Google for Jobs is here already. But are your jobs all ready for Google?

Here’s a fun fact. 30% of all Google searches are job-related (don’t believe me? Google it).

A couple months ago Google rolled out its latest search feature, Google for Jobs, an AI-powered job search engine in Canada. Google for Jobs is a streamlined, one stop shop that helps candidates search and find their next career move by aggregating job listings from multiple search engines (including LinkedIn, Monster, WayUp, DirectEmployers, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, and Facebook to name a few).

Finding a job can often be a very difficult task for candidates, and job postings are often scattered and hidden away in the darkest corners of the internet. And sometimes candidates will find your postings through a job aggregator, then have to click a couple times through multiple pages to land at an application page — which is a messy and fragmented experience. The result is that job seekers are lost in the candidate experience searching through multiple websites, posting aggregators and outdated postings often finding themselves looking at jobs they aren’t right fit for, or not finding the right job at all.

“Google for Job’s improved search function promises to resolve the big disconnect between hiring companies and jobseekers by matching more relevant job positions to users individual search requests” — Google CEO Sunder Pichai

Of course, Google for Jobs might not sound like a disruptive technology, but you’ve got to know that Google has the data, and the expertise in search-based algorithms and can combine these to build smarter machine learning capabilities. This means that you’ve got to get ahead of the curve and make sure your jobs are ranking on Google. Here are the three most important questions you need to consider in order to take full advantage of Google for Jobs.

Is the Google for Jobs schema implemented on your website?

In order to have your pages rank on Google, you’ve got to make sure your pages play nicely with Google. Whether you post or aggregate your listings on your website through an ATS or job board or you use a third-party to post listings , Google will make sure your jobs appear in search. What you’ll need to do is ensure your website can be easily crawled by Google bots. This includes implementing structured data to all listings, creating sitemaps and activating Google Analytics.

The benefits of structuring your job listings data works two-fold. First, it provides a more consistent experience for your candidates to get the relevant information they need right on your job listings. And secondly, it improves your ability to attract the candidates you’re looking for through a more targeted search. We’ve talked about how your career page is dead before, and now more than ever, your job postings will be the place your candidates go to learn about your company, your jobs, and your opportunities.

Here’s some food for thought. Only 8.5% of web traffic makes it beyond the first page of Google results, meaning 91.5% of all clicks happen on the first page only. So, what Google shows first is what candidates are clicking. Updating, tailoring and branding your listings with consistency will ensure that you’re providing a better experience for candidates that are searching for jobs. And will mean that your content is ranking more highly than organizations going after the exact same top talent you are. Make sure your candidates have the best possible chance of clicking you!

Are your job postings detailed?

Another Google for Jobs feature is its new filtering options. The more information you can provide about a job such as the location, salary, and benefits — the better Google will be able to scrape and rank your jobs pages so they appear in candidate searches. Providing detailed information isn’t only a benefit for Google either. The more information you can provide to candidates, the more informed they are when it comes to making the decision to apply.

A simple example is, if you don’t include information about your job’s location, then the role won’t rank for users that are filtering by commute time. Thus, you’ll be minimizing your applicant pool and missing out on traffic (pun intended).

By adding more detail to your job postings you completely avoid something I like to call the “but by the way” effect. The “but by the way” effect is when you discover something awesome that you really like… but, by the way… there’s a something about it that makes it a no-go. This happens ALL THE TIME in job postings. Candidates find amazing job opportunities, with great benefits and fulfilling work…but, by the way… the commute is going to be 2 hours both there and back. Providing more targeted and detailed information will ultimately curb the “but by the way” effect, and fill your funnel with more qualified candidates.

The simple rule of thumb here is: the more information you provide, the more results you’ll feature in.

Is your application process simple?

I don’t know who designed the application process… but I do know it wasn’t designed by someone who was looking for a job for the simple fact that the application process is so clunky, disjointed and an overall terrible experience. Ultimately, Google for Jobs’ goal is to streamline the job search process for most candidates, however, most application processes aren’t designed with the same goal in mind. Updating your application process, or at least making it easier for candidates, will improve the overall online application experience.

Non-streamlined application processes are a major turn away for candidates. Research shows that 30% of candidates refuse to spend more than 15 minutes on an application, so, by reducing the number of clicks and amount of time needed for a candidate to apply, you are much more likely to encourage job seekers to convert.

Having to create an account, to then upload your resume, to have to re-input the information again in the least user-friendly interface is the absolute worst. Furthermore, more than 50% of all searches happen on mobile and that 40% of people only search on a smartphone, so having a mobile-friendly application process will allow your job seekers to more easily apply which will increase your conversion rate.

If you’ve answered “Yes” to all these questions. Congrats, you’re a Google superstar. If not, you’ve now got insightful data, with actionable answers to help top talent search for you, instead of you having to search for top talent.