How Job Keywords Help You Reach More Candidates

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Millions of job-related searches are conducted each month on all search engines. With so much traffic up for grabs, job keywords can have huge implications on applications to your job listings.

At Monster we are constantly making enhancements to ensure that your job listings are searchable in major search engines, but it’s you, the employer, who has the most influence on whether your job is returned in the top search results. How do you do that? By using the right job description keywords.

For your listing to be relevant to search engines, you need to select the right keyword phrases for the job title and description you’re hiring for. This will also help your listing perform better within our internal search engine as well.

What Are Job Keywords and Why Should You Care?

Job keywords help your ads get noticed amid the competition. Keywords aresearch termsthat help people find what they’re looking for online. But in recruitment, they can help you find the right candidates.

Using very specific keywords means you can save time and cut right through to candidates with the exact skills and experience you need. Plus, if you’re using any applicant tracking software (ATS), setting keywords helps the system filter applications more efficiently.

The Key to Job Keyword Research

In order to make your job posting search engine friendly, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What phrases are relevant to the position you’re hiring for?
  • What terms might a job seeker search for when looking for a job like yours?

To find the answers, brainstorm as many phrases as possible, look at competitor listings and use free keyword research tools such as theGoogle AdWords Keyword Toolto expand your relevant job keywords list.

The more common a phrase is, the more competition there will be for it so the less targeted your audience will be. Instead, choose keywords that are as specific as possible to your vacancy. For example, while ‘Sales Job’ may describe the job to an extent ‘Financial Services Sales Job’ narrows down your focus to attract a better suited audience.

Job Title Keywords

When it comes to the job title itself, it’s the most important part of your job listing for two reasons:

  1. It’s the first thing that job seekers will see
  2. It’s the phrase which search engines first assess for relevance

Your job title should be compelling and relevant so that jobseekers click on your listing over others. The job title you choose should be a simple, concise title that job seekers actually search for, not a creative hook or title that is only known within your organisation.For example, ‘Sales Star Needed!’ is not an effective job title.Instead, choose ‘Sales Executive’.

The job title should be as specific as possible.Using just ‘Sales’ is too broad, and not an effective job title.Instead, indicate the type of salesperson you’re looking for, such as ‘Pharmaceutical Sales Executive’.

Where appropriate, you should also indicate the career level of the job in the title.For example, you could use ‘Director of Online Media’ or ‘Senior Software Developer’.

Plus, if there’s a skill that’s essential to the job, be sure to include it, such as ‘Customer Support Representative – Spanish Speaking’.You can even add contract information into the job title if necessary. For example, ‘Security Guard – Part-time’.

Some other types of job keywords to consider including throughout your ad include:

  • Brand terms: If you have a recognisable name then select phrases that you use in your marketing campaigns that will be familiar with job seekers.
  • Location specific terms: Where people work is just as important to them as what they do so many seekers search location as well as job title. Adding ‘remote’ or ‘hybrid’ is increasingly popular among job seekers.
  • Industry specific terms: Consider including some of the tools, software or acronyms that are important to the job and your area of business.
  • Alternative job titles: Some job titles are not universal, or people with different job titles can perform the same role. So, for example, look at whether you should target ‘Office Junior’ as well as ‘Office Assistant’.
  • Abbreviations: Many functions are more commonly written as acronyms but job seekers may search for both. For example, use the term ‘Human Resources’ as well as ‘HR’.

Narrowing Down Your Job Keywords List

Now that you have your pool of keyword phrases, select the most popular and relevant ones when creating of your job listing. Test them by seeing if they you answer “Yes” to the following questions:

  • Can I determine the intent of a job posting and of the jobseeker simply by looking at the keyword phrase?
  • Will my job listing satisfy the intent of the job seeker if they search this phrase and land on my listing?

Using Job Description Keywords in Your Listing

Search engines are only concerned with text, so integrating keywords throughout your job description is the best way to increase its appearance in search. Along with the job title you’ve chosen, select three to five related terms to use throughout the copy to increase the relevance of the page.

Do not overuse any keyword though. You can test for overuse by reading the description out loud. If it sounds awkward, reduce the number of instances for that phrase. The language you use should always feel natural.

Here are some additional tips to help you integrate your related keyword phrases:

  • Use bullet points to make the description easy to read
  • Keep your job description between 150 to 600 words
  • Use brand, industry, and occupation-specific phrases
  • Avoid using internal company jargon or confusing abbreviations

Company Keywords

Since your company’s boilerplate is usually present on all of your job listings, be sure to optimise the keyword phrases used in this copy as well. Avoid typical marketing ‘fluff’ and focus on keywords that explain and demonstrate your business and industry. Job seekers don’t just want the right job, they want to find an employer they fit with, so selling your company is just as important.

Put Your Job Keywords to the Test on Monster

Looking for your next hire? Create a compelling listing and post your job on Monster. Attract talent effortlessly with our easy-to-use job posting. We help you find the best candidates with our step-by-step job posting process. Just add all your job title, location, salary, benefits, responsibilities, and required qualifications, and you’re well on your way to making a great hire.

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