Looking for a job is never easy, but you’ll have a much better chance of landing your dream position if you take advantage of the wonders of SEO.
What in the world is SEO? Find out below!
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. Because most job recruiters and employers use search engines like Google or LinkedIn to find their employees, you naturally want to come up first when they do a search.
To do this, you can optimize your content to meet the standards and algorithms that search engines like Google have in place when they come up with search listings. In this case, “your content” means your resume, LinkedIn profile, website text, etc.
Most of how you use SEO has to do with using keywords. These are commonly searched for words or phrases that — if you have them strategically placed in your content — will ping your resume/profile/page to come up first when the keywords are searched for.
The 5 Ways Using SEO Will Help You Find a Job
Check out these awesome benefits of using SEO for your job search.
1. It makes you easier to find on search engines.
This is the most obvious way that SEO helps you. When you employ the tenets of great SEO, you’ll pop up first when people search for your target keywords and phrases. And of course, first is always better!
2. It helps recruiters find you on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is one of the top ways that recruiters and employers search for people to work with. You need to write content for your LinkedIn profile, so this is the perfect place to employ SEO techniques too.
3. It makes your content easier to read.
SEO works on two levels. First, it helps you become more locatable on the world wide web. Second, SEO also helps your content be more engaging and easier to read. It’s innate in its guidelines: if you streamline your content for SEO, focus the language on keywords and phrases, and chop the text up into easily digestible paragraphs, it will automatically make your writing better. Employers like that.
4. It gives you an edge.
Nearly all large companies use SEO, and some smaller businesses have caught on as well, but SEO still isn’t common among individual job seekers. If you can implement SEO into your resume, website, and LinkedIn profile, you’ll be a cut above the rest.
5. It let you market yourself without having to pay for the advertising.
Finally, remember that most advertising comes with some sort of price tag. Whether it’s hiring a headhunter for yourself or paying for access to open job pools, it’s not uncommon to have to shell out just to find a job.
But SEO is free. If you can master the art of this digital marketing strategy, you can find an amazing job without spending a dime.
Here’s how to do it:
How to Use SEO as a Job Seeker
To start using SEO to help you find a job, first, use relevant keywords and keyword phrases. Here’s where you need to do some research because there are different target keywords for different industries.
Most of the time, you should focus on using variations of your desired job title with variations of your desired work location. For example, if you want a job as a journalist in Milwaukee, you might try these keywords:
- reporter in Milwaukee
- journalists in Milwaukee, WI
- Wisconsin reporters
- Milwaukee, WI journalism position
Next, make sure to always cut to the chase and use succinct language so that your writing is easy to read. Do this by using headlines, bullet points, and lists to chop up your text.
Finally, always link to relevant sites when possible. And if you’re comfortable, share your resume on social media platforms.
The term SEO may seem daunting at first, but as you can see, it’s really quite a straightforward concept that anyone can employ. Try these tactics today and you’ll quickly notice how advantageous SEO can be for your job search.
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