Should you be worried about SEO as a job seeker?

An SEO-optimized resume and LinkedIn profile can help boost job seekers’ chances of surfacing in recruiters’ searches for roles. To enhance SEO in both, look at job titles and descriptions, pull keywords from them, and incorporate them. Including keywords in your job search document can be a game-changer.?

By Brandi Fowler

Can utilizing SEO in your job search documents help boost your chances of landing a job?

The short answer appears to be yes.?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, helps you rank higher on Google or search engines, and the same can be true for job applications when you incorporate it into your resume, LinkedIn profile, etc.?

“I don't think you should be worried about SEO as a job seeker, but it is definitely something you should take into consideration,” said SEO manager and job board operator Jon Shields. “There is a lot of talk about SEO for job search, and it's usually about getting your main job title on your resume to come up in whatever ATS [applicant tracking system] search (a company is using).?

“But one thing that job seekers should take from SEO practices is the research component of it. SEO isn't just about being the top hit for one obvious search term. It requires research to determine variations of those terms and related searches to the term and the searcher's intent.”

Since job titles for similar roles can vary from company to company or between industries, job seekers can research alternative job titles or different jobs with transferable skills, which can help broaden their reach in their job search, Shields said.

He also recommended browsing all jobs across company career pages to spark ideas and searching for your hard skills and day-to-day duties on job boards to see what jobs come up, rather than just searching for their job title.?

Find My Profession chief operating officer Lindsay Duston also said job seekers should be concerned about SEO, adding that for a resume to pass through the applicant tracking system, it needs to be SEO-optimized for the job posting.

“You have to have the appropriate keywords within the resume for it to be parsed through the system, for it to show that you are a qualified candidate for the role,” Duston said. “If you don't have those keywords on your resume, then it may not make it through the system, because you won't look qualified for the role.”

Identify The Role You Want to Incorporate SEO as a Job Seeker

Start by having a clear job search target. Know the jobs you want to pursue. That can be vital to creating an SEO-optimized resume and LinkedIn profile, Duston said.?

“If you are first saying, ‘I don't really know what I want to do,’ then SEO is just going to confuse you because it's not going to be effective for you,” Duston said. “So, first you have to know what you want to do.”?

If you feel stumped by SEO, consider looking for resources specifically geared toward SEO for job seekers and resumes, Duston said. Keyword optimization for job seekers works as well.

How to Incorporate SEO Into Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile as a Job Seeker

SEO may sound intimidating if you are unfamiliar with the ins and outs.

But, the focus is to make sure you are structuring your resume and LinkedIn profile in a way that “plays friendly” with the different search engines you will encounter, Shields said.?

“Most of the time when people talk about SEO, they're talking about Google or broad internet searches, but there are a number of different searches that are in our job search, whether it is a LinkedIn recruiter search or an applicant tracking system search or something like that,” Shields said. “So all of the same rules kind of apply.?

“We don't know as much about the logistics of those as we do about Google, but it has a lot of similar principles and practices. So it's just being aware of how people are searching for you and trying to fit into that ecosystem a little bit better.”

You will see how companies have listed titles of roles you want once you generate more job titles you are qualified for, Shields said. You can then add those titles to your LinkedIn profile, in your headline or summary to help you pop up in more searches and attract recruiters/hiring managers.?

Look at a few different job postings when you first create or revamp your resume and pull keywords from there, Duston said.?

“Sometimes a job posting will throw you a curveball,” Duston said. “So that's why it's really important to look at the job posting each time you submit for a position and make sure that your resume matches it and has those keywords.?

“Not a direct copy and paste of the job posting, but has the relevant keywords for the position itself. One of the things is usually the title on the job posting, and then the core competencies that you find throughout the posting.”

Making sure your LinkedIn profile is SEO optimized is just as important as your resume, Duston said.?

“It will not only bring you higher in the results when someone is searching for a certain role, but it will also flag you for certain positions,” Duston said. “And it's good for networking because the first thing they will do is look at your profile. A lot of times they'll look right at the tagline or the headline, or they'll scan your skills and endorsements, which are your keywords. Networking is crucial for getting a position now.”

Cover letters aren’t as important to focus on since they won’t get parsed through ATS systems as resumes do, Duston said. However, incorporating keywords on cover letters helps because a hiring manager will look at the letter the way an ATS may look at SEO keywords.

Incorporate SEO but Make Your Resume Interesting to Read as a Job Seeker?

Include SEO but don’t make your resume bland because of it, Shields said.?

“What you don't want to do is fall into the old SEO content trap of overseeing your content with too many keywords and to the point where it's not readable by a human,” Shields said. “It's not pleasant to read that you are obviously trying to game the system a little bit.”

Strike a balance by narrowing your list of job titles in industries that you are most interested in and picking the top few to emphasize in your job search materials or LinkedIn profile, Shields said.

You could also read your resume out loud after you write it and “figure out how ridiculous you sound” if it is overrun by SEO keywords.?

“If you could imagine someone else on the other end reading that and kind of rolling their eyes a little bit, then that's probably a bad sign that you should dial it back a little,” Shields said.?

Top Takeaways

Should you be worried about SEO as a job seeker?

• Job seekers should make sure their resumes and LinkedIn profiles are SEO-optimized to help them surface more frequently when recruiters and hiring managers search for roles.?
• Research job titles and put keywords from them in your resume and LinkedIn profile title or summary.?
• Also, look at job descriptions and pull keywords from those for your resume and LinkedIn profile.?
• Incorporate SEO, but make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile are interesting to read.?