The death of SEO has been greatly exaggerated. Type into Google ‘Is SEO…’ and Autocomplete immediately suggests, ‘Is SEO Dead?’. With frequent search engine algorithm changes, the rise of AI-generated content, and more people using social media to search for products and services, some people are led to believe SEO is becoming obsolete.
The reality is that search engine optimisation hasn’t died, it’s simply evolving. Your future candidates and clients will continue to search for recruitment agencies in Google, Bing and other search engines, so having a well-optimised website is essential for ranking highly in these search results.
Many recruitment companies prioritise SEO for this reason, but many more barely give SEO the attention it deserves. With so many other marketing activities to invest time and money in, such as social media and paid advertising, it’s understandable that SEO might get overlooked.
SEO, however, is one of the best long-term marketing tools that can generate new business and grow your database years after you’ve created content. So, here’s the lowdown on why you should care about SEO, regardless of which year you’re reading this blog!
A Quick Definition of SEO For Recruitment Agencies
Before we dive into the ins and outs of search engine optimisation, here’s a quick overview of what SEO is and does: SEO encompasses the practices of creating and refining a website’s content, structure and links, to make it easily discoverable in search engines.
Whenever you use Google to search for something, there’s a sophisticated algorithm quietly at work in the background, ensuring you receive the most relevant results for your query. While the specifics of Google’s algorithm remain a mystery, continually evolving over time, one thing is certain: it prioritises relevance above all else.
Recruitment SEO Best Practices
Use Effective SEO Keywords for Recruitment
SEO allows recruiters to set up their websites with specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to their industry, niche, or job openings. This targeted approach ensures that the traffic driven to your website or job postings is composed of individuals who are actively seeking what your business offers.
We recommend agencies review their websites periodically to ensure the text on each page includes relevant keywords related to their service offering and the types of jobs they recruit for. The same principle applies to new content you add to a website, in the form of blog articles. Using a free keyword research tool, such as Moz, SEMRush, or Google Keyword Planner, will give you suggestions for SEO keywords for recruitment topics, and how many people are searching for them. Plus, a quick search on any search engine will allow you to see what your competitors are trying to rank for!
Focus on Location
Jobseekers and potential clients tend to search for recruiters and jobs by location, so it’s sensible to include location-related keywords throughout your website. For example, if a website has a page listing temporary jobs and these are all located in Melbourne or London, the main title or subheadings on that page could include a phrase like ‘Find temporary jobs in Melbourne’ or ‘London’.
Make Your Site as User Friendly as Possible
With so many people using search engines from their mobile devices today, you’d be crazy not to optimise your website for mobile. Many website builder tools have mobile optimisation features built in, but it does help to understand why a site should be mobile-friendly: because it helps elevate your SEO rankings. In practice, mobile-friendly sites don’t require zooming in to read them on mobile.
Regularly Update Your Website with New Content
Regularly publishing fresh and engaging blog content on your website does wonders for SEO. With regular blogging, you can mine new SEO-relevant keywords and themes, establish your agency as a thought leader and articulate your expertise in an industry niche – all key for creating a recognisable voice for your brand.
It’s worthwhile developing a strategy for just for blogs alone, as this type of content can strike many of your marketing targets at once. Blogs often bring passive clients and candidates to your site – they may not be looking for your recruitment services just yet, but they do need information on “How to Interview a DevOps Engineer” or “How to Write a CV for a Project Manager” which in turn helps you build your brand awareness and build trust with your audience – so hopefully they reach out when they’re ready!
By working with a recruitment marketing specialist, you can develop a content strategy that uses regular content to elevate SEO and build solid brand awareness.
Why SEO is Cost-Effective
Compared to traditional recruitment methods such as advertising on job boards or cold calling, investing in SEO can be more cost-effective in the long run. Once optimised, your website can continue to attract organic traffic without the need for ongoing payments or manual outreach efforts.
For example, let’s say an exasperated hiring manager in Sydney or London finally starts searching for a recruitment agency online after a bad hire or two. She may start searching for ‘data science recruiters Australia’ in Google, Bing or perhaps DuckDuckGo, for help with finding candidates.
That’s where your SEO efforts will come in handy. As a recruitment business specialising in data science roles, you’ll have several pages on your website mentioning the words ‘data science recruiter and ‘Australia’, along with easy-to-follow links for contacting your team. That’s how this hiring manager may find your website and begin a long and fruitful relationship with your recruitment agency.
In short, SEO is how people will find you when they’re exploring their options or about to make a decision – like signing up to work with a recruiter.
Stay Ahead of the Recruitment SEO Curve
While some marketing practices yield more immediate results, SEO offers the advantage of long-term sustainability. Once established, a strong SEO presence can continue to generate leads and attract candidates over time, with minimal intervention.
The SEO landscape is constantly changing, however, so it’s advantageous to work with SEO experts who can keep you up-to-date with the latest trends in SEO for recruitment agencies. At Prominence, our digital marketing specialists will work with you to create an SEO strategy tailored to your business needs. To tap into the power of search engine marketing and optimisation, contact us today for an expert chat.
