In this four-part blog post series, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to optimize your SEO recruiting strategy this year! Our first post dives into the fundamentals of SEO, some rookie mistakes, and search intent.
Did you know that more than 70% of job searches start on Google?
When it comes to recruiting, SEO is more important than ever. But Google is constantly changing the rules of the game. So, the things you did to boost SEO a year or two ago may not work as well today.
What’s changed in SEO…and what should you do to stay relevant?
How can you improve your rankings…and ensure your jobs show up on Google for Jobs?
What’s the best way to drive qualified candidates to your open jobs…and get them to apply?
We tackled these issues and more in our last Lunch with Haley webinar, and we also turned them into a checklist for this month’s Big Idea!
For more detailed insights, watch the full webinar here:
SEO 2022: New Strategies for Recruiting.
SEO: A Checklist for Recruiting Success in 2022
Remember SEO fundamentals:
- SEO is the process of driving targeted traffic to your website from people who use search engines for the staffing service you provide.
- SEO ISN’T ranking #1 for “staffing agencies in [insert your market]” or an obscure term! It’s about maximizing traffic to your website from the employers and job seekers you want to attract.
- Despite the recruiting challenges you’re facing, people ARE looking for jobs. And they don’t all know you, so they use search engines like Google to find you.
- Put yourself in the shoes of the job seekers who need you and approach search from their perspective.
AVOID these rookie mistakes.
- Having a singular focus. People approach search differently. If you’re not taking a broad-based approach to SEO, you’re missing the vast majority of search traffic.
- Ignoring buyer intent. Also known as “search intent,” this is the primary goal someone has when typing a search query into a search engine. If content doesn’t match users’ search intent, you will NOT rank! Think through what job seekers are searching for.
- Missing on-page SEO. Make sure that you have meta titles and descriptions for every page, use H1, H2 and H3 tags on content, and have strong CTAs on each page.
- Not having a secure site (HTTPS). If you haven’t switched to HTTPS, most potential visitors will receive a security warning from their browser when they try to visit your site.
- Overlooking mobile experience. In most cases, Google indexes your mobile site first!
Need help with these SEO basics?
Watch this earlier webinar on SEO fundamentals: https://lunchwithhaley.com/2020/12/17/seo/
Now onto the more advanced stuff!
Consider search intent when developing your keyword strategy.
Think through these four types of searches job seekers conduct (you need to first think like your audience before you can create relevant content and optimize pages to match search intent):
- The searcher wants a specific answer or to solve a specific problem. Think “how-to” or “what is” questions.
- Commercial investigation. The searcher is looking for more information, but their end goal is to take an action (convert).
- This is when someone has heard of your staffing firm, but they don’t remember your address. They may search something like “ABC Staffing Phoenix” to learn where you are.
- These searchers want to take a specific action: download a resource, complete an application, etc.
Up Next: 2022 SEO Recruiting Strategy Tips Part 2: AI, Trends, and Keywords
What’s the benefit of using AI, and keywords in an SEO recruiting strategy? What about trends? In the next post of the series, we’ll discuss the benefits of these tactics for the upcoming year. Don’t want to wait? Check out the full article here!
