How to ensure your job vacancy is found via Google for Jobs

Google for Jobs is one of Google’s first forays into the recruitment sector. This ‘job search engine’ increases the visibility of your job vacancies, enabling you to attract more relevant candidates for your roles. In other words, Google for Jobs is specifically designed as a service for jobseekers as well as for employers. The latter may involve a number of hurdles, which we will explain below.

The basic concept behind Google for Jobs was developed several years ago and was launched in the US back in 2017. Google for Jobs is an advanced search feature that aggregates listings from job boards and careers sites and displays them prominently in Google Search. It is currently being rolled out in various countries. Google is also continually expanding the reach of this feature.

The starting point for Google for Jobs

More and more people are searching online for job vacancies in their own region as well as in regions they are unfamiliar with. Various portals recognised this trend years or even decades ago and created websites that adapted the format of the job vacancy pages found in daily newspapers.

Google has now introduced a way to display job vacancies in one place, without job seekers having to visit a specific platform first.

Why should you use Google Jobs?

It is estimated that over 80 per cent of all job searches start on Google. However, until now, this has been a time-consuming process. Job boards primarily ranked highly in the results lists via paid adverts. However, a specific vacancy was not displayed unless the searcher clicked through the numerous subpages shown.

As Google now subjects job adverts to search engine optimisation (SEO) through Google for Jobs, website operators can (and should) respond to this. In short: for several months now, Google has also been listing job vacancies within its own search results for the German-speaking market. This will drastically change jobseekers’ search behaviour. At the same time, employers have the opportunity to influence the ranking of their vacancies through strategic SEO.

Can I post job vacancies directly on Google?

No, BUT: you can make these services available to Google via third-party providers or integration work. Read on to find out how this works.

Google for Jobs collects, organises and displays job vacancies from various job boards and careers sites without you having to take any further action. This means that jobseekers can view vacancies with a quick Google search. Employers can reach a wider audience.

How to use Google to find jobs

When you search for jobs using Google Jobs, you’ll see job vacancies in a dedicated section at the top of the search results, as shown here:

You can also use the Google jobs search engine to search for jobs using various filters, such as category, location, date and company type. To do this, click on ‘MORE FILTERS’ and select the relevant options.

Potential candidates can apply for job vacancies directly via Google for Jobs. They can also share job offers and find out more about your company and your employer brand through the search results.

In summary:

This advanced search is designed to improve the recruitment process for jobseekers and employers. Google for Jobs…

• … displays job vacancies in a prominent position in Google’s search results; these include your logo, your reviews and the job details,

• … attracts more motivated candidates through filters such as job title and location: these search filters help you attract candidates who are looking for the sort of role you offer,

• … raises awareness of your vacancies: Google for Jobs makes it easier for candidates to find your vacancies and apply for your open positions.

How to create your job adverts on Google for Jobs

Although you cannot post vacancies directly on Google, there are two ways to list vacancies on Google for Jobs: by using a third-party job board, or by directly embedding code snippets on your website that can be found by Google.

Use of an external service provider

Google for Jobs is not a job board. It is an advanced search tool. Therefore, there is no way to actually post jobs on Google for Jobs. Instead, job vacancies that have already been published are collected, reformatted and displayed.

So, once you’ve posted your vacancies on job boards that are already integrated with the Google Jobs search engine, you’re all set. Your vacancies are now eligible to appear on Google for Jobs.

Here is an example of some jobs that have been posted on LinkedIn:

Using job boards that are integrated with Google for Jobs

Three of the most popular sites that have integrated with Google for Jobs are, for example, Facebook, LinkedIn and Monster. New job vacancies on these platforms are eligible to appear on Google for Jobs. Jobs posted by active customers are automatically recognised by Google and displayed on Google for Jobs.

Direct integration on your own website

There is another way to have your job vacancies displayed on Google for Jobs. If you have a website where your job vacancies can be published (e.g. a careers page) and you are able to edit the HTML code of your job vacancies, this is the most reliable way to ensure that Google indexes your listings.

This method may require assistance from your development team. Google describes the procedure in a technical guide. Before you follow this guide, there are a few prerequisites that need to be met for direct integration with Google:

• Make sure that your website is accessible to Googlebot (a robots.txt file or a meta tag must not block your site); this is also referred to as a page’s indexability.
• Include structured data relating to the job vacancy in your job adverts.
• Update and use sitemaps to notify Google of changes to your posts.
• Use Google Search Console to view analytics, including clicks and impressions.

For one of our job vacancies, the code looks like this, for example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org/",
        "@type": "JobPosting",
        "title": "Online-CRM-Marketing-Manager (m/w/d)",
        "description": "<h1>SEO-Manager (m/w/d) gesucht</h1> <h2>Das ist Golden Web Age</h2> <p>Golden Web Age ist eine Web- und SEO-Performance-Agentur aus München. <br />Wir sind ein junges und dynamisches Team mit flachen Hierarchien. Wir sind datengetrieben, kreativ und machen das Internet so jeden Tag ein Stück schöner. Für unser weiteres Wachstum suchen wir eine/n echte/n digitale/n Helden/in und spannende Persönlichkeit, die Spaß daran hat, sich Herausforderungen zu stellen und sich weiterzuentwickeln.</p> <br> <h2>Deine Aufgaben bei uns</h2> <p>Du bist grundsätzlich wissbegierig und online-affin, außerdem:</p> <ul><li>Liebst Du es mit Zahlen zu spielen, Daten auszuwerten und hast ein ausgeprägtes logisches und analytisches Denkvermögen</li> <li>Hast Du ein gutes Gespür dafür, was Nutzer suchen – und finden wollen</li> <li>Fühlst Du Dich sicher im Umgang mit Excel, Word & PowerPoint</li></ul> <br> <h2>Idealerweise bringst Du mit</h2> <ul> <li>Hast Du bereits erste Erfahrung im Bereich SEA und Online Marketing</li> <li>Hast Du ein Grundverständnis von HTML und CSS (Programmieren musst Du nicht)</li> <li>Interessierst Du Dich für User Experience und Conversion-Optimierung</li> <li>Hast erste Erfahrung mit Content Management Systemen wie WordPress</li> <li>Besitzt Du eigene Internetprojekte</li> </ul> <br> <h2>Du hast Interesse?</h2> <p>Wir freuen uns über eine aussagekräftige Bewerbung von Dir mit Lebenslauf, Gehaltsvorstellungen und frühestmöglichem Eintrittstermin an bewerbung@goldenwebage.de.</p>",
        "datePosted": "2019-09-02",
        "validThrough": "2019-09-30T00:00",
        "employmentType": "CONTRACTOR",
        "hiringOrganization": {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "name": "Golden Web Age",
            "sameAs": "https://www.goldenwebage.de",
            "logo": "https://www.goldenwebage.de/assets/logo.png"
        },
        "jobLocation": {
            "@type": "Place",
            "address": {
                "@type": "PostalAddress",
                "streetAddress": "Reiterweg 9a",
                "addressLocality": ", Puchheim",
                "addressRegion": "BY",
                "postalCode": "82178",
                "addressCountry": "DE"
            }
        }
    }
</script>

You can easily check your finished code using Google’s testing tool

SEO optimisation of job adverts

Optimise your job descriptions for search engines to achieve a higher ranking in search results. The same SEO techniques apply here as those used to optimise your website’s Google ranking:

• Use relevant keywords and phrases that relate to your job description and the job title.
• Avoid jargon and use clear job titles that candidates are likely to search for.
• As job seekers often search for the combination ‘[job title] + [city]’, you should also use this combination, e.g. ‘Programmer Munich’ or ‘Copywriter Munich’.
• Create a visual experience using photos and videos.
• Write short job adverts that include bulleted lists.

Do you need help creating search engine optimised adverts? Feel free to ask your online marketing agency.