What’s this about?
This is an extract from TWIS SEO Update 23 June 2017.
You can read all about the release of the brand-new Google For Jobs and the ways to implement and manage it in this post. If you would like to discuss ways these new search results could change your business, please feel free to contact me.
#SEO #GoogleJobs #StructuredData #GoogleSearch
Google For Jobs Goes Live
Summary:
- Google has now launched its Google For Jobs portal, as first discussed in TWIS SEO Update 5th May 2017.
- In this initiative, Google reads structured data on a web site, matches it to a listing in an XML Sitemap file and displays the results in search results for queries with “clear intent”.
- Currently, the listings are only available in the US. This hasn’t made it to UK or Australian listings – which may be down to the sites not being included in the development / trial program.
- Users can click through to Google’s job portal to refine their search, click through to view / apply and set up job alerts.
- This complies with Google’s desire to remove clicks from search, reducing the power and traffic of portals. It enables quicker refinement, but elongates the ultimate click path for the job seeker.
Google For Jobs – Search Results
Google For Jobs – Detailed Listings
Google Jobs – Actions you should take:
- Read the Job Posting & Structured Data Guidelines at Google.
- Since this is a crawling and indexing action, any Job Posting pages must be crawlable.
- Add Job Posting structured data to the individual page for each job posting. Usually this should be a single page per job listing, likely to be the main job description.
- Use the Structured Data Testing Tool to test your markup.
- Add the Job Posting page to an XML Sitemap, and submit the sitemap to Google.
- Ensure the XML Sitemap is updated.
- Follow the guidelines for what is / isn’t acceptable as a Job Posting.
- Ensure that the guidelines for job posting removal are followed, especially around real jobs, jobs which require payment for application and not adding structured data to listings pages.
- Contact me if you would like to discuss how to ensure your job listings are seen on Google For Jobs.
Discussion of Google Jobs:
This is a continuation of Google’s desire to remove websites from search, in the name of improving the speed of answers to users. For the user this gives them results directly in the search interface, and allows users to effectively search multiple portals at once (let’s call it meta search). However, looking into it, once the user is in the search, carried out their refinements, and sorted applications, they still need to visit the portal website to actually do the applying. From the user’s perspective, it would be better and probably less frustrating if they were to be able to apply directly. That would reduce Job Portals to data providers effectively – something they may not be keen on.
Google is relying on guidelines and webmaster honesty to surface non-spam results. As the results will be more prominent in search, there will be a great incentive for dishonest webmasters to game this, either with fake jobs, or unrevealed pay-to-apply jobs. Even though this is something which still happens on job portals, they at least have the experience and knowledge to try and combat this – Google doesn’t in this sphere.
It’s also incredibly frustrating that these features are rolled out to the US only. It can’t be that difficult to go live in more markets initially.
More info:
Mobile First is NOT Mobile Friendly
TL;DR
- Read The State of SEO in mid-2017. It’s a terrific read.
- Read how Google’s Mobile First Index is not Mobile Friendly. It’s an even more terrific read.
- Google For Jobs is now live in the US. Job portals are probably a bit worried; spammers will be licking their lips.
Thanks for reading. If you would like to discuss what these changes mean for your web property, or would like to know how to implement them, please feel free to contact me.
