How to Make Google Jobs Work for You

As pretty much every industry moves into a more digital world, new tools seem to pop up left and right. Some helpful, some a waste of your time, some so expensive you’d have to take out a second mortgage on your home to get past the free trial. Doing what you do best is also getting harder as job boards gain popularity and face-to-face conversations dwindle. How can hiring in 2021 look up while many things seem to be working against you? One tool is Google for Jobs. Called “Technology of the Year” by HR Dive, Google Jobs is here to help candidates and employers alike.

What is Google for Jobs?

Geared toward making the job search process easier, Google for Jobs is an enhanced search feature that compiles listings from job boards and career sites across the internet and displays them prominently in Google Search. 

You can’t post jobs directly on Google Jobs. Instead, this tool will pull any jobs posted  from your website, organize them, eliminate duplicates and display them without any additional action required from you. This is meant to get your postings in front of a larger audience.

Photo Credit: Google Blog

Why is Google Jobs important for small businesses?

Let’s face it, the way people apply for jobs has changed dramatically over the last few years, and it’s going to keep evolving. Currently, 30 percent of all Google searches are employment-based, indicating that candidates will already look for jobs online as the first step in their job hunt. And, since candidates will be able to both look for and apply to roles directly on Google Jobs, it’s likely the platform will quickly become universal in the hiring process.

Because of this, it’s more important than ever to ensure your job postings are SEO optimized. The better optimized they are with the relevant keywords, the more likely your postings will be prioritized by Google Jobs, boosting your chances of finding the best and most relevant talent.

10 tips to optimize your job postings

You don’t want to be left behind, but you don’t know where to start. Everything seems okay on your website, but how can you be sure? There are so many different ways to optimize your job postings for Google Jobs, but here are ten of the top tips:

1. Create precise job titles. Google Jobs doesn’t work well when job titles are cluttered with unnecessary words. Focus on the job title, not the location or benefits. Avoid using attention-grabbing special characters. Keep skills out of the title. Don’t include phrases such as “Do you speak Spanish?” and “Apply now.” Most importantly, make sure your titles are simple and consistent with the job’s roles and responsibilities, the position’s level of seniority and the specific experience you seek to attract.
2. Follow the rules. Use Google’s structured data guidelines for job postings to ensure that Google Jobs can read your job posting correctly. 
3. Get real about salary. While many people don’t like to post job salaries, including and tagging the salary range for each role will give you an advantage in reaching qualified candidates. It will also save you time in the interview process.
4. Streamline with numbers. Google Jobs postings allow you to include a Job ID number, which is the unique number that your organization may already use internally to track positions and applications. Streamline your internal hiring process by adding this information to each listing.
5. Think about the filters. Google Jobs allows job seekers to filter their job search and save alerts. Consider these options when you write job descriptions to ensure that your listings pop up for the right candidate.
6. Add a location. Clearly tag where this job is located, especially if you want to hire someone in your local area. Google’s location-based services need this information in order to show candidates their commute times, which will improve your results.
7. Feature your brand. Never miss an employer branding opportunity. Google job postings for employers should feature the brand itself. Upload a high-quality logo and tag your company name correctly to help your listings stand out from others that may be similar.
8. Remove old listings. Once a job is filled, be sure to remove the listing so you don’t disappoint potential candidates.
9. Test structured data. After you create your job listing, test and preview it using the Structured Data Testing Tool from Google to ensure that you’ve done everything correctly. 
10. Ensure your listings are “crawlable.” Make sure your job listings on your website can be crawled by the Googlebot. Check your robot.txt file and confirm that career pages are indexed and available.

Google Jobs has the potential to change the beginning stages of the hiring process for good. Using AI algorithms, the platform will gradually learn more about a job seeker and deliver them more relevant results. 
If you still aren’t sure how Google for Jobs can benefit you or your small business, reach out to Rooted Web. Not only can we further explain the tool, but we can make sure your website is optimized for success. Let’s chat!