The Importance of Using the Right Keywords in your Craigslist Job Posting

Craigslist’s internal search engine functions like Google or Bing, ranking ads based on the day they were uploaded and the keywords in them. A Craigslist job posting that has words and terms commonly used by job seekers looking for a particular job will show up at the top of search results. The increased visibility translates to more responses, helping fill vacancies faster.

Any employer or staffing agency can benefit from the enhanced visibility

Craigslist receives over a million job listings a day, in several occupational categories, for part-time, gig, and permanent positions. When you create a Craigslist job posting, you’re automatically directed to a subdomain of your city or the closest large city near you. Geo-targeting is done for you and your ads appear to people searching for jobs in your city. But in a situation involving a number of competing employers for the same job, you’re likely to have a tough time being seen. That is, if you don’t optimize your job posting for keywords.

Keyword optimization supercharges high volume Craigslist job postings

The purpose of bulk posting is to acquire talent faster and gain leads for your ongoing recruitment needs. This is where you use a fully automated Craigslist job posting service to get your job ads up on the site in the shortest possible time. While bulk posting saves you time and gets your job ads out sooner to job seekers, it will show up prominently in job searches if it has been optimized with the right keywords. In other words, how you craft your job posts matters a great deal in attracting the kind of job seekers you’re looking for.

Use Google to find the right keywords for your Craigslist job postings

Apart from searching by job type, e.g., barber/stylist, transcriptionist, or cashier, job seekers perform searches based on aspects of the job. You already have a good idea of the words and phrases commonly used to search for jobs in your industry. You should include them in your Craigslist job post title and body, including bullet points.

For more ideas, consider using Google Keyword Planner. The tool will tell you what the high search volume keywords for your occupational category are. Not all of them may make sense for your job listing. Include those that do and monitor the performance of your ads to understand the impact of adding various sets of keywords for your Craigslist high volume job postings.

An example of using keywords in job postings on Craigslist

On the Tampa, FL subdomain on Craigslist and under the salon/spa/fitness category, a search for ‘stylist’ shows 20 results, with the most recent postings featuring at the top. Exact keyword matches and postings with related terms like ‘haircuts’, ‘hair stylist’, and ‘salons’ are part of the list. Among them is Lutz Hairstylist, which ranks at the bottom of the results for the keyword ‘stylist’ among 20 listings.

Alt text – Search results for stylist

Let’s say a job seeker performs a narrower search for stylists that explicitly mention tips in their job posting. Now Lutz is in the top three search results for ‘stylist + tips’. By specifically mentioning ‘wages 40%+ commission + tips’, Lutz provides information stylists want to see during their job search.

Alt text – Search results for stylist + tips

Another example is if the salon is trying to attract ambitious stylists seeking career advancement. Including it in the job description will help ensure it doesn’t miss out on job seekers who’re searching for prospective employers that offer it. If someone were to search for ‘stylist + advancement’, then Lutz Hairstylist would have the number one ranking.

Alt text – Search results for a narrower search

Use techniques that improve recruitment efficiency and results

Companies and staffing firms are increasingly using recruitment technologies and methods that increase hiring speed. The use of keywords in job listings and automated services for Craigslist high volume job postings are examples to note. If you think you can benefit from automated bulk posting or save time with manual job posting by a third-party, talk to us today.