As an experienced recruitment marketer, you probably know that just two years ago, Google launched it’s AI-powered job search engine called Google for Jobs. Using similar technology as its marketing platform, Google for Jobs quickly shook up the way that job boards needed to operate in order for job openings to be found by these new search capabilities. Many of the major job boards and aggregators partnered with Google to get their jobs shown in search results, and employers soon followed.
However, Google for Jobs introduced a new set of requirements for creating job requisitions that took some trial and error for employers to learn. Some recruitment marketing and talent acquisition professionals have even voiced frustrations over the way Google for Jobs displays openings. One of the more common issues that we hear about is not being able to find your jobs on Google. So, let’s talk about why that may be.
Why can’t I find my jobs on Google?
Since there is currently no way to post jobs directly to Google for Jobs like you might do on another job board, recruitment marketers and talent acquisition professionals can get jobs posted to Google in two ways - through your careers site or ATS or through a third-party vendor.
In this article, we’ll get down to some of the finer technical details of Google for Jobs, focusing on 4 common reasons why you may not be able to find your jobs on Google when you search.
Reason #1 - Your careers website and/or applicant tracking system (ATS) may not have the right schema or structured data.
If you’re not finding your jobs on Google, the first step we recommend taking is checking to make sure that your careers site and/or ATS schema or structured data is set up properly. In the world of online search engines, the schema or structured data markup is a special code language that gives entities context. By introducing small pieces of information to the Google for Jobs “spiders,” the search engine can surmise what a job posting includes and how it should be displayed. Sometimes, this schema may be incorrect, so it might need some editing.
This schema markup generator can save you from spending hours correcting code. Use the drop-down menu to locate Job Posting, and follow the directions to create the new code. This process will also prompt you to validate your markup with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
Reason #2 - Your careers website may be using an iframe to display your ATS job postings.
If you’ve confirmed that your careers site and ATS schema is set up properly and you’re still not able to find your jobs on Google, see if your careers site is using iframe next. If your careers site is using an iframe to display job content from your ATS, this could be hindering your jobs from getting to Google. There are certain required properties that make your job content display properly on the Google for Jobs search results if your content displays as part of an iframe format.
You can find support at Google’s job posting developer’s page.
Reason #3 - You may not be advertising your jobs on a Google for Jobs partner job site.
If you’ve confirmed that your careers site and ATS have the proper schema and aren’t using iframes and you still can’t find your jobs on Google, or if you are not able to properly set up the schema or if you are required to continue using iframes, then you can look to job advertising to get your jobs on Google.
When Google for Jobs first arrived on the scene, there was a bit of controversy about whether or not all the major job boards would participate as partners. At this point, many of the major job boards and aggregators have partnered with Google for Jobs in order for their jobs to populate on the search engine, but certainly not all of them have done so. If you are advertising your jobs online, ensure your strategy includes sites that are Google for Jobs partners.
Here’s a list of third-party job sites that have been noted to integrate with Google for Jobs, but note that this may not be an exhaustive list and is subject to change at any time. Google recommends checking with your job board vendor to confirm if they are integrated with Google for Jobs.
Reason #4 - You may be searching with the wrong keywords on Google.
And finally, if you’ve tackled all of the above and you’re still not finding your jobs on Google, it’s very possible that you are not using the correct keywords to locate your job posting, therefore it’s not populating in the Google for Jobs results. Not only should your goal be to write effective job postings that include elements like job title, job descriptive words, requirements, job location, the job start and end date; but you need to be sure your search query terms are specific to the job you're trying to find.
Remember that there are cases when some jobs use completely different terms to describe the same job. For example, a Logistics Manager may be the same job as a Shipping Clerk. Try to think of all the possible search terms that a job seeker may type in when designing job content.
Also, remember that Google’s algorithms are highly intelligent and may not serve job results to you based on your physical location or your IP address location, just as a couple of examples. Google’s goal is to serve the most relevant jobs to job seekers, and there are hundreds of factors that go into how results are chosen and served.
Other Reasons - Time to get a little more technical.
If you’ve gone through the above list to double check your jobs and you’re still not finding your jobs on Google, then you may need to get a little more technical in your troubleshooting. Here are a few of the more technical reasons why you may not be finding your jobs on Google:
- Your structured data is on the wrong page
- Your job page content doesn’t match the structured data
- Expired jobs are still live
- An apply option is missing
- Your logo is incorrect
- The job location is missing or incorrect
You can read more about each of these reasons why you may not be finding your jobs on Google with instructions for troubleshooting here.
Google for Jobs - More Resources
Finally, it should be noted that Google doesn’t guarantee that your structured job data will be shown in search results, even if all is marked up properly. You can learn more about Google for Jobs here.
As you evaluate your recruitment marketing plan, especially when it comes to your careers site developer, which ATS to use and where to advertise your jobs online, keep the above factors in mind to ensure that your jobs are being found on Google so that you can attract and hire top talent efficiently and cost-effectively.
