Automotive shop owners and managers or anyone who hires technicians has felt the pinch of the technicians shortage. Hiring quality technicians is one of the biggest challenges shops face today.
In the chaos of job boards and social media, hiring managers may have heard marketing or recruiters chirp about the importance of SEO in recruiting, but what exactly is SEO and how can it help shops attract technician candidates?
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a website’s visibility on search engines such as Google and Microsoft Bing. When done correctly, SEO helps your website or job listing show up higher in search results, increasing the likelihood that job seekers will see it.
However, search engines are smart and constantly evolving, making it difficult to keep up with which strategies are best practices and which are now considered outdated.
In this article, we will focus on some simple SEO dos and don’ts for shop owners, managers, and HR professionals who need to hire technicians.
SEO Practices to Improve Technician Recruiting
Keyword optimization on job boards
Shops and dealerships who know how to effectively use keywords in their job postings are more likely to get their job ad in front of technicians. Keyword optimization means using your keyword or phrase (i.e., “automotive technician,” “diesel technician,” “master technician,” etc.) in the right places in your listing.
Choosing the right job title is key. It’s important to use the most common job title technicians are using to search for jobs.
Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind around with job titles:
- Avoid using abbreviations or shortened terms—both in the job title and when you use the job title throughout the posting (i.e., “tech” instead of “technician,” etc.).
- Don’t include additional terms in the job title (i.e., qualifications, sign-on bonuses, etc.)
- Use the job title naturally within the job listing several times, but do not OVERUSE it. This is called “keyword stuffing,” and it can potentially hurt your SEO and reduce the visibility of your job posting.
It’s also important not to water down your job posting with too many details. While the details are important, just focus on the main points in the job posting and provide a link for additional information to something like a Top Shop page.
Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile plays a major role in your online visibility, especially for local searches. Oftentimes, shop owners and managers only think about potential customers seeing their Google Business Profile, but technicians are paying attention too.
The best way to attract candidates with your Google Business Profile is by filling out as much information as possible to legitimize your business. A few specifics to include are:
- High quality photos: Add some photos that would appeal to candidates such as the service area and employees.
- Hours: Candidates will want to know at a quick glance the hours of operation.
- Google Reviews: Technicians will look at these as well. They want to work for a shop where customers are happy with the service they receive.
Mobile-friendly website
Nearly 90% of job seekers say mobile devices play a critical role in the job search process, and 35% of job seekers would prefer to apply for a job from their phone. This means it’s really important to make sure your website is easy to navigate on a mobile device.
Key elements to include on a mobile-optimized website:
- Simple navigation: Ensure that it’s easy for potential applicants to find your careers page or job listings with minimal clicks.
Fast load times: Mobile users expect quick load times, so make sure your website runs quickly and efficiently both on desktop and mobile. - Easy application process: Enable candidates to submit their resumes or applications via mobile. Consider simplifying your application process to avoid deterring qualified candidates with long forms.
Don’t Try to Compete With Google
When it comes to SEO for technician recruitment, it’s important to recognize that competing for top rankings on search engines, like Google, is an uphill battle. Google has their own job board, and these job listings will almost always be prioritized at the top of search results. On top of that, major job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter spend millions on paid ads and SEO to ensure their listings dominate the first page of search results.
For most automotive shops, it’s nearly impossible to compete with these giants when it comes to ranking high on Google for technician job searches. Instead of pouring time and resources into trying to rank at the top of search engines, focus on the things you can control, like focusing on optimizing your website and job board listings, and you’ll still see improvement in your technician recruiting.
