SEO for Jobs: The Missing Interface for Google for Jobs
Anyone who has ever dealt with Google for Jobs and tried to post a job listing there knows how time-consuming it can be. For the layperson without an IT background, this quickly becomes an insurmountable task. A basic requirement for posting a listing is that the website meets Google’s requirements. This is usually not the case, but it can be verified using testing tools.
Yet it could be so simple: You just enter the necessary information—such as a logo, job title, and job description—via an online form. Once submitted, the job posting is published directly on Google for Jobs—and that’s exactly what the SEO for Jobs software solution promises.
Background
With Google Search, there are very few ways to send information directly to Google. Google My Business is one of the exceptions. There, you can use an input form to enter information about your local brick-and-mortar store and submit it to Google. With Google for Jobs, however, this isn’t possible—it uses the same mechanism as regular websites: crawling and indexing. Google continuously scans the internet for new content and adds it to its index. Only content that’s in the Google index can appear in search results. This also applies to results on Google for Jobs—but unlike with regular websites, job postings must meet additional requirements. For example, to let Google know that a listing is a job posting, correct Schema data—which is invisible to regular visitors—must be included.
It quickly becomes clear that this requires the assistance of a programmer or the use of specialized solutions.
The input form for Google for Jobs
One such solution, developed specifically for Google for Jobs, is SEO for Jobs:
“New technologies can be very powerful and turn entire industries upside down. At the same time, however, they are often complex and difficult for the general public to access. With SEO for Jobs, we make Google’s job board easy for everyone to use, even without a large budget,” says Patrick Schmidt, founder of SEO for Jobs.
The idea is remarkably simple: Just as with conventional online job boards, job postings are submitted to Google for Jobs via an input form. SEO for Jobs was the first German provider to bring exactly this to the market. Through an online portal, companies can post job listings on Google for Jobs—without having to make any changes to their website.
What looks simple to the user is complex behind the scenes. The provider transmits the job listings to Google and ensures they are indexed. It also handles linking the company logo and redirecting potential candidates to the company’s website.
Taking it a step further
Some job boards, such as Xing or LinkedIn, have also integrated interfaces with Google for Jobs. When a job posting is placed there, it is automatically published on Google for Jobs as well.
“But that’s exactly the problem,” says Schmidt, “in most cases, the information for Google is generated automatically, which can result in issues like incorrect formatting.”
Furthermore, optimizations specifically for Google to improve rankings are practically impossible. This is due, on the one hand, to the very simple fact that no separate information can be stored for Google, and on the other hand, to the fact that information needed for optimization is simply missing.
The Hamburg-based software solution also offers advanced users features for analyzing and optimizing job postings on Google. Page views and keywords are clearly tracked in the account and can be used to continuously improve rankings—because, just as with regular web searches, a good ranking must first be earned.
Conclusion
SEO for Jobs is an option you’ll inevitably come across sooner or later when dealing with Google for Jobs. Whether it’s the right fit depends on the specific situation. With free access, anyone can get a first-hand impression of the system.
