20 Jul, 2021

What Are The 9 Things Recruiters Should Know About SEO Keyword Research?

SEO Keyword Research

SEO keyword research should be an essential tool in a recruiter’s arsenal. Unfortunately, only a few are willing to do such a task.

Keyword research is one of the most challenging parts of search engine optimisation or SEO. Most recruiters would outsource it to specialists rather than do it in-house. Here are some insights on identifying the keywords you should target for your web content and job posts.

1.   Searcher intent

The number one reason why you’re doing keyword research is to determine a candidate’s search intent. You need to know what they are actually looking for when they search for jobs online. It doesn’t make sense to target a search term that doesn’t match what the candidates are looking for.

Recruiters like you shouldn’t be obsessed with boosting online traffic. Instead, it would be best to concentrate on driving conversions – candidates applying or sending their resumes.

Match your content to what the candidates are looking for to ensure that the right queries are driving traffic to your website.

2.   Search engine result pages

To gain insights into your candidate’s search intent and how search engines understand it, you’ll need to look at search result pages. Many recruiters make the mistake of relying too much on their tools and ignoring the candidate’s actual search terms.

Sometimes, Google will show content for a particular candidate query that doesn’t match your own content. You’ll need to know how search engines interpret questions from their users. Check the type of content that is ranking for your target keywords and use that for your own.

3.   Search volume

Often, your SEO keyword research will uncover various metrics. However, not all of them are useful for your business. Of course, you’d want to identify the words or phrases that can increase your website traffic, but they aren’t always valuable.

Aside from volume, recruiters need to understand what type of queries candidates use to find job vacancies.

4.   Long-Tail Keywords

Instead of focusing only on search volume, you should consider giving long-tail keywords a try. Yes, long-tail keywords often have fewer searches, but they are also at the final stages of the conversion process. This means the candidates who are using them are probably ready to send their resume or apply.

If you’re targeting long-tail keywords, it’s less likely that you’ll encounter competition for them. It will also likely make candidates trust your brand.   

5.   Talk to actual candidates

Using SEO tools and analysing search results is an excellent idea. However, recruiters should consider talking to real candidates to find out what search terms they use. Take note of their:

  •       ‘Language’
  •       Hopes for the job
  •       Questions with regards to the position

6.   Exact matching isn’t necessary

In the old days, SEO experts recommended exact matches with your candidate’s search terms and phrases.  However, those days are long gone. Google is now using Natural Language Processing. There’s no need to fill your content with every keyword and related terms that you can come up with.

When you create web content, write it as if you’re talking to someone in front of you. Also, you don’t want to repeat the same words in a conversation, so don’t write that way.

7.   Local SEO

Many recruiters don’t pay enough attention to local queries. Often, candidates from various regions use different search terms for the same job position. Therefore, you should take account of this difference. Other factors worth considering include:

  •       Seasonality
  •       Previous searches
  •       Local usage

8.   Know what your competitors are doing

As a recruiter, you may have an idea of who your main competitors are. However, you should also be aware of your search result competitors for words and phrases you’re trying to rank for. By understanding their methods, you can determine how search engines provide content for your target audience.

9.   Don’t rely solely on your clients’ pick of keywords

As a recruiter, you want to accommodate clients when they pick a search term to target. You can make it a starting point of your SEO keyword research. However, you’ll have to consider the possibility of other synonyms that are probably more popular than the ones they propose.

There are times when a client wants to target specific keywords not to drive conversions or boost sales but for vanity. Make sure to push why you’re conducting an SEO campaign: to convince the right candidates to apply.

Conclusion

Recruiters need keywords to help their content rank well on search results. When conducting keyword research, the first order of business is to identify the candidates’ search intent. Once you know their intention when job hunting, you can use search results, search volume, and local SEO to identify the keywords you should target. Aside from these tools, consider talking to actual candidates. It can help you uncover some essential details that can aid your keyword research. Furthermore, while popular keywords can bring in much traffic, long-tail search terms can provide your site with results.

As mentioned earlier, finding the right keywords can be difficult. Therefore, why not consider reaching out to us at Recruitment Traffic? We can provide your recruitment website with the relevant keywords necessary to help it rank on Google and other search engines.

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