Most recruitment agencies put a lot of effort into writing job listings but very little thought into whether anyone can actually find them through search engines. Optimising your job listings for SEO means more organic traffic, more applications, and less reliance on job boards.

Use a clear, searchable job title

This is the single most important thing you can get right. Candidates search for job titles, so use the exact terms they’d type into Google. “Sales Manager, Manchester” will always outperform “Superstar Rainmaker Wanted!” Keep it descriptive, keep it plain, and include the location.

Give each listing its own page

Every job should live on its own URL, not buried inside a PDF or lumped onto a single “current vacancies” page. Individual pages get indexed individually, which means each one has a chance to rank on its own merit.

Write a proper meta description

Your meta description is the snippet that shows up in search results. Make it count. Include the job title, location, and one compelling reason to apply. Keep it under 155 characters.

Structure the content clearly

Use headings to break up the listing into sections like responsibilities, requirements, salary and benefits. This makes it easier for candidates to scan and easier for Google to understand what the page is about.

Add structured data

Job posting schema markup tells Google exactly what the listing is, including the title, location, salary and closing date. This can get your listings into Google’s dedicated jobs search results, which is a huge visibility boost.

Don’t forget the basics

Make sure the page loads fast, works properly on mobile, and includes a clear call to action. If someone has to hunt around for the “apply” button, you’ve already lost them.

If you want help making your job listings work harder in search, Pollinate Marketing can help. We work with recruitment agencies to improve visibility across every part of their site, from service pages to individual listings. Get in touch and let’s have a chat.