Today’s candidates aren’t much like yesterday’s. And in the modern job market, finding top talent can often feel like an uphill battle — especially if you don’t have the budget to hire pro recruiters to do the legwork for you.
Candidates are asking questions rarely heard in the pre-2020s world of work. Questions like: Do you offer a hybrid work model? Are the hours flexible? What does your diversity data look like?
Finding high-quality candidates that are both the right fit for the role and excited about your organization can feel difficult, if not impossible. We know you know this.
If you’re here, you’re probably struggling to find the right people. And you probably don’t have a whole lot of extra time to actively recruit. But there is some good news.
By posting your available jobs to Google, it’s never been easier to get your open roles onto the internet for free while differentiating your employer brand in a sea of competition.
Tapping into Google for Jobs is a great way to get more eyes on your open positions and more high-quality candidates. Here’s how to take advantage of this awesome (free!) recruitment tool in three super simple steps.
How to post a job on Google:
- Update your company’s Knowledge Graph Panel
- Optimize your job posting for SEO
- Choose to post via third-party job site or integrate directly
But first, what is Google for Jobs (a.k.a. Google Jobs)?
Google Jobs is one of the best free ways to get your open roles seen by thousands of eager job seekers.
But it’s not a job board. Instead, it’s an easy-to-use integration tool for recruiters and hiring managers who post open roles on their own websites or third-party job boards.
In a nutshell, Google Jobs incorporates various job postings from across the web and brings them together in Google Search, right where candidates can find them. Job seekers who use Google to find jobs will be directed to a featured snippet highlighting a list of roles similar to the ones they’re searching for.
As you can imagine, this increases the number of eyes that see your job posting exponentially.
In fact, using Google for Jobs has been shown to grow conversion rates by up to 4.5x — simply by making it easier for job seekers to find your open positions.
But employers also love Google Jobs because it lets them:
- Display open roles in a prominent location within Google (usually, right at the top of the search page one alongside your logo, reviews of your company, and more!)
- Drive high-quality applicants through filters like location, job title and type
- Increase exposure for your job listings
Last but not least, having your career opportunities pop right up at the top of a Google search alongside your logo and employee reviews is also great for your employer brand. ✨
Is your applicant tracking system giving you the best possible bang for your buck? To find out if your recruitment software is really pulling its weight, don’t miss these 6 Simple Ways to Calculate the ROI on Your ATS.
Want to post a job on the internet for free? Google Jobs gets it done
Google is the king of free information. If you’re looking for budget-friendly ways to increase quality applicants, it doesn’t get much better than this.
The various filters and ease of use for job seekers makes a Google Jobs search a top channel for bringing qualified candidates right to your door. Since the Google search engine can help job seekers get as broad or focused as they like with their job search, applicants coming in via Google Jobs are also more likely to be both interested in and qualified for the available role.
For example, a potential candidate can be looking for a “Marketing Job in New York” which can give them almost anything under the sun…
Or they can get detailed, adding category, title, location, requirements and so much more.
In the example below, we took “Marketing jobs in New York” and were able to narrow it down by title (manager + director), industry (travel), type (full-time), and category (marketing + communications).
This deeper search ability helps job seekers find the jobs they’re genuinely interested in applying for, rather than endlessly scrolling the job boards looking for something that might be the right fit.
Provided they meet your role requirements, candidates from a Google search may be more likely to hit the ground running because they’ve already indicated high interest around the role.
Of course, if you already have strong brand recognition, plenty of candidates may be Googling jobs at your company every day. Here too, Google Jobs can deliver a big boost to your recruitment strategy.
By aggregating all your open roles into one simple search, you can make it super easy for applicants to identify potential positions and even refer incoming candidates for other roles.
Here’s an example of a quick search for ‘nbc jobs’.
With all your open roles easily found via search, Google Jobs is specifically designed to improve the recruitment process for both candidates and employees.
And given the organic and highly detailed nature of the search, it’s also likely to deliver a big batch of pre-vetted candidates.
For example, a candidate in New Jersey may be looking for an entry-level sales job, blasting their resume to every job listing they see, without realizing that the job or company isn’t actually the best fit for them. Recruiting managers then have to vet these applicants.
Best case, it’s a simple two-minute glance at the resume to see that it’s not the right fit. Worst case, there’s an intro call and maybe even an interview before the applicant realizes this job requires all employees to live in Colorado. Unwilling to trade the Jersey Shore for the Grand Lake, time on both sides has been wasted.
By delivering candidates that have already done some level of self-screening, Google Jobs helps to increase the number of qualified candidates and improve the experience for everyone. 🙌🏽
How much does it cost to use Google Jobs?
Ready for the cherry on top?
It costs absolutely nothing to use Google for Jobs. It is completely free to use!
The catch? If you don’t have any technical expertise, it may feel a little overwhelming to get started. But that’s why you’re here!
Let’s break down using Google Jobs into simple steps anyone can follow.
How does Google Jobs work?
First and foremost, it’s important to note that you don’t just “post” your job directly on Google.
What Google does is aggregate all the job listings from various job boards and career pages, like yours.
With this in mind, there are two approaches to getting your job listing included on Google Jobs:
- Use a third-party job site
- Integrate directly with Google
Let’s take a closer look at each of these approaches to figure out which one is best for you.
Option 1: Using a third-party job site
Do you use LinkedIn, Indeed, Ziprecruiter, or one of the hundreds of other job sites out there to post your open roles?
Since Google for Jobs pulls from job postings already published on the internet, if your job is listed on one of the many platforms that Google has already integrated with, pat yourself on the back — you are done! 🎉
If you run a Google search for your position name and company, you should see your open role pop right up. Just make sure you’ve posted the job to a site that integrates with Google.
Here are the top five Google-friendly job sites you might be familiar with:
- Indeed
- ZipRecruiter
- Glassdoor
- Monster
You might also be using an applicant tracking system, cloud-based recruiting software, or some other type of talent acquisition tool for your open roles. The good news is, many of these platforms also integrate with Google so your positions can be easily found in search.
But it’s important to note that some third-party job sites come with some pretty steep fees.
If you’re hiring on a budget, that may not work for you. But don’t worry.
We’ve broken down a list of the best free job sites, many of which integrate with Google for Jobs. For example, Indeed is free and it directly integrates with Google, so your job posting shows up both on Indeed and Google Jobs.
Option 2: Integrating directly with Google
Let’s say you don’t want to use a third-party job site (hey, no judgment — we know you have your reasons!).
There’s still a way for you to get your job posting found via Google Jobs for free.
Now, be warned — looking at this option might initially be a little overwhelming. You might even be thinking, “Holy heck! I don’t know how to code!”
Rest assured, it’s easier than it seems.
If you have a careers page on your site — or something similar — all you need to add is a small snippet of code, which you can do by editing the HTML of your job postings. By adding this simple code to your jobs pages, you’re letting Google know that it should index your job posting and automatically include it next to similar listings.
If that still sounds complicated, don’t worry. Google provides a technical guide with clear steps for adding this structured data to your HTML code. If you have a web team, they should have no problem getting it done.
So what are these 3 easy steps?
Now that you’re clear on just what Google Jobs is (and isn’t), let’s talk about the steps to help you get started.
Whether you’ve chosen option one (posting on Google for Jobs via an existing job site or ATS) or option two (integrating with Google manually), these three tips will help you make the most out of this key recruitment lead channel.
Step 1: Do the appropriate prep work
While this process is pretty straightforward, some of the best practices are easy to overlook if you’re in a crunch.
Before you make your open positions searchable via Google Jobs, make sure your company’s Knowledge Graph Panel has the most up-to-date information for your company (i.e., your logo, address, backlink to your website, and social profiles).
This will help maximize your brand recognition and show potential candidates who you are. It also makes it easy for them to get to know your employer brand via other channels (like social) that showcase your company culture.
From there, make sure your job postings aren’t just a copy and paste job. Do the upfront work to ensure everything is up-to-date and ready to go.
Step 2: Optimize your job posting for SEO
Google is a powerful tool. You want to give high-potential job seekers every chance to find your open roles.
Make sure you include relevant keywords in your posting that tap into both the hard skills and other requirements relevant to the role. Sometimes it’s helpful to take a step back and ask: “If I wanted to find jobs like this, what would I google?”
If you’re not sure where to start, check out our 400+ free job description templates that are already optimized for search engine optimization (SEO).
Step 3: Pick your integration route
Do you already post your jobs to third-party job sites? Great, you’re done!
Want to do it yourself? That’s also great. Now you know how to get your web team involved to add the small snippet of code and be on your way.
Like pretty much all things HR, the hardest part is understanding where to start. Once you know the options available to you, it’s super easy to get rolling!
Congrats! Your open roles are now searchable… now what?
Google for Jobs is a great way to get your open roles seen by more candidates, while delivering a big boost to your employer brand.
At Breezy, we make it easy to post your available jobs to all the best job boards or even embed your open roles into your website so they can be instantly found via Google for Jobs.
And if you’re looking for more places to tap into high-potential talent? We’ve got you covered.
Don’t miss our roundup on the top job boards for hiring candidates from diverse backgrounds, a vetted list of the best free job sites and the major player job sites in the market.
While we can't tell you where to post your open roles, Breezy can help you get those roles seen by more quality job seekers, while helping you make sure every applicant gets the attention they deserve.
