SEO, otherwise known as Search Engine Optimisation, is one of the most important parts of marketing. It is a cost-effective strategy marketing teams use to get a high return on investment.
As well as being used for advertising products and services, however, it can also be used by companies who provide HR services and teams to find great candidates for open job positions – and make people aware of those job openings in the first place.
HR SEO ensures that job advertisements reach the right people looking for jobs using search engines such as Google. Excellent HR SEO can also improve the overall brand image by creating positive impressions of the company.
HR SEO Tips
There are several things you can do to improve the SEO strategy for your company and improve your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) when someone searches for words and phrases related to your company and job openings.
The Job Title is Usually the Most Important Ranking Factor
There’s no undervaluing the job title when it comes to HR SEO. The job title is the most essential part of any job ad. The title determines whether candidates are able to find the job posting or not and if they choose to click on it to find out more or not. You should put in the time and effort to craft the perfect job title for the posting.
The search algorithms used by Google, Monster, Indeed, and other job boards and search engines work in similar fashions. They rank the website results they found for a search query in order or relevance and newness. A job posting on the second page of results is basically pointless and might as well not even exist in the first place.
How To Create A Suitable Job Title
When thinking about the ideal job title, be sure to consider which keywords are best suited to describe the position. The job title should include relevant information and include things such as where the person will be working.
The formula for the perfect job description is one that emphasises the qualifications a candidate needs (such as development), the actual position (such as project manager), and the area of expertise (such as Java).
Create A Job Title Based On Candidate Search Behaviour
Consider what people will search for to find your job openings. Some businesses like to give their job openings creative titles to make them stand out and seem more approachable, but this can backfire immensely.
Being an “Office Ninja” sounds fun and all, but you’ll have more success looking for an “Office Manager.” The same applies to sales. Tell people what they will be selling in the title and description. Need someone to sell SAAS products? Don’t look for a “Sales Champion” but rather look for a “Sales Manager for SAAS Products.”
You’ll have an easier time finding and connecting to people when you speak their language. Save all of the extra stuff for the interview or onboarding process. You are looking for professionals, so treat them like that.
Keep Things Short And Sweet
The job title should be as short as possible while still having as much information as possible. You have to work hard to create a delicate balance. Putting too much information into the title can be just as detrimental, as most platforms only show the first 50 to 70 characters of a title in search results.
Keep the vital information to the front of the title so people can tell if the job is relevant to them or not. You can always go into more detail in the actual job description. The title should just lay out the basics in clear and precise detail.
Write With A Clear Structure
How you write something is often just as important as what you actually write. Writing for SEO is one such occasion. How you write the job title and description will affect how well Google and candidates themselves are able to find the ad and navigate through it. This is why you need to write job ads with a clear structure.
Here are some things to consider when putting together a job ad;
Who is looking?
Include information about the employer, brand, and the kind of culture you have. What qualities should the ideal candidate have to fit in with your business?
What are you looking for?
Include a clear and precise description of the job position and the core responsibilities of the successful candidate. They should know what you expect of them before even making an application. The onboarding process is too late to explain their duties.
Who are you looking for?
Once again, you want to think about who the ideal candidate is for the job. State the characteristics that you are looking for, such as qualifications, interpersonal skills, drive, commitment, team leadership, etc.
How much are you offering?
People want to have an idea of the salary they can expect. Offer as much information about the salary as you can, such as how often people will be paid per hour, month, and annually—planning on paying people on a weekly basis rather than monthly? Let them know.
9 Mistakes to Avoid with Job Titles
It’s important you know what not to do with job titles. With that said, here are nine of the most common mistakes to avoid
- Putting location information in the job title – save it for the description
- Adding unnecessary information such as “This is your opportunity.”
- Including internal department names an outsider wouldn’t know or understand
- Soft skills such as “committed” and “team player” – these are things needed in every job
- Job length and contract duration
- Internal reference numbers and IDs
- Irrelevant terms unrelated to traditional job posts, such as “chatterbox” or “superhero.”
- All-caps and brand names
- Abbreviations such as “cert. accountant” rather than “certified accountant
Create The Ultimate Job Ad With HR SEO
HR SEO ensures your job posting reaches the right people. There are plenty of free tools and services out there to help with HR SEO, including Google Keyword planner and UberSuggest. Put together the best job posting, and you’ll get the talent you need.
If you need help with search engine optimisation for your HR company, then our SEO Wirral team will be happy to have a chat and give you some free advice.
