Must see SEO advice for all Recruiters
This week I’m running a 5-part series on the five critical elements your recruitment website must have to surface in AI results like Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
Miss even one, and you risk disappearing from the next era of search.
We start with Structured Data - the machine-readable foundation that tells AI exactly who you are, what you do, and why you’re relevant.
TL;DR: Structured data (schema markup) is the language AI uses to understand and cite your content. Without it, your website is just a wall of unlabelled text to a machine - and you’re invisible to AI-led search.
Why It Matters:
➡️ AI tools parse structured data before text, it’s their shortcut to understanding you.
➡️ Schema connects your site to recognised entities (industries, job types, locations) that AI models already know.
➡️ Correct schema makes you eligible for rich AI placements, featured snippets, Google’s AI summaries, and PAA boxes.
How to Implement for Recruitment SEO:
1) Organization schema: include full name, logo, address, sectors served, awards, and accreditations. Link to external authoritative profiles (LinkedIn, Crunchbase, industry bodies).
2) FAQPage schema: mark up your top service, sector, and “about” pages with common client and candidate questions.
3) HowTo schema: perfect for interview tips, CV writing guides, onboarding processes.
4) Article schema: applied to all blogs and insights, including publish/updated dates and author details.
5) JobPosting schema: for all active roles, with correct expiry dates and jobLocation data.
6) BreadcrumbList schema: helps AI map site hierarchy.
Best Practices:
✅ Keep schema up to date - stale JobPosting schema harms trust.
✅ Use JSON-LD format (Google’s preferred).
✅ Validate regularly with Google’s Rich Results Test and Schema.org validator.
✅ Avoid “spammy” or misleading markup - it can result in penalties.
Key Takeaways:
- Schema isn’t a nice-to-have - it’s AI visibility infrastructure.
- Use it sitewide, not just on the homepage.
- Link your schema to credible external sources to strengthen trust.
FAQs:
Q: Can I just use a WordPress plugin for schema?
A: Plugins help, but recruitment schema often needs customisation to match your sector and job data.
Q: Does schema improve rankings directly?
A: No - but it improves eligibility for placements that drive high-quality traffic.
Q: Is JobPosting schema worth the effort?
A: Yes - it boosts both Google for Jobs and AI sourcing visibility.
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🙌 I’m Dan, an hashtagSEO consultant to the hashtagrecruitment sector, and one of the few already optimising for where search is heading, not where it’s been.
While others are still chasing blog titles and backlinks, I’m helping agencies get hashtagAI-ready, hashtagSGE-visible, and answer engine-proof.
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