Find more skilled workers and trainees with "Google for Jobs"

Skilled Trades 4.0: Optimizing websites for search engines is a given these days. But businesses should also optimize their online job postings.

This article is part of the special feature on digital craftsmanship.

Because with " Google for Jobs, " there's a free way to rank highly in job search results . But how does it work ? And what are the advantages for tradespeople?

Skilled workers and trainees primarily search for new jobs online: According to a 2020 study by Jobufo and MobileJobs, 67 percent of job seekers without a university degree prefer to use online job portals.

Since there are around 2.000 online job boards in Germany, in addition to the job portals and the recruitment services of the Chambers of Skilled Crafts , Google has added a feature to make it easier for companies to find applicants : "Google for Jobs". This service has recently been massively expanded.

The way it works is quite simple: As soon as Google recognizes, based on the search terms , that a user is interested in jobs , the search engine displays a large box of relevant job postings – before the actual search results. The content comes not only from online job boards , but also from social networks like XING or LinkedIn , and from the career pages of small and large companies . Google uses the searcher's location to prioritize displaying relevant jobs in their region. If the search terms already include specific cities or regions, the current location is not taken into account.

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Get benefits for free

Since Google's service is completely free for businesses and job seekers, both sides benefit: Applicants no longer have to sift through hundreds of job boards and career pages to find suitable offers. And trades businesses have the chance to rank highly on Google with their own job postings – even before the actual search results. In many cases, this is also facilitated by special filter options that Google offers directly in the search results box : For example, job postings can be sorted directly by thematically relevant terms such as " full-time ," " home office, " or " accounting and finance ." The Google job results are often displayed with a wealth of additional information , such as the publication date, company logo, ratings, and job details.

Filter, notepad and mail subscription

Alternatively, job seekers can use the displayed links to jump directly to one of the online job boards to find matches with the entered keywords.

The actual "Google for Jobs" page, however, is somewhat hidden: To access it, you have to click on the text link "At least xxx more job postings" at the bottom of the Google search box. Here, in addition to further relevant results, you'll find more detailed filter options and a "Save" button for jobs that are then added to a watchlist. In the bottom left corner of the page, there's a toggle switch labeled " Alerts for new job postings ." Activating this switch will send daily job postings to your inbox that match your entered search terms and filters.

Add your own jobs

But how do craft businesses get their job postings listed on "Google for Jobs" ? There are two ways: Companies can either post their job ads directly on online job boards or social networks that Google partners with. Alternatively, businesses must add so-called "structured data" to all job offers on their own websites to classify the page content.

This can be achieved with a brief edit to the HTML source code . No trained programmer is required; some basic HTML knowledge is sufficient . Google provides free instructions at developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/job-posting . Once the structured data is added, Google will automatically index all new job postings from your company website.

For tradespeople in particular , using "Google for Jobs" can be worthwhile for their own job postings . In the competition for the best skilled workers and apprentices in their region, businesses can gain a significant advantage because their job ads are found more quickly. However, tradespeople should be aware that not all job boards cooperate with "Google for Jobs ." Depending on the position being advertised, it may therefore be advisable to choose alternative advertising channels or other job boards to reach specific target groups more effectively. jobs.google.com/about/intl/de_ALL

Checklist: Job advertisements

Optimize your own websites for "Google for Jobs".

• Add structured data to the HTML code of your job postings so that Google can identify them. Instructions can be found at developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/job-posting
• Use all the important terms that prospective candidates might search for in job advertisements.
• The most important information for Google includes a clear job title, a description of the position, whether it is part-time or full-time, location, information about your company, and the date of publication.
• Ensure a clear structure for all content, including headings, short body text, and lists. For example, it's useful to divide your content into sections such as "Our Company," "Job Description," "Requirements Profile," "What We Offer," and "Contact."
• Include important formal information to avoid follow-up questions, such as the start date of employment, possible application channels (written, email, telephone, online), or desired application documents (school and employment references, work samples, etc.).
• In accordance with the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), always use neutral wording when providing information about gender, age, religion, origin, sexual identity or disabilities.
• List all contact options for applicants and a designated contact person for queries.
• Make sure that all websites have the shortest possible loading times.

Overview of selected online job boards Photo: © Thomas Busch