How to write candidate-friendly and SEO-friendly job descriptions

SEO-friendly job descriptions make it easier for people to understand their job and expected company contributions. Job ads that contain trending job seekers or workforce keywords make it likelier for candidates to apply. And that’s because they find the information more relatable, comprehensible, and easier to find on the internet.

So, using the right words and phrases in the job description helps match your job opening to candidates’ needs and expectations.

Through such a streamlined process, you’ll open more doors to quality applicants, while optimizing the hiring process.

In fact, you could see SEO-friendly job descriptions as highly advantageous investments for enterprises constantly handling large-scale recruitment initiatives.

When more people see your job ads, you save time and money by finding better candidates without tedium. Your hiring team can rechannel the precious time from manual hiring campaigns to more cost-effective processes like refining interview strategies. Doing so could significantly boost your talent acquisition ROI and accelerate the growth of your organization!

1. Make your job title easily searchable

Choosing the right job title is crucial for making your job opening easily searchable and understandable.
You could also generate and attach a QR code next to a job title so job seekers can scan and visit your company’s website for additional job details.

A vague job title could lead otherwise interested candidates on a wild goose chase through walls of text that results in utter frustration. Selecting the most suitable job title sets role expectations from the get-go at a glance.

While it is tempting to employ creative (especially for edgier companies appealing to the colloquialism of younger job seekers) titles, it is important to ensure they still clearly represent the job.

Also, your hiring team should reassess fancy job title terms like “Ninja” and “Rockstar.” These words contain subtle gender biases that might turn away your next qualified hire!

Excelling in the Job Title Game

Begin by considering the particular qualifications and skills needed for the role. Then, shortlist a job title that incorporates or embodies the criteria.

Avoid using buzzwords or jargon that might seem unfamiliar to potential candidates. For the best candidate response, apply clear SEO job titles commonly used within the industry. You could research similar jobs in your industry and gain some inspiration from the current JD practices of competitors.

2. Include relevant keywords and phrases

Always include relevant keywords and phrases when editing your job description to guide suitable candidates to your listing. Relevant words and phrases improve your search engine ranking and increase the visibility of your listing.

For instance, a job description for a business-to-business copywriter could include words like ‘SEO’ and ‘content marketing’. It could also have a shout-out for competencies in tools like MarketMuse, SemRush, Hemingway app, etc.

Our sample B2B copywriter job posting could also request specialized skills like “understanding of the B2B customer journey” or “conversion copy.”

Taking the time to carefully choose and include relevant keywords and phrases in your job description fills the position faster across alternate talent acquisition channels.

For example, SMS recruitment is a convenient way to update candidates about new openings, but it involves character limitations. As such, implementing concise phrases simplifies the process of customizing merge fields with relevant job information in your message recruitment templates.

3. Be specific and honest with job responsibilities

Research shows that employees with a good grasp of their job responsibilities are 53% more productive and 27% more effective than those unsure about their roles.

It’s important to be transparent and truthful about the role requirements associated with a job description. Honesty is the best policy (as clichéd as that sounds) when fulfilling candidate expectations.

Also, an honest breakdown of the job requirements gives candidates a handy checklist to see if they have the right skills and experience to apply for an opening.

Putting it all together: a truthful presentation of job prerequisites connects with candidates who truly desire the role and have the capabilities of delivering quality work.

Employees with a roadmap of what’s required of them have the information needed to minimize the burden of extra tasks assigned to them. Doing so can greatly reduce the risks of chronic stress and burnout to concentrate on completing their tasks with increased confidence and effectiveness.

Employers with transparent job descriptions develop trust with their employees, which improves employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.

How To Stop Burnout Before It Starts | Jacqueline Kerr | TEDxMcMasterU

4. Location, location, location

Job seekers tend to search for positions according to location for the sake of convenience. As such, including location in your job description can significantly improve your posting’s positioning to the right audience.

However, it’s critical to present location information in a specific way for optimized results.

Rather than mixing the location with the rest of your job description, consider allocating the location details to a specified section in the job ad. Doing so keeps the information well-organized for enhanced readability.

It is also strategic to leverage job boards and websites that enable candidates to search for roles near their location. Supporting your listings with localized resources and relevant location/geotags can attract relevant candidates who are more willing to apply from different platforms.

5. Work with your hiring managers

It’s strategic to work with hiring managers when creating a job description since they understand the exact skills and experience required for the job.

You can implement a hiring manager’s professional output in enhancing your recruiting campaign strategy to attract the most suitable candidates.

Perhaps most importantly, working with hiring managers keeps the job description grounded in realistic expectations. You can then greatly improve the chances of hiring the right person for the job while weeding out unnecessary job requirements. For instance, candidates might not require a degree for task-intensive positions developed with on-the-job training.

6. Don’t forget about titles, descriptions, and rich snippets

A catchy job title can grab a prospect’s interest and encourage them to find out more about the role. The job details should also provide candidates with sufficient information to decide if they’re a good fit.

To make your job ads stand out, add extra info that enhances your listings with rich snippets that make them stand out in search results. The visual appeal of rich snippets breaks the monotony of JD text with dynamic displays of employer ratings, workplace images, and employee testimonies.

A tactful combination of catchy titles and descriptions alongside optimized rich snippets enhances the visibility of your job listings. This helps to drive more quality applicants toward your open positions.

7. Use structure and proper formatting

Strategically organizing the job descriptions with clear formatting makes it frictionless for candidates to read and understand the most complex job details.

Headings and bold text break up the text, making it more scannable. So, make important info bold to make it stand out.

Using bullet points (but limit this to five to six entries) and lists also makes the content more accessible.

Employer Branding Aesthetics

And, remember to keep your JD format consistent to maintain a professional and polished appearance that reflects your organizational style and industry reputation. Your JDs should look the same regardless of whether a candidate stumbled upon it on LinkedIn, your company careers page, or via a proprietary mobile app.

8. Consider launching a careers blog or sub-domain

If your company aims to attract the most talented employees, consider creating a blog or sorting a separate section on your website about careers. Here, you can share details about your company culture and explain your hiring process. You can also provide practical tips for preparing job seekers.

Allocating a sub-domain or a blog specialized for career-related matters can boost your site’s overall SEO. These configurations enable search engines to discover job-related info faster by separating the information from other segments of your website.

9. Include images, videos, and social proof

Including images, videos, and social proof in a job description improves its overall aesthetics. Thus, attracting and engaging the most suitable candidates.

For the best results, consider presenting real-world images from the company. You should include alt tags and captions with uploaded images to enhance their searchability/accessibility.

Social proof, like employee testimonials or awards, lends credibility to the job and the organization. For instance, you could display behind-the-scenes pictures of your company and employees in action within the job description.

The visuals show candidates what it’s really like to work with other team members within the organization. These would increase the trust and interest among candidates and take them one step closer to applying for the job.

Create dedicated videos that you can publish on Youtube

Creating videos about job openings and posting them on YouTube can help expand your candidate outreach efforts.

These hiring videos should cover job needs, company culture, and specific job benefits (e.g., your employee value proposition).

Dynamic video content enables employees to share their unique experiences. Thus, offering exclusive and relatable insights into the pulse of the company.

You can improve the searchability of your uploaded videos (and your online presence) by including words favored by job seekers. These may involve keywords in job titles, roles and responsibilities, and locations.

Your uploaded recruitment video should also include a clear call-to-action (CTA). This can include visiting the company website, signing up for a talent network program, or applying for an open position.

Talk about benefits and include quotes or reviews from happy employees

When crafting a stellar job description, it is essential to provide employee-provided quotes/sources that share the benefits of working within a company. Candidates often seek companies that offer relevant benefits, particularly those similar to their specific needs.

For example, your ad could include employee perspectives that share details about flexible work hours or parental care benefits. Other popular workplace benefits to cover from a talent’s POV include career growth and professional learning opportunities.

Sharing quotes from satisfied employees in your job ads showcases the relatable benefits of working within the company. These narratives may vary according to years of experience and related field

job description for SEO — source: Twitter

10. Use Specialized AI Technology

Ongig’s AI-driven Text Analyzer software empowers your organization to create and improve SEO-friendly JDs without fuss. The software’s advanced algorithm simplifies the process required to prepare and standardize the non-technical aspects of your JD library.

With Text Analyzer at your corner, you can cost-effectively transform your JDs into effective job ads/postings aimed at your target audience.

By integrating Text Analyzer with your existing applicant tracking system (ATS) and human resource management system (HRMS), you can focus on the points that matter most to job seekers and confidently convert candidates into hires.

Text Analyzer’s customizable smart templating helps achieve SEO excellence with:

Enhanced JD content strategy based on the latest keyword research that helps postings consistently top search engine rankings.

User-friendly editing and addition of JD sections throughout your templates. This way, you can scale your enterprise recruitment campaigns based on shifting TA requirements.

A built-in algorithm that conveniently flags and corrects ineffective JD content. These include replacing jargon, obscure acronyms, and biased wordings.

Polished job details and perks that maintain (employer) brand awareness and enhance job seeker engagement for improved organic traffic.

Going Above and Beyond Standard SEO Practices

At Ongig, we’re constantly improving the Text Analyzer’s functions to keep up with the dynamic job market demands. As such, we are expanding automated functionalities that include rewriting lengthy sentences, standardizing bulleted lists, and replacing ineffective job title acronyms.

Our team also offers technical SEO recommendations for Ongig-hosted career sites. These include on-page SEO improvements in meta descriptions and header tags to improve the popularity of your JD web pages across major search engines.

SEO-friendly Job Descriptions: SEO for Job Descriptions vs. Job Postings (Key Differences)

When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), job descriptions and job postings might seem similar. But they actually serve different purposes and audiences. So, here’s how SEO strategies can vary between the two:

Audience and Purpose

A job description on a company’s career page is typically designed to give potential hires a clear idea of your company culture, expectations, and the technical skills required for the role. In contrast, a job posting on external job boards, such as Indeed or LinkedIn, is about attracting more website traffic by casting a wider net to reach top talent across different locations.

SEO Keywords and Relevance

For job descriptions on your career page, it’s important to use industry-specific keywords like “SEO specialist job description templates” or “skilled SEO specialists.” So, this attracts people with the technical expertise you’re looking for. In job postings, however, you want to include broader terms like “SEO jobs” or “digital marketer.” These help your posting appear in search engine queries by candidates with a wider range of prior experience.

Content Structure and User Experience

On a career page, you’ll want to keep the website architecture simple and intuitive to support a positive user experience. So, an SEO expert would likely use on-page optimization tactics. These include organizing content into clear sections to help visitors navigate easily. This contrasts with external job boards, where search engine algorithms determine visibility. Here, an SEO analyst might also focus more on keyword rankings and search engine results to make sure the posting gets noticed.

Use of SEO Tools and Analytics

If you’re posting on your company’s site, tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can be useful. They help track how many candidates click through to your well-crafted job description and where they drop off. External job boards, however, may not offer the same level of tracking. So, in this case, an SEO manager must leverage off-page SEO techniques, such as link building through social media or blog posts to increase visibility.

Off-Page SEO and Brand Recognition

While your job description should reflect the idea of your company culture to appeal to the right candidates, external job postings focus on expanding your reach. Therefore, by linking back to your site and content creation channels, you can boost brand visibility and encourage people to explore more about your company. This is a great way to increase organic search results over time.

How SEO Strategies Can Support Your Hiring Funnel

An SEO strategist would recommend that digital marketing teams use relevant content on career pages to drive business growth through hiring. So, job boards can contribute to a fully automated hiring funnel, while SEO-optimized career pages help build direct relationships with new hires.

In both cases, a clear, engaging job description with keywords that resonate with job seekers is vital for attracting top talent and SEO professionals alike.

Why I Wrote This:

By embracing SEO practices in job descriptions, recruiters can make their job postings stand out, reach suitable candidates, and save time and resources in the hiring process.

And, SEO job descriptions provide a significant return on investment by improving the efficiency of your recruitment efforts. By strategically using keywords and clear language, you’ll improve the user experience and attract more qualified candidates to their company.

If you want to automate writing SEO job descriptions using technology, please request a demo to learn more about Ongig’s Text Analyzer.

Shout-outs:

HR analytics: role clarity impacts performance (by Lieke Pijnacker)
The SEO Optimized Job Posting (by Paul Andre de Vera)

November 7, 2024 by Alexa Lemzy in Job Descriptions