With job boards, social media, and career sites all battling for attention in the recruitment space, standing out can feel like shouting across a packed stadium. But what if you could position yourself where your ideal candidates are already looking? That’s where SEO comes in.

SEO is a game-changer for recruiters. When done right, it helps you attract top talent organically, reduce reliance on expensive job ads, and position your brand as the go-to employer in your industry. This is why you need to be using SEO as part of your marketing strategy for talent attraction.

Over 70% of job seekers start their search on Google. If your job listings and careers site aren’t optimised for SEO, you’re missing out on a large pool of potential applicants. SEO ensures your vacancies appear in front of the right people, improving talent attraction without costly ads.

Not all candidates are actively job hunting, therefore SEO with a focus on talent attraction allows you reach passive candidates by optimising content for searches like:

• “Best companies to work for in [your industry]”
• “Top salaries for [job role] in 2025”
• “What is it like to work at [your company]?”

By creating high-quality content around these topics, you can build brand awareness and attract top talent before they even start applying for jobs.

While SEO is not an overnight solution, investing in it now can reduce your reliance on paid advertising over time. Once your job listings and careers site rank well, you will get free, organic traffic from search engines.

Better candidate experience =more applications. SEO is not just about rankings, it is also about creating a better experience for your candidates. Think about it. If a job seeker lands on your careers page and it is slow, confusing or not mobile-friendly, they will leave. Google hates bad user experiences and so do candidates.

Good SEO practices include making your careers site fast and mobile-friendly, using clear, engaging job descriptions (not just a list of demands!) and adding structured data to ensure job postings appear properly in Google search results. When candidates have a smooth experience, they are more likely to apply and stick around.

Feeling excited about SEO but not sure where to start? Here are three quick wins:

Optimise Your Job Listings – Use keywords that job seekers are actually searching for. Think “Marketing Manager jobs in London” rather than just “Marketing Manager”.

Improve Your Careers Site – Make sure your site loads quickly, works on mobile and includes clear navigation to job openings.

Create Engaging Content – Start a blog or resource hub with articles that answer common career-related searches in your industry.

SEO is not a magic bullet but when used correctly, it can transform your recruitment strategy. It helps you attract more candidates, target passive job seekers, save money on ads and build a strong employer brand while improving the candidate experience.

So, why not start investing in SEO today? Your future hires are already searching for you.