to be as concise as possible, try aiming for less the 100 characters.
Page title
Your page title is what Google uses to understand the content of your web page, as such this should be concise and descriptive to match your page content. As a rough idea, anything between 30 and 60 characters should prevent your title from being cut off in search results.
URL
Although URLs and URL length are of lower importance in terms of SEO ranking, they are a great way for Search Engines AND Humans to understand the content of a web page to determine whether or not they should click. As for length, it’s best to measure on the side of being shorter and sharper.
Optimise for Google for Jobs
Google for Jobs is set to make big changes to how candidates find job ads using search engines. Therefore, it's a good idea to take steps to optimise your job pages for this service!
There are 4 main steps you need to take to optimise your job ads, so they'll appear in Google for Jobs search results.
- Optimise your recruitment website for Google for Jobs
- Implement the Job Posting Schema
- Include the minimum required information for Google
- Use the right keywords and the right keyword frequency
If that list looks a little too daunting - not to worry! We have a great guide that will tell you what those steps are and how you can implement them today so you start immediately pulling in more traffic to your job pages.
Download the Google for Jobs Playbook below to get started.
Make use of social media
SEO isn’t the only thing to think about when broadening the reach of your job ads. In fact, 79% of job seekers head over to social media to browse roles!
Social media has transformed the recruitment landscape, offering unparalleled opportunities to reach a wide audience of potential candidates. By utilising social media platforms for your job ads, you can tap into this vast pool of talent and drive increased numbers of applications. Make sure you keep track of the most recent social media trends and keep your strategy fresh.
Prepare for the AI takeover
As technology advances, AI's integration into search engine algorithms is reshaping the world of SEO. AI brings a new level of sophistication and precision to search engine rankings, revolutionising the way websites are discovered and evaluated. With AI-powered algorithms, search engines can better understand user intent, deliver highly relevant search results, and provide a personalised browsing experience.
Machine learning enables search engines to adapt and refine their algorithms based on user behaviour, constantly improving the accuracy and effectiveness of search results. This dynamic shift in SEO emphasizes the importance of creating valuable, user-centric content that aligns with AI-driven ranking factors.
Keep your eyes on the Firefish blog in the future where we will be keeping up with developments in AI and how it begins to impact Job Ads and everything else recruitment.
To learn about the ins and outs of job writing and increase your engagement, read our eBook below!
