August 2024 Google Core Update: A Game-Changer for Online Recruiting in the US

My name is Alexander, and I advise job boards, aggregators and ATS platforms on SEO, Google Jobs optimization and AI. As part of my work, I monitor Google for various signals related to ranking. Last week, I noticed some significant changes in the US that I want to share with the Job Board Doctor community this week.

The latest Google Core Update has significantly altered how job seekers interact with job-related search results in the US, potentially reshaping the online recruiting landscape. As someone who has been focusing on SEO for job boards and ATS platforms over the past five years, I was stunned.

Let me break down the key impacts and what they mean for job boards, applicant tracking systems (ATS), and job seekers.

Today, most job seekers search for jobs using keywords or combinations related to the job title, the job category, location and company.

Traditionally, job boards like Indeed dominated search results, even for brand-specific searches. This means that if you type “job title + location” after the sponsored results (which are often owned by large job boards), you usually see Indeed’s search result landing page (pages with jobs listed, like domain.com/marketing-jobs-in-london) on top of the search results. After the introduction of Google Jobs in 2017, the typical Search Engine Results Page (SERP) structure included sponsored links, Google Jobs, and organic results (often led by Indeed and other job boards). These results also applied to branded searches, where the user specifies the company name or provides a specific job title.

However, the August update has turned this on its head.

Here is what changed:

1. Prioritizing direct job links: Google now pushes single job links from company ATS platforms to the top of organic results for branded searches. This is a massive shift from previous practices. For example, searching for “product manager job openAI” in the US currently yields links to 5 job ads from the OpenAI ATS in the top 10!
2. Company career pages are prioritized: official career pages and ATS listings are now prominently featured, often above the Google Jobs feature.
3. Niche job boards get a boost: smaller, specialized job boards with detail-rich crafter search result pages are seeing improved visibility in search results, especially for precise branded searches.
4. Google Jobs placement varies: in cases where Google finds exact job matches to show in the organic search, the Google Jobs UX is not triggered.
5. Enhanced site links for ATS Pages: Google displays more detailed site links for ATS platforms, including direct job links and category pages, in the first result, maximizing their organic performance.

What This Means:

For job seekers: You’re more likely to find direct links to relevant positions and official company career pages, streamlining your job search process.

For employers: Your ATS and career pages now have a fighting chance against significant job boards in search results. It’s time to optimize these platforms for SEO.

For job boards: Niche players may see a traffic boost.

For ATS providers: There’s a newfound opportunity to drive traffic directly to your platform. Focusing on well-structured career sites with clear category pages could pay dividends.

For Indeed: The job search giant is losing its stronghold on branded searches, and its dominance is in danger.

Why the change, and why now?

Google’s goals for this update include showcasing more genuinely helpful content and connecting users with high-quality sites. By prioritizing direct job links and official career pages, Google seems to align with these objectives. Why send the job seeker to a search result page with jobs if there are exact jobs matching the search criteria?

While it’s too early to predict the long-term impact, one thing is clear: the online recruiting landscape is evolving. Employers, job boards, and ATS providers must stay agile and adapt their strategies to this new reality. As always, those who can quickly pivot and optimize for these changes will likely see the most significant benefits in our industry.

Ready to dive deeper? Read the full debrief from Alexander in the 3 parts listed below.

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Deep Dive

Part 3: Strategic meaning and conclusion

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