SEO Strategy for Recruiter
A data-driven execution plan to capture local search intent. This playbook targets high-value "near me" queries and transactional service keywords.
Execution Roadmap
Recruiters need a URL structure that mirrors how candidates search, not how companies organize jobs. Most ATS systems fail here. Your URLs should act as candidate funnels, not internal directories.
Candidate-Centric URL Blueprint
https://yourdomain.com/roles/{industry-slug}/{role-slug}/{location-slug}/{salary-range}/?ref=linkedin&utm_campaign=passive-candidate- Use **{industry-slug}** (e.g., 'finance', 'tech', 'healthcare'), not 'departments' or 'teams'.
- Append **{salary-range}** (e.g., '120k-150k') to pre-qualify candidates before they click.
- Add **?ref=linkedin** or **?ref=indeed** to track source performance in your CRM.
- Use **{location-slug}** as a city/state combo (e.g., 'nyc-ny'), never ZIP codes or internal codes.
Add a `/passive/` prefix to high-value roles (e.g., `/passive/tech/software-engineer/nyc-ny/150k-200k/`). This signals to Google that the page is optimized for candidates *not actively job searching*, a massive untapped audience.
Google’s Job Search Experience is a goldmine for recruiters, but most agencies use generic schema. You need recruiter-specific markup to stand out in the 'Jobs' carousel and Knowledge Panels.
Recruiter-Optimized JobPosting Schema
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ProfessionalService",
"name": "Recruiter Service",
"description": "Expert tech recruiting for hyper-growth startups",
"image": "https://yourdomain.com/recruiter-image.png",
"url": "https://www.acmerecruiting.com",
"telephone": "+1-212-555-1234",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "New York",
"addressRegion": "NY",
"postalCode": "10001",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "40.7128",
"longitude": "-74.0060"
},
"areaServed": {
"@type": "GeoCircle",
"address": "New York, NY, USA",
"geoMidpoint": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "40.7128",
"longitude": "-74.0060"
},
"geoRadius": "100"
},
"hasOfferCatalog": {
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Executive Search",
"description": "Expert search and recruitment for executive positions"
}
},
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Tech Recruiting",
"description": "Specialized recruiting for tech startups and companies"
}
},
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "HR Consulting",
"description": "Human resources consulting for startups and growing companies"
}
}
]
}
}Uses basic JobPosting schema with no recruiter details, no salary range, and no expiration date. Looks like every other job listing.
Includes recruiter contact info, salary transparency, expiration date, and LinkedIn links. Stands out in Google’s Job Search Experience and builds trust with candidates.
Most recruiters create content for active job seekers. The real opportunity? Passive candidates, those not actively looking but open to the right role. Your content must align with their mindset at each stage.
- **Stage 1: Awareness** , Candidate isn’t thinking about a job change. Content: Industry trends, salary benchmarks, career growth guides.
- **Stage 2: Consideration** , Candidate is open to opportunities but not actively searching. Content: 'Why [Industry] is booming', 'How to negotiate a 30% raise', 'Remote work tax tips'.
- **Stage 3: Evaluation** , Candidate is comparing options. Content: 'Top 10 startups hiring in [City]', 'Equity vs. salary: What’s right for you?', 'How to vet a company’s culture'.
- **Stage 4: Decision** , Candidate is ready to apply. Content: 'How to ace a [Role] interview', 'Resume templates for [Industry]', 'LinkedIn profile optimization for [Role]'.
Candidate Intent URL Structure
https://yourdomain.com/guides/{stage-slug}/{industry-slug}/{role-slug}/Create a blog post titled '5 Signs It’s Time to Leave Your [Industry] Job', but embed a subtle CTA like 'If you’re nodding along, let’s chat about opportunities.' Target passive candidates without triggering job-search fatigue.
Recruiters struggle with backlinks because they’re not seen as 'authoritative' sources. The solution? Leverage your network of candidates and clients to create link-worthy assets.
- **1. The 'Salary Transparency Report'** , Survey 500+ candidates in your niche and publish a report like '2024 Tech Salaries in NYC: What Candidates Really Earn'. Pitch it to TechCrunch, Business Insider, and industry blogs.
- **2. The 'Hiring Trends Roundup'** , Interview 20 hiring managers in your industry and compile their predictions for the next 12 months. Publish as a gated PDF and offer it to SHRM, LinkedIn Talent Blog, and niche publications.
- **3. The 'Candidate Spotlight' Series** , Feature a high-performing candidate (with their permission) in a case study like 'How Sarah Landed a $200K Remote Role in 3 Weeks'. Share it with their network and tag their employer for social proof.
- **4. The 'Recruiter Toolkit'** , Create a free resource like 'The Ultimate LinkedIn Outreach Template for Passive Candidates' and offer it to recruiting communities (e.g., r/recruiting, Recruiter.com).
Most recruiters focus on job postings and ignore technical SEO. But candidate drop-off happens before they even see your jobs, because of slow load times, broken links, or poor mobile UX. Here’s how to fix it.
- **1. Job Posting Duplication** , Most ATS systems create duplicate content (e.g., the same job posted on your site, LinkedIn, and Indeed). Use **rel=canonical** to point all versions to your site.
- **2. Slow Load Times** , Candidates abandon pages that take >3 seconds to load. Use **Google’s PageSpeed Insights** to identify issues (e.g., unoptimized images, render-blocking JS).
- **3. Broken Internal Links** , Recruiters often delete old job postings but forget to update internal links. Use **Screaming Frog** to find and fix 404s.
- **4. Poor Mobile UX** , 60% of candidates search for jobs on mobile. Test your site with **Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test** and fix issues like small text or unclickable buttons.
- **5. Missing Alt Text on Logos** , Recruiters often overlook alt text on company logos. Use **descriptive alt text** like 'Acme Corp logo - hiring Senior Software Engineers in NYC'.
- **6. No Schema for 'Recruiter' Pages** , Most recruiters only add schema to job postings. Add **Person schema** to your 'About Us' or 'Meet the Team' pages to build E-A-T.
- **7. No Hreflang for Multilingual Roles** , If you recruit internationally, use **hreflang tags** to avoid duplicate content issues (e.g., en-us, en-ca, es-mx).
Canonical Tag for Job Postings
<link rel="canonical" href="https://yourdomain.com/roles/tech/software-engineer/nyc-ny/150k-200k/" />Use **Cloudflare’s Automatic Platform Optimization (APO)** to cache your job postings globally. Reduces load times by 300% and improves rankings for competitive roles.
Recruiters waste 30% of their time on manual tasks (e.g., sourcing, outreach, follow-ups). The right stack can automate 80% of these tasks, freeing you to focus on high-value candidates.
- **1. Sourcing: SeekOut or HireEZ** , AI-powered sourcing tools that find passive candidates based on skills, not just keywords. Integrates with LinkedIn, GitHub, and Stack Overflow.
- **2. Outreach: Lemlist or Reply.io** , Personalized email sequences with dynamic fields (e.g., 'Hi [First Name], I saw you worked at [Company], we have a role that might be a great fit').
- **3. CRM: Recruiterflow or Bullhorn** , Track candidate interactions, set reminders for follow-ups, and automate nurture sequences (e.g., 'Haven’t heard back? Here’s a salary guide for [Role]').
- **4. SEO: Ahrefs or SurferSEO** , Track rankings for high-intent keywords (e.g., 'remote software engineer jobs 150k') and optimize content in real-time.
- **5. Analytics: Google Data Studio + Hotjar** , Build dashboards to track candidate drop-off points (e.g., '60% abandon the application after the 3rd question'). Use Hotjar to record sessions and identify UX issues.
- **6. Chatbots: Paradox or Mya** , Qualify candidates 24/7 with chatbots that ask pre-screening questions (e.g., 'What’s your salary expectation?'). Reduces time-to-hire by 40%.
- **7. Referrals: Teamable or Boon** , Automate employee referrals by scanning your team’s networks for passive candidates. Offers incentives (e.g., '$500 for a successful hire').
Google’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trust) is critical for recruiters, especially for high-stakes roles (e.g., C-suite, niche tech). Most recruiters fail here because they don’t signal credibility to Google.
- **1. Expertise** , Showcase your team’s credentials. Add **bios with LinkedIn links, certifications (e.g., SHRM-CP), and past placements** (e.g., 'Placed 50+ engineers at FAANG companies').
- **2. Authority** , Get quoted in industry publications (e.g., 'Recruiter Jane Doe shares tips for negotiating remote salaries in Forbes'). Use **HARO** to connect with journalists.
- **3. Trust** , Add **testimonials from candidates and clients** (e.g., 'Acme Recruiting helped me land a $200K role at Google, here’s how'). Include **case studies** with metrics (e.g., 'Reduced time-to-hire by 40% for Client X').
Person Schema for Recruiters
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ProfessionalService",
"name": "Jane Doe Recruiting Service",
"image": "https://example.com/janedoe.jpg",
"url": "https://www.janedoerecruiting.com",
"telephone": "(123) 456-7890",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "Anytown",
"addressRegion": "CA",
"postalCode": "12345",
"addressCountry": "USA"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "37.7749",
"longitude": "-122.4194"
},
"areaServed": {
"@type": "GeoCircle",
"address": "Anytown, CA",
"geoMidpoint": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": "37.7749",
"longitude": "-122.4194"
},
"geoRadius": "100"
},
"hasOfferCatalog": {
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Executive Search",
"description": "Expert executive search services for top companies"
}
},
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Staffing Solutions",
"description": "Temporary and permanent staffing solutions for businesses"
}
},
{
"@type": "Offer",
"itemOffered": {
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Career Coaching",
"description": "Personalized career coaching for job seekers"
}
}
]
},
"provider": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Jane Doe",
"jobTitle": "Tech Recruiter",
"worksFor": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Acme Recruiting"
},
"alumniOf": "Harvard University",
"hasCredential": {
"@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
"name": "SHRM-CP",
"recognizedBy": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Society for Human Resource Management"
}
},
"sameAs": [
"https://www.linkedin.com/in/janedoe",
"https://twitter.com/janedoe"
]
}
}Create a Wikipedia-style page for your agency (e.g., 'Acme Recruiting') and link to it from your site. Google trusts Wikipedia, this boosts your E-A-T and rankings for competitive keywords.
Most job postings read like corporate jargon. Yours should feel like a personalized pitch, using psychological triggers to convert passive candidates.
- **1. The 'FOMO' Headline** , Instead of 'Senior Software Engineer Needed', use 'Last Chance: $200K Remote Role at Series B Fintech (Only 3 Spots Left)'.
- **2. The 'Social Proof' Hook** , Add a testimonial from a similar candidate (e.g., 'I was skeptical, but Acme helped me land a $180K role at Google, here’s how').
- **3. The 'Salary Transparency' Opener** , Lead with the salary range (e.g., '$150K,$200K + Equity + Bonus'). Candidates skip postings without this.
- **4. The 'Problem-Agitate-Solve' Framework** , Structure your job description like this: - **Problem**: 'Tired of being underpaid at Big Tech?' - **Agitate**: 'Most engineers at FAANG companies make 30% less than market rate.' - **Solve**: 'We’re hiring Senior Engineers at $200K+ for a fintech disruptor.'
- **5. The 'Urgency CTA'** , Instead of 'Apply Now', use 'Only 2 Spots Left, Apply in the Next 48 Hours'.
- **6. The 'Video Pitch'** , Embed a 60-second video from the hiring manager (e.g., 'Why I’m excited to build this team'). Increases applications by 40%.
Title: 'Senior Software Engineer' Description: 'We’re hiring a Senior Software Engineer to join our team. Must have 5+ years of experience in Python and Django. Competitive salary and benefits.' CTA: 'Apply Now'
Title: 'Last Chance: $200K Remote Role at Series B Fintech (Only 3 Spots Left)' Description: 'Tired of being underpaid at Big Tech? Most engineers at FAANG companies make 30% less than market rate. We’re hiring Senior Engineers at $200K+ for a fintech disruptor backed by Sequoia. Here’s why this role is different: [Bullet points].' CTA: 'Only 2 Spots Left, Apply in the Next 48 Hours'
Add a 'Quick Apply' button that lets candidates submit their LinkedIn profile with one click. Reduces friction and increases applications by 50%.
Growth Model
This model assumes consistent content generation and basic backlink acquisition. ROI typically stabilizes within 90 days of full indexation.
