A new year is often symbolized by new year’s resolutions, changes and optimizations. Why would you not do this for your recruitment marketing? What if this year you would pay more attention to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) while writing your job descriptions? In this blog VONQ presents easy to use and practical SEO tips.
SEO, Search Engine Optimization, is an important factor in online businesses. Unfortunately this is not always the case in online recruitment and, more specific, in job descriptions. So, where do you begin? With a few small steps and these 3 practical tips your job descriptions can be easier found online!
Tip 1: A good job title means your job description is half done!
Within the organisation the open position is called “Online Specialist”, but you wonder: is this actually the right title? Would it be better to rename the position with a more hip title like “Online Marketing Ninja”? The most important step in SEO is to try to get inside the head of your target audience. Which keywords do they use in their queries? By using easy (and free) tools like Google Trends you can compare job titles and research the trends in search behavior on a specific term. Using this tool you quickly conclude “Online Marketing Ninja” is too hip, even for your target group. The tool shows your target group (or actually nobody) uses this term in their queries in comparison with the current job title.
What about “Online Marketeer”? Actually, this job title is even used more often than the current job title!
Practical summary: Choose a job title that is relevant for the position. Research this job title by using tools like Google Trends to find out if this keyword is also used by your target audience.
Tip 2: Make your job description not just eligible for candidates, but for search engines too!
Not only candidates scan your vacancy to quickly understand what it is about, search engines like Google do the same! How do you make sure the content of your job is clear for potential candidates as well as for search engines?
- Divide your job description into clear paragraphs by using subheadings. It improves your legibility and provides the potential candidate with a summary of the contents of the next paragraph. We will elaborate on this in Tip 3!
- By using a combination of text and bullets you will also make your job description more clear. Use bullets to highlight the most important aspects like the tasks, hard requirements and the job offer. According to research by LinkedIn these are also the parts job seekers pay most attention to!
Additional tip: Use a maximum of 5 bullets. Long list of bullets exceed the goal of being clear and legible!
Practical summary: By using subheadings and bullet points you help candidates and search engines find and understand your job description better and faster!
Tip 3: Location, location, location!
It is necessary to give important keywords like your job title a spotlight position. Why would you do so? These keywords can be used by job seekers in their queries for a dream job. By placing these words in a prominent spot, you help Google understand the content of your job better and faster, which makes it easier for the search engine to show it to relevant job seekers.
- Mention the head keyword (for example the job title) as early as possible. You can place the job title together with the working location right underneath the introduction and use the job title in the first subheading of your vacancy. For example, “What does the life as a Data Analyst at VONQ look like?” to introduce the job description section.
- Other important keywords like job related terms or hard requirements are also easy usable in your subheadings. For example describing the most important requirements in a subheading like “Translate complex data to stories and tools like SPSS are your cup of tea!” instead of the plain subheading “Requirements”.
Practical summary: The job title and important keywords need a spotlight position like the introduction and subheadings.
Key takeaway
Getting inside the head of your target audience does not only provide you with a better idea for the content of your job description, it also makes it easier to find online! Help your potential candidates and search engines by writing an appealing, clear and legible job text and to get SEO proof!
Need any help? Have a different question? Contact our experts!
