Comments on: Buying Words in Google Searches to Gain an Edge in Recruiting http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/ Recruiting intelligence. Recruiting community. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:46:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Scott Raskiewicz http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1937 Scott Raskiewicz Tue, 12 Sep 2006 11:31:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1937 I am thinking of starting a paid jobs board. I need advise and recomendations for off-the-shelf software for this board. Must be able to bill the job poster (credit cards) and free to the candidate. I understand this is not a lot of information,sorry. I am a 25 year Executive Search owner have owned two search firms in the USA and not based in China. Tom Malooly CEO, Managing Consultant RightPeopleHR International Offices in Hong Kong SAR & Guangzhou China www.rightpeoplehr.com tommalooly@rightpeoplehr.com I am thinking of starting a paid jobs board. I need advise and recomendations for off-the-shelf software for this board. Must be able to bill the job poster (credit cards) and free to the candidate. I understand this is not a lot of information,sorry. I am a 25 year Executive Search owner have owned two search firms in the USA and not based in China.

Tom Malooly
CEO, Managing Consultant
RightPeopleHR International
Offices in Hong Kong SAR & Guangzhou China
http://www.rightpeoplehr.com
tommalooly@rightpeoplehr.com

]]> By: Stephen Fowler http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1886 Stephen Fowler Fri, 18 Aug 2006 03:58:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1886 Lot of information written here on the subject, so fortunately I do not need to go into the details thanks to John. What I thought I would say, is to let you all know I have tried this aproach a few months ago to find welders, just to see what happened. I couldnt believe it, it was one of my most successfull campaigns. I wouldnt use it exclusively but you should seriously consider. The great thing is that you do not need to spend much to see a result. Lot of information written here on the subject, so fortunately I do not need to go into the details thanks to John.

What I thought I would say, is to let you all know I have tried this aproach a few months ago to find welders, just to see what happened.

I couldnt believe it, it was one of my most successfull campaigns. I wouldnt use it exclusively but you should seriously consider. The great thing is that you do not need to spend much to see a result.

]]> By: Paul Forster http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1873 Paul Forster Mon, 14 Aug 2006 05:41:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1873 General search engines like Google offer just one avenue for pay-per-click recruitment advertising. Specialized (or vertical) search engines for jobs provide another avenue. On Indeed.com, for example, you can either buy keywords just like you can on general search engines, or you can sponsor your jobs which means you don't have to pick keywords or write advertising copy. Indeed's ad system automatically generates the PPC ads directly from your job descriptions and the ads then appear above the organic search results whenever the job matches users' job search queries. (disclosure: I'm the CEO & co-founder of Indeed.) Other vertical search engines for jobs - including Google Base - are almost certain to introduce specialized advertising services geared to classifieds. Get in early and benefit from great PPC prices on these new services before they are bid up! General search engines like Google offer just one avenue for pay-per-click recruitment advertising. Specialized (or vertical) search engines for jobs provide another avenue.

On Indeed.com, for example, you can either buy keywords just like you can on general search engines, or you can sponsor your jobs which means you don’t have to pick keywords or write advertising copy. Indeed’s ad system automatically generates the PPC ads directly from your job descriptions and the ads then appear above the organic search results whenever the job matches users’ job search queries. (disclosure: I’m the CEO & co-founder of Indeed.)

Other vertical search engines for jobs - including Google Base - are almost certain to introduce specialized advertising services geared to classifieds. Get in early and benefit from great PPC prices on these new services before they are bid up!

]]> By: Master Burnett http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1869 Master Burnett Mon, 14 Aug 2006 04:38:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1869 While I realize that only a minor portion of the previous post pertains to editorial influence for sale, for the record, Dr. John Sullivan & Associates in not now nor has it ever been a vendor to Google. While we the authors personally know a number of people who work at Google including former students, we count among our friends an equal number of people who work for both Yahoo and MSN parent Microsoft. Dr. John Sullivan accepts relatively few advisory services clients each year, and as many former clients would attest, simply paying professional service fees does not always ensure positive press from Dr. John Sullivan. Editorial influence is not now, nor has it ever been for sale! Now, with regards to the rest of the previous post, making decisions based purely on economics is a common practice in antiquated HR functions world-wide, and not one any strategic marketing professional worth their weight in salt would advise in this case. Professional marketers understand the concept of yield modeling and demographic profiling, each of which should be used to help determine potential recruiting channels. Yield modeling is a forecasting method that can be used to predict what percentage of inputs into any conversion process will survive as outputs. In this case, it would be used to forecast the number of clicks required to generate a single hire. Like all conversion processes, the larger the initial inflow, the greater the probability of desired outflow. With more than 60% of the search market, it MIGHT be true that other channels would not generate sufficient traffic to drive a complete conversion cycle. It is also probable that decrease initial volume of clicks would increase the cycle time required to complete a conversion. Since we know that vacancies, particularly those in key positions, cost organizations thousands of dollars, I doubt paying an extra $0.10 per click would make a huge impact! The other marketing concept you must understand with regards to this article is a topic that would have generated a much different response to this post, that being demographic profiling. Had Glenn stated that professional recruiters should evaluate and match the demographic profile of the typical search engine user to the type of search being conducted, I would have applauded his post. Sites like AOL and Ask account for less than 6% of the total search market. It is entirely possible that they service a very specific slice of the general population, and therefore would be capable of generating a much more targeted campaign assuming you needed to reach that slice. While I realize that only a minor portion of the previous post pertains to editorial influence for sale, for the record, Dr. John Sullivan & Associates in not now nor has it ever been a vendor to Google. While we the authors personally know a number of people who work at Google including former students, we count among our friends an equal number of people who work for both Yahoo and MSN parent Microsoft. Dr. John Sullivan accepts relatively few advisory services clients each year, and as many former clients would attest, simply paying professional service fees does not always ensure positive press from Dr. John Sullivan. Editorial influence is not now, nor has it ever been for sale!

Now, with regards to the rest of the previous post, making decisions based purely on economics is a common practice in antiquated HR functions world-wide, and not one any strategic marketing professional worth their weight in salt would advise in this case. Professional marketers understand the concept of yield modeling and demographic profiling, each of which should be used to help determine potential recruiting channels.

Yield modeling is a forecasting method that can be used to predict what percentage of inputs into any conversion process will survive as outputs. In this case, it would be used to forecast the number of clicks required to generate a single hire. Like all conversion processes, the larger the initial inflow, the greater the probability of desired outflow. With more than 60% of the search market, it MIGHT be true that other channels would not generate sufficient traffic to drive a complete conversion cycle. It is also probable that decrease initial volume of clicks would increase the cycle time required to complete a conversion. Since we know that vacancies, particularly those in key positions, cost organizations thousands of dollars, I doubt paying an extra $0.10 per click would make a huge impact!

The other marketing concept you must understand with regards to this article is a topic that would have generated a much different response to this post, that being demographic profiling. Had Glenn stated that professional recruiters should evaluate and match the demographic profile of the typical search engine user to the type of search being conducted, I would have applauded his post. Sites like AOL and Ask account for less than 6% of the total search market. It is entirely possible that they service a very specific slice of the general population, and therefore would be capable of generating a much more targeted campaign assuming you needed to reach that slice.

]]> By: Joel Cheesman http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1868 Joel Cheesman Mon, 14 Aug 2006 04:20:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1868 I'm so happy someone of Sullivan's stature picked this as a topic (and yes, it was about time!) I don't want to complicate this issue too much and scare anyone from starting an AdWords account, but a key ingredient to PPC advertising is tracking. Know what you're getting for your money, or you might be throwing it down the drain. Hire a professional if you're unsure about how to proceed with a competent strategy encompassing major search engines. - j P.S. Glenn, I'm not a featured article contributor for ERE, so writing such an article wasn't in the cards. However, Cheezhead covers these topics regularly. I’m so happy someone of Sullivan’s stature picked this as a topic (and yes, it was about time!)

I don’t want to complicate this issue too much and scare anyone from starting an AdWords account, but a key ingredient to PPC advertising is tracking. Know what you’re getting for your money, or you might be throwing it down the drain.

Hire a professional if you’re unsure about how to proceed with a competent strategy encompassing major search engines.

- j

P.S. Glenn, I’m not a featured article contributor for ERE, so writing such an article wasn’t in the cards. However, Cheezhead covers these topics regularly.

]]> By: Jason Gorham http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1867 Jason Gorham Mon, 14 Aug 2006 04:00:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1867 John, we have been doing this exact form of advertising with our Patent Pending Product called Push Posting. The technology extracts keywords from jobs and then inserts them into search engine marketing. Some words of wisdom, even though you outlined how to create a new ppc account and insert keywords and bids it's not that easy and that's what the search engines want you to believe. Having spent thousands of dollars with Google with little to results I learned this the hard way. You see they are a pay per click engine, they are not a pay per applicant, nor a pay per sale engine. So a lot of landing page analytics, ad copy creation and keyword selection go into the right mix that will capture a passive candidate. Another thing to consider is when you push these ads out, people aren't ready for them so maybe they don't have a resume handy or have one created at all, and this is another problem we have solved as well. Other than that great article and thanks for reinforcing our model. John, we have been doing this exact form of advertising with our Patent Pending Product called Push Posting. The technology extracts keywords from jobs and then inserts them into search engine marketing. Some words of wisdom, even though you outlined how to create a new ppc account and insert keywords and bids it’s not that easy and that’s what the search engines want you to believe. Having spent thousands of dollars with Google with little to results I learned this the hard way. You see they are a pay per click engine, they are not a pay per applicant, nor a pay per sale engine. So a lot of landing page analytics, ad copy creation and keyword selection go into the right mix that will capture a passive candidate. Another thing to consider is when you push these ads out, people aren’t ready for them so maybe they don’t have a resume handy or have one created at all, and this is another problem we have solved as well. Other than that great article and thanks for reinforcing our model.

]]> By: Edward Proctor http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1866 Edward Proctor Mon, 14 Aug 2006 03:14:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1866 Hi, A good way to work out which keywords will be most effective is to use the tools within http://adwords.google.com. Usually, this site is used to create a sponsored ad that will appear when a search engine user uses certain keywords (and this is highly recommended as a very effective way of getting well-targeted sales leads to your Web site, if used correctly). However, I tend to use it simply to find out which keywords I should use in my research, without ever buying a sponsored ad. -Ed Hi,

A good way to work out which keywords will be most effective is to use the tools within http://adwords.google.com. Usually, this site is used to create a sponsored ad that will appear when a search engine user uses certain keywords (and this is highly recommended as a very effective way of getting well-targeted sales leads to your Web site, if used correctly). However, I tend to use it simply to find out which keywords I should use in my research, without ever buying a sponsored ad.

-Ed

]]> By: Jon Williamson http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1865 Jon Williamson Mon, 14 Aug 2006 03:13:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1865 Great article! As a Google Publisher (I host Google Ads on several websites), I'd like to throw in some thoughts. 1. Do not forget that your ads will also be appearing on many, many websites that are related to your subject words. 2. You can search for websites that are related to your terms and specifically request your ads to appear on them. 3. Really, fully research your keywords. 50 keywords with small search volumes, that cost you 5 cents per click, can be a lot more effective than a single keyword that costs you $1.50 per click. 4. Here is a great Google Tool to use in researching Keyword values and frequency of searches: https://adwords.google.com/select/keywordtoolexternal I'm always happy to help people who are directly connected to me on LinkedIn with ideas on Search Engine traffic. I don't do SEO for others on a paid basis. Sincerely, Jon Williamson IT Manager, Webmaster, Candidate Recruiting Williamson Employment Services, Inc. 213 Hilltop Rd. St. Joseph, MI 49085 Are you LinkedIn? If so, send me a connection request! If not, visit my profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamson for information. My Main Phone: 269-353-4735 Fax: 269-983-8955 Cell Phone: 269-325-5559 Corporate Office: 269-983-0142 or 800-226-6801 Skype: williamson_jon Gtalk: williamsonjon email: jw@williamsonemployment.com Other IM contact information available on request Great article!

As a Google Publisher (I host Google Ads on several websites), I’d like to throw in some thoughts.

1. Do not forget that your ads will also be appearing on many, many websites that are related to your subject words.

2. You can search for websites that are related to your terms and specifically request your ads to appear on them.

3. Really, fully research your keywords. 50 keywords with small search volumes, that cost you 5 cents per click, can be a lot more effective than a single keyword that costs you $1.50 per click.

4. Here is a great Google Tool to use in researching Keyword values and frequency of searches:

https://adwords.google.com/select/keywordtoolexternal

I’m always happy to help people who are directly connected to me on LinkedIn with ideas on Search Engine traffic. I don’t do SEO for others on a paid basis.

Sincerely,

Jon Williamson IT Manager, Webmaster, Candidate Recruiting

Williamson Employment Services, Inc.
213 Hilltop Rd.
St. Joseph, MI 49085

Are you LinkedIn? If so, send me a connection request!
If not, visit my profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamson for information.

My Main Phone: 269-353-4735
Fax: 269-983-8955
Cell Phone: 269-325-5559
Corporate Office: 269-983-0142 or 800-226-6801
Skype: williamson_jon
Gtalk: williamsonjon
email: jw@williamsonemployment.com

Other IM contact information available on request

]]> By: Glenn Gutmacher http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1864 Glenn Gutmacher Mon, 14 Aug 2006 03:01:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2006/08/14/buying-words-in-google-searches-to-gain-an-edge-in-recruiting/#comment-1864 The authors of the 8/14/06 ERE Daily column say that they picked Google as their only search engine example to illustrate the keyword-purchase recruiting concept because it is the largest and the only one to have a market share gain in the past year. I'm sure it also has a bit to do with their firm's consulting relationship with Google, but that's not my main problem with only focusing on Google. It is precisely because the other major search engines are not as popular (at the moment) that it may make economic sense to use them instead: If I am paying per click, but I have to compete against a greater number of potential purchasers of my desired keywords, then I will have to bid MORE per click in order to appear among the top ad links on the page, which are much more likely to be seen than the ones that appear further down the page. So my ad is less likely to be clicked even in the cases where it appears on a search result page for a relevant searcher -- and I have to pay more per click for it! On the other hand, if I buy a keyword on a less-popular search engine, then I'm not competing with as many advertisers, which means I can bid LESS per click to appear among the top ad links on the page, and thus are more likely to be seen, and more likely to be clicked. So, Master and Dr. John, if you disagree, maybe you'd be willing to put up a little of your Google money to compare campaign results between the search engines to see if Google indeed merits the exclusive attention you gave it in your article? P.S. Is Joel Cheesman upset with himself that he didn't write an ERE piece on the topic of this column first, as Mr. HRSEO? The authors of the 8/14/06 ERE Daily column say that they picked Google as their only search engine example to illustrate the keyword-purchase recruiting concept because it is the largest and the only one to have a market share gain in the past year. I’m sure it also has a bit to do with their firm’s consulting relationship with Google, but that’s not my main problem with only focusing on Google.

It is precisely because the other major search engines are not as popular (at the moment) that it may make economic sense to use them instead: If I am paying per click, but I have to compete against a greater number of potential purchasers of my desired keywords, then I will have to bid MORE per click in order to appear among the top ad links on the page, which are much more likely to be seen than the ones that appear further down the page. So my ad is less likely to be clicked even in the cases where it appears on a search result page for a relevant searcher — and I have to pay more per click for it!

On the other hand, if I buy a keyword on a less-popular search engine, then I’m not competing with as many advertisers, which means I can bid LESS per click to appear among the top ad links on the page, and thus are more likely to be seen, and more likely to be clicked. So, Master and Dr. John, if you disagree, maybe you’d be willing to put up a little of your Google money to compare campaign results between the search engines to see if Google indeed merits the exclusive attention you gave it in your article?

P.S. Is Joel Cheesman upset with himself that he didn’t write an ERE piece on the topic of this column first, as Mr. HRSEO?

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