Instructions: Set up Google for Jobs
Overnight Google for Jobs was suddenly on everyone's lips and the excitement was great. Many are asking the question: how do my job ads get on the Google job board?
How to set up Google for Jobs yourself and how you can make the setup easier you will learn below:
How it works in general
The first thing to understand is how Google for Jobs works. The thing here is that the job search behaves similarly to the normal Google search and Google for Jobs is practically an "extension" of the classic Google search. Similar extensions here include Google Image Search, Google Shopping, Google Flights, etc. These widgets extend the normal search and are tailored and developed for specific purposes. These widgets are displayed in the search results when Google recognizes that the current visitor is looking for a flight or a new job.
As with the web search, there is no interface that allows you to post jobs on Google. However, that doesn't mean that it's not still possible to post jobs directly to Google for Jobs through an interface.
If you don't want to use a third party provider, Google has to index your job ad. To do this, Google visits all websites known to the search engine at certain intervals and analyzes them. In order for the website to be recognized as a job ad and to be indexable at all, certain technical requirements must be met.
Technical requirements
Since Google itself is a huge machine, certain technical requirements must be met in order for a new job ad to be recognized as such.
The basic requirement is that the job ad is publicly available on the web as an HTML page. Job ads that link to a PDF or are embedded as an image, for example, cannot be indexed directly as a job ad. If your job ad is only available as a PDF, you can Use our service.
Another important point is that each job ad has its own unique link through which it can be called up. Here you should also make sure that the job ad is loaded directly into the HTML source code when the page is called up and not subsequently, for example, via JavaScript / AJAX. This is the case with some plugins for Wordpress or other content management systems.
In contrast to normal website content, which can be read by Google without special measures, so-called schema data must be stored for job ads. This must be observed if you want to set up Google for Jobs yourself. Schema data are special markups that can be stored in the HTML source code and give search engines semantic clues as to what the current content is about. The schema data that is relevant for job ads is of the type "JobPosting". An overview of all possible attributes can be found on the schema.org website (https://schema.org/JobPosting).
Schema data are, as already mentioned, hints for (search) engines to recognize which information is on the current page. This schema data is not visible to normal visitors. You can find out whether your job advertisement already contains schema data by using our service Check for free.
Once all the above requirements are met, Google only needs to find the new job ad for indexing to start. Depending on the popularity and content of the domain, this may take some time. For websites whose content does not change frequently and are not very well known, it can take several weeks before Google revisits the website and starts indexing. In order for Google to find the job ad at all, the job ad must be linked to at least via a link - e.g. via the menu > Career > Job Ads.
In summary, the following points must be observed
Each job ad needs its own unique URL
Google must be able to read the page
The page must be made known to Google
Schema data of the type
JobPostingmust be stored on the page and maintained as completely as possible
Problems and pitfalls
If you want to set up Google for Jobs yourself, you often have to overcome many hurdles, even if the topic sounds quite simple at first. In order not to reinvent the wheel and to clear all problems individually from the web, you can fall back on our comfortable service which is specifically tailored to Google for Jobs.
Formatting
Even though Google for Jobs offers little in the way of formatting, there is no need to completely abandon formatting. Many job ads on Google Job Search are unformatted blocks of text without any paragraphing or outlining. The reason for the lack of formatting is often the use of plugins, which generate schema data and output it to the website, but also remove any formatting. In addition, it is possible that CSS and HTML markups are used for the display on the website, which are not supported by Google.
Currently, only the following elements are supported by Google for formatting:
Tags: Paragraphs for sections
Further HTML formatting in the description of the job ad does not interfere, but is ignored by Google. For example, if job ads are filled with headings , etc., the job ad will definitely look different on the website than in the Google Jobbox.
One URL per job ad.
Depending on how the website is programmed and what software is used to publish job ads on the website, it may be that not every job ad has its own URL. This is the case, for example, if all job advertisements on a page are displayed one below the other, or if the job advertisements are only loaded later, for example by JavaScript in the background.
It should be ensured that each job ad has its own URL. Some plugins only suggest that each job ad has its own URL. This is often recognizable by the fact that an anchor link (#) is inserted in the URL or that the URL does not change when a job ad is called up.
Button labeling
Google for Jobs displays matching results for the searcher, just like regular web searches, and then links to the original source for more details. The linking at the Google job portal is done via blue buttons that say "Apply to: …“. Of course, ideally the name of the company should be there. However, it is not possible to configure via the schema data which text should be displayed here. Google's complex artificial intelligence is responsible for this. It decides how the button should ideally be labeled. Unfortunately, the choice often does not turn out as desired.
Logo
Next to each Google for Jobs listing is a placeholder for a logo. If Google has not yet assigned a logo to the job posting, you will see a colored square with the first letter of the company name. The logo is similar to the button label. Here, too, Google AI (artificial intelligence) decides which logo is displayed. It is possible to specify a logo in the schema data, but this does not guarantee that the logo will always be displayed.
Topicality of the job advertisement
In order for a new job advertisement to be displayed on Google for Jobs, it must be indexed by Google. The principle is that so-called crawlers continuously search the Internet for new or updated pages. Because there are so many websites on the Internet, it can take a long time for the Google crawler to search your website again and hopefully find the new job ad. Only after the website has been crawled again and the job ad has been indexed can it be displayed on Google for Jobs. The same applies, of course, if the job posting changes or if the advertised position has already been filled.
Troubleshooting
When listing jobs on Google's job board, you may run into a few problems. With this step-by-step troubleshooting guide, the listing will work.
Check structured data
The basic requirement for the job ad to be indexed by Google is schema data of type JobPosting directly on the job ad website. Google itself provides test tools for checking the structured data. There you can either enter the link to the ad or directly copy the source code and check it. After the analysis is complete, an element of the type "job advertisement" should appear on the results page as the detected element.
Check indexing via Google Search Console
Now it is important to find out whether Google already knows about the new or changed job. To check this, Google Search Cons ole is the place to go. If Google Search Console is not set up yet, it is definitely recommended to do so as it is not only helpful for checking the indexation status but also provides a lot of other information like: Positioning, Keywords, Clicks as well as suggestions for improvement of the website in general.
After logging into Google Search Console, you can select"URL Check" from the menu on the left. There, enter the link to the job ad and start the check with "Enter".
If Google already knows the URL and has processed it successfully, it will also show which elements were recognized. Here it is important that "job ads" were recognized. A yellow exclamation mark gives information about possible improvements. However, these are optional, but improve the ranking on Google.
If Google does not yet know the URL, a page similar to the screenshot below is displayed. Then an indexing can be started actively via"Request indexing" and Google can be informed that the page exists or that it has changed. Once indexing is requested, it takes a moment - usually no more than an hour, usually much faster. After that, the URL can be checked again and should then be known by Google.
Using the Google Indexing API
The Google Search Console can be used to check the indexing status as well as to specifically request the indexing of individual pages. This procedure is primarily intended for individual cases and debugging.
With the introduction of the Google Jobbox, the search engine giant has also recognized that job ads are different from normal web pages. With job ads, it must be ensured that they are up to date so as not to annoy potential candidates. To do this, Google provides a new interface: The Google Indexing API.
Through this interface, Google can be automatically informed about changes to job ads. This ensures that job ads are included in the index much faster than via normal crawling. With the normal crawling by the Google bots, it can sometimes take several weeks until Google recognizes a change. However, the Google Indexing API may only be used for pages with elements of the type JobPosting or BroadcastEvent.
In addition to connecting the Google Indexing API, it is also recommended to include all pages with job ads in the sitemap.xml.
Check indexing of logos
Many users report on various forums about problems with the display of the company logo at Google for Jobs. Also in the official documentation there is a separate section on the topic of company logo for job ads.
In general, the logo should be included in the hiringOrganization attribute. Afterwards, the test tool can be used to validate that the schema data can also be read by Google. After that, it must be ensured that Google has already found the page, which can be checked via the Google Search Console.
Once all these requirements have been met, you have to be patient. The Google AI must now learn that the logo belongs to the company and link them internally. This can take a few days or weeks.
Additionally, a Google My Business profile can be created and the company logo uploaded there.
Find a job on Google for Jobs
Last but not least is to check what the job looks like in the Google job box. But even that is not so easy in some cases. Because even if Google Search Console ensures that the page has been indexed, it doesn't mean that the job is sure to show up on Google for Jobs.
To find your job ad on Google for Jobs, here's how to proceed:
Search for your company name + location. For example: ACME GmbH Hamburg
Possibly set the location filter to "Everywhere
Go through the results one by one
The aim is of course not only to be found under your own company name, but also under the job title. Here it is important to secure one of the top positions through optimisation.
The most common reasons why your own job ad cannot be found directly are:
The location is not completely indicated. A complete location is important because the results are based on the current location.
The job was also published on other job portals. Google recognizes this and combines the job ads. Only another "Apply to" button will then appear.
The job is not yet indexed. Then it is best to wait a day and then test again.
The job is too old and is no longer considered relevant by Google.
Conclusion
To list job ads cleanly on Google for Jobs, a basic technical understanding and know-how is required. In addition, it must be possible to store schema data on the website. This is not always self-evident - for example, if an external content or applicant management system is in use.
SEO for Jobs offers the possibility to post jobs on Google for Jobs without having to adapt the website and without technical expertise. For companies that use a content or applicant management system, the Job Crawler is the right solution for synchronizing the career portal with Google.
