Google for Jobs Report 2020

The second year since Google for Jobs became available in Germany is already drawing to a close. We took this as an opportunity to compile an annual report for 2020. It contains data and insights we’ve gathered about Google for Jobs and its usage. We analyzed search behavior for job postings, which job postings perform best, and when it makes the most sense to post job listings. In addition, the report includes valuable tips on how to further improve your use of Google for Jobs. 

You can download the Google for Jobs Report 2020 as a PDF here.

Basics

Data Collection 

For this report, we took a random sample of 15,000 job postings, which we analyzed using information from our database and the Google Search Console tool. This tool provides insights into search behavior, impressions (how often a job posting was displayed), and clicks (how often the “Apply” button on each job posting was clicked). Data collection is limited to the last 12 months (as of December 31, 2020). 

Structure and Presentation of Job Postings

First, we addressed the question of what size a job posting should be in order to be displayed clearly on Google for Jobs. To this end, we collected information on the length of the title and the description, as well as how these are displayed on the Google search results page, in the Google for Jobs details section, and on mobile devices.

When searching for job listings on Google, Google for Jobs does not appear in its entirety right away; instead, only a small window appears on the Google search results page. This is called a widget. This widget initially displays the first three job postings, along with a link to additional listings. The information displayed includes the job title, location, company, and what the job posting is for. When you click on a listing, approximately 260 characters of the description are initially visible. 

If you then open Google for Jobs, the job listing appears in detail, along with other job listings visible on the side. 

To ensure that job titles appear in their full length and aren’t cut off in the preview on the side, the title should not exceed 70 characters. However, this only applies to the display on a PC. If you open Google for Jobs on a mobile device, the title is already cut off at 50 characters.

Tip! Keep the title as short and concise as possible so it’s easy to read on all devices. If that’s not possible, phrase the job title so that the most important information comes first.

Equally important when writing the title is how gender is addressed. Many companies wonder how the job title should be phrased to ensure gender equality. You could therefore try to keep it neutral—for example, instead of “nurse,” you could use “nursing professional.” Of course, this isn’t possible with every job title, but that’s where the notation (m/f/d) comes in. This should definitely be included in every job title to prevent gender discrimination.  

There are no limits on the length of the description; however, the “Learn More” button appears once the text reaches about 700 characters. This means that the most important and interesting information should be included in the first 700 characters to capture the applicant’s attention. On mobile devices, the visible portion of the text is limited to approximately 450 characters. 

Analysis of the Sample

Our analysis of these job postings revealed that the average title length is 37 characters. The shortest title is only 7 characters long, and the longest is 159 characters.

Looking at the length of the descriptions, the average is 2,332 characters. The shortest description is only 21 characters long, and the longest is 16,024 characters.

The Ratio of Impressions to Clicks 

Google Search Console tells us how many views—or impressions—the job postings receive and how often users clicked through to the application pages. But how do these two metrics relate to each other? This relationship is determined by what’s known as the click-through rate (CTR). This metric shows the percentage of clicks relative to the number of impressions.

Analysis 

According to our data analysis, this CTR averages 6%. This means that for approximately 6% of all impressions, a click was made to the subsequent application page. 

Insight 

But why is this rate so low? 

Often, all the information a candidate needs is already included in the job posting on Google for Jobs, which is why it’s no longer essential for the applicant to open the application portal. People only click when they’re genuinely interested in applying. This aligns with Google’s strategy, which is also evident in other areas: displaying as much information as possible directly so that the user doesn’t have to leave the search engine.

Search Behavior by Device

This section highlights the differences in search behavior across various devices. 

The data analysis therefore distinguished between computers, mobile devices, and tablets. 

The percentage distribution of total impressions and clicks from the past year was analyzed. 

Analysis

Findings 

This shows that most job searches are conducted on mobile devices, and that’s also where the most clicks occurred. Tablets are used least frequently when searching for job listings. One reason for this could be that Google for Jobs is primarily used by young people, who prefer smartphones to computers. Furthermore, smartphones are generally used more often, even when time is limited, which leads to more impressions. 

Tip! When designing your job ad, make sure it displays well on mobile devices, since searches are primarily conducted on cell phones.  

Search Behavior Over Time

Search Behavior Over the Course of a Week 

Looking at the weekly trend, you can see that search queries rise at the beginning of the week, especially on Mondays. After that, they usually decline steadily, reaching their lowest point on Saturday before slowly starting to rise again on Sunday. This could be because hardly anyone works on Saturdays and Sundays, and most applicants wait until the beginning of the next week to submit their applications in order to receive a quick response. Another likely explanation is that job seekers, driven by dissatisfaction, look for a new job during their work hours.

Search Behavior Over the Course of a Year

When observing search behavior over the past 12 months, it became apparent that impressions increase sharply during the winter months, decline around the Christmas season, and rise again at the beginning of the year. One reason for this could be that some people are increasingly looking for a fresh start at the beginning of the year and therefore apply for new jobs. There was also an increase in the summer of 2020, which could suggest that school graduates are increasingly on the hunt for jobs.  

The CTR, however, hardly changes. It remains at an average of 5–6%. This means that while clicks rise in proportion to impressions, they do not exceed them. The trend this year has also been heavily influenced by the COVID-19 crisis, which will be discussed again at the end of the report. 

Tip! Post your job listings at the right time. During the winter months, you’ll reach people looking to change jobs; during the summer months, recent high school graduates are searching for apprenticeships.

Differentiation of Search Terms

Data analysis revealed that patterns can be identified in most search queries. These patterns indicate what users are looking for in their queries. The following patterns were identified through the analysis of search queries: 

• Searches by company name

• Search by work location 

• Search by job title/occupation 

• Searches by employment type

A total of 1,000 search queries were analyzed for these patterns. 

Analysis

(The table does not total 100% because some search queries contained multiple search variables.)

Findings 

This table shows that most search queries included the work location and that people often searched for part-time or student jobs. Searches for the job title were less common. This table also shows that many young people use Google for Jobs, as they primarily look for part-time jobs and apprenticeships and place a high value on the location of their work. 

Tip! Be sure to include the employment type and work location on Google for Jobs (in the designated fields).

The Performance of Job Postings

Another key focus of this report is the performance of job postings. This refers to which job postings receive the most clicks. 

Performance by Employment Type

To this end, we first analyzed data regarding the various employment types. Employment types were divided into the categories of full-time, part-time, intern, volunteer, and temporary work. For each category, we took the number of clicks and divided it by the number of available jobs to determine the average number of clicks a job in that category receives.

The analysis first shows the relative distribution of the jobs. The second table shows the performance of jobs in the lowest-performing category: temporary work.  

Analysis

Relative Distribution of Jobs

Relative Performance 

Insight 

The “Intern” category has the highest performance. The table shows that the “Intern” category receives eight times more clicks than the “Temporary Work” category.

This could be because interns aren’t yet active on traditional job boards but primarily use Google for their job search, which is why the figure is so high. The “Full-Time” category tends to have a lower figure, as many adult applicants in particular use other job boards in addition to Google for Jobs. It’s also notable that “Part-Time” performs much better than “Full-Time.” 

Tip! If possible, it’s recommended to include “part-time” in the job posting alongside “full-time,” as this can result in three times as many clicks per job. 

Performance by Business Sector

In the second performance analysis, the various business sectors were categorized: Internet, Education, Engineering, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Architecture, Consulting, Energy, Law, Marketing, Tourism, and Transportation. For each category, the number of clicks was then divided by the number of jobs. 

The first table shows the relative distribution of jobs. The second table shows performance relative to the jobs in the lowest-performing category, Engineering. 

Analysis

Relative Distribution of Jobs 

Relative Performance

Insight 

The “Pharmaceuticals” category has the highest performance. A job posting in this category receives nearly eight times more clicks than a job posting in the “Engineering” category. The table also shows that the “Healthcare” and “Architecture” sectors, as well as the “Internet” and “Marketing” categories, perform above average. “Tourism” and “Law” perform less well. 

Performance by Position on Google for Jobs 

This analysis examined whether there is a correlation between the number of clicks and the position of a job posting on Google for Jobs. 

Findings

We can only speculate about this performance, as no correlation could be established. Even lower-ranked job postings receive many clicks, and conversely, well-ranked job postings do not necessarily receive a large number of clicks. This may depend on the professional field being searched for. For example, in the healthcare sector, there are thousands of job postings from various providers and companies. Competition is very high in this sector, and there is also a large number of potential applicants. As a result, even job postings that aren’t ranked very high but have an appealing format are often clicked on. If you’re searching for very specific or rare professions, there isn’t as much choice; the job postings are automatically ranked higher but don’t receive many clicks due to the limited number of applicants. It’s also possible that the search queries are too vague, and the top results don’t match what you’re looking for. 

Tip! Add your company logo and make sure your job ads have an appealing and professional layout. The more information they contain, the better.

Performance by Number of Job Postings

In the latest analysis on job posting performance, we examined whether publishing multiple job postings makes a difference in the number of clicks a company receives. 

Finding

This analysis also failed to identify any correlation. Companies with many job postings and those with few job postings showed similar results. Therefore, we can only speculate here as well. It could be because a company’s job postings cover different job fields. Applicants usually search within only one field, which is why the company’s other job postings are of little interest to them and are therefore not displayed or noticed. It also depends on how the job posting is presented. If it is appealing to the applicant, they are more likely to click on it. Furthermore, some applicants prefer large companies, while others prefer small ones. 

The assumption that large companies with many job postings are better positioned could therefore not be confirmed in our analysis. Large and small companies appear to have equal opportunities in this regard.

Impact of the Coronavirus on Search Behavior 

There is no explicit data analysis available on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on search behavior. Since Google for Jobs was not launched in Germany until mid-2019, there is no exact comparison with this year. Nevertheless, we have summarized the trends this year, looking for any anomalies caused by the pandemic:  

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was evident that impressions—and consequently search queries—declined significantly. Since the first lockdown was declared in mid-March, impressions and clicks dropped sharply. An increase occurred toward the summer as the lockdown was gradually lifted. Impressions and clicks peaked in August, as many people lost their jobs due to the pandemic. This was followed by another decline, though impressions and clicks remained consistently at the upper end of the range throughout the winter months. 

Conclusion

This report provides insight into Google for Jobs in 2020 from the perspective of the experts at SEO for Jobs. It provides insights into the performance of job postings while taking into account various variables, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, search behavior over time, and search behavior across different devices, and highlights which types of content were most frequently used in search queries. Based on these data analyses, we were also able to develop some valuable tips to help optimize your use of Google for Jobs. 

If you have any further questions about the 2020 annual report, please feel free to contact our team at SEO for Jobs.