Did you know nearly 46% of all Google searches are seeking local information?
And, an incredible 88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit a listed business within 24 hours.
Due to the rise in voice search and better location tracking, local search is increasingly more convenient and helpful for potential clients to use for research. Therefore, no matter what type of business you have, local search results are vital to your success as a business now more than ever.
That’s especially true for recruiters who are often regionally focused. From Google My Business to mentions on other websites, there’s a lot recruiting agencies can do to improve their local search rankings with locally-focused marketing.
Recruiter directories provide an excellent stream of referral traffic, but they also can boost your visibility on Google’s first page. Here’s how listings in directories can get you that coveted position.
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How does local SEO for recruiters work?
Over 90% of all internet searches in the United States are done on Google. That means having a strong presence on local Google results is vital to any recruiting business’s success.
Local SEO works to get your recruiting firm to the top of local search results and Google Maps suggestions. If successful, you’ll be at the top of a list like this:
And when someone clicks on your business, they’ll see something like this that takes them right to your website and provides accurate contact information.
Local SEO means more inbound leads, without you having to publish anything on social media or pay for those expensive Google Ads.
And it all starts with an accurate and well maintained Google My Business (GMB) profile. Google established GMB profiles to help local businesses compete with the big chains when it comes to local search traffic and Google Maps suggestions.
By responding to reviews, posting statuses, pictures, and more, you can build your GMB profile to a point where it helps your local search rankings—but that’s just the beginning.
Google’s Three Factors
Google has established that three factors determine its local search results: relevance, distance, and prominence. So in order to improve your local search rankings, local SEO services focus on improving all three of these factors for your business.
Distance
Distance is just like it sounds. How far is your business from the location term in the search? The closer, the better. This matters for staffing firms that only have one location, but serve clientele nationwide.
Your local SEO rankings could be hurt by the lack of proximity of your business to the search in question. There’s not much you can do to fix that, other than improving the other two factors that determine local results.
Relevance
Relevance is how well your listing matches a given search. For example, if you have a Chicago based executive search firm, you might rank better in local listings for “Chicago executive search agency” than just “Chicago staffing agency.”
Relevance can be enhanced in many ways; for example, you can add more specialized service pages that have targeted keywords that improve relevance for local search queries.
Prominence
Prominence has to do with how well known a business is. According to Google, prominence is based on your firm’s “links, articles, and directories,” as well as your position in web results for similar queries.
For example, here’s a local search from Scottsdale, AZ, for the keyword “staffing agency near me.”
As you can see, Frontline Source Group has the top spot in the regular organic search results below, as well as the third spot in the local search results, despite being further away from the query than the competition.
That illustrates that in order to build prominence, you’re going to need an in-depth SEO strategy. Employing everything from maintaining accurate NAP (name, address, and phone number) citations to improving site speed and content marketing is vital if you want to rank in local search.
So, how does Local SEO work for recruiting firms? It improves all three of the factors Google says help local search rankings in order to bring more local traffic to recruiters’ websites.
What are citations?
Citations are online references to your business that include the all-important: NAP (NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER). The more citations your business has, the more chances you have of locking down customers.
Here’s an example of what a citation might look like.
This one is from the American Staffing Association, and as you can see, the business has the firm’s NAP, along with a Google Maps directions link, and a direct link to their site.
If you’re looking for general directories to list your business, try your local Chamber of Commerce or business associations. These organizations work to support local small businesses.
Beyond that, there are a variety of other directories your business might secure online citations including:
- Apple Maps
- Bing
- YellowPages.com
- Whitepages
- Better Business Bureau
- Foursquare
- Yahoo!
Citations are an easy way to improve your organic website traffic, bringing in more local customers. So don’t wait, get your NAP in as many directories as possible.
Recruiter Directories
The best citations for recruiters come from recruiter specific directories. In particular, recruiting industry associations are some of the best spots to land a citation.
Recently more and more private directories have popped up and quickly become some of the most frequented and valuable spots for recruiters.
These include sites like Security Recruiter Online and the Online Recruiters’ Directory.
Still, the best example of a recruiter directory is the American Staffing Association (ASA). Employers will often go to a directory like the one at the American Staffing Association because they know all member agencies are legitimate, quality businesses.
When employers go to ASA’s site, they’ll find a page like this where they can search through ASA’s huge database to find qualified recruiters.
Just check out the results in the Scottdale, AZ area. You can see how valuable getting a spot here could be for your business.
Landing a position in these directories not only helps improve local search traffic but also builds brand awareness and improves your backlink profile.
Top 10 Directories for Recruiting Firms
Recruiter directories are one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to get quality citations and improve your recruiting website’s local search rankings. And all you have to do is input your information and, at times, pay a small fee.
Here are the top 10 recruiter directories your firm should consider being a part of:
American Staffing Association
It all starts with the American Staffing Association (ASA). This is the largest and most well-known recruiter specific directory on the internet. It’s a members-only organization, but joining is worth it just for the chance to be given a citation on such a high domain authority site alone.
Recruiter.com
Recruiter.com runs the Recruiter Magazine, offers a number of recruiting services, and also has one of the largest directories for independent recruiters. This directory may not be for most recruiting firms, but if you’re an independent recruiter, it’s a great option.
Association of Executive Search Consultants
The Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) provides education, insights, and training programs for executive recruiters. It’s a members-only organization, like the ASA, but its directory and the network it provides are invaluable for executive recruiters.
Online Recruiter’s Directory
The Online Recruiter’s Directory is a great resource for hiring managers and job seekers. And that makes it ideal as a citation for recruiters. Applying to be a part of the directory is quick and painless.
Security Recruiter Online Directory
With the rise of cybersecurity threats, data security recruiting has been booming. If you’re looking to take advantage of the trend, think of landing a citation in the Security Recruiter Online Directory.
National Association of Personnel Services
The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) provides another member’s only directory for both independent recruiters and recruiting firms. NAPS is a great recruiter directory because it offers a keyword search function for potential employers instead of just a geographic search.
MarketingHire.com
If you’re a recruiting firm or independent recruiter that specializes in marketing, there’s really only one option for recruiter directories. MarketingHire.com has the market cornered for this niche of recruiting.
Legal Recruiter Directory
Just like with MarketingHire.com, the Legal Recruiter Directory has taken the niche approach and boasts the largest legal only recruiter directory on the net.
CareerConnectionsNJ.gov
The state of New Jersey, along with a few others, provide online recruiter directories as a part of their career services. This is a great spot to get a citation, free of charge—but of course, you have to operate in New Jersey.
Find A Recruiter
Find a Recruiter is operated by Recruiters Online Network (RON). It’s a great place for both independent recruiters and firms to get listed. The site also has recruiters from Canada, Mexico, the UK, and a number of other countries.
Unlock the full scope of local SEO to compete with the staffing industry’s biggest players
Local SEO lets any sized business compete with the likes of Robert Half or Adecco. By appearing on Google’s first page when local clients search for staffing near them, you avoid needing a huge marketing budget to afford visibility through paid ads.
The fact is an astonishing 92% of searchers will pick businesses on the first page of local search results. If you want to tap into that business, you’ll need to strengthen local SEO through citations in recruiter directories and a powerfully optimized Google My Business profile.
Schedule a consultation and find out more about how SEO can help your staffing business today!
Markitors is an SEO digital marketing company. We work with small businesses to rank their websites higher on Google, resulting in more traffic and leads. Explore what’s in our SEO toolbox: audits and keyword research, digital PR, technical SEO, and local SEO.
