Job Aggregator

Table of Contents

• What is a job aggregator?
• Job Aggregator vs. Job Board
• Why use a job aggregator?
• How to optimize your job ad for an aggregator?
• Popular Job Aggregators

What is a job aggregator?

Job aggregators are essentially search engines for job ads. Job aggregators gather job postings from job boards and other internet sites and consolidate them into a single searchable interface (i.e. the aggregator). In essence, think of job aggregators like you think of Google, but only for job postings.

With each posting, job aggregators typically include information pertaining to where the aggregator sourced each posting--employer websites, job boards, professional association websites, etc. However, job aggregators do not include jobs posted on Craigslist.

Job aggregators also offer helpful sorting tools like part-time vs. full-time, hourly vs. salary, start date, etc.

Job Aggregator vs. Job Board

Job boards are websites where employers post jobs directly to the board. Job aggregators, on the other hand, are search engines that compile job postings from a wide range of websites, including job boards, into a single, searchable online interface.

Why use a job aggregator?

So why use an aggregator? Here are the most important reasons:

• More Comprehensive: Unlike job boards, which, because they require companies to post directly to the board, are often industry-specific, the function of a job aggregator is to find relevant positions in every nook and cranny on the internet. On the one hand, this means that the amount of information available on job aggregators can be overwhelming. On the other, it offers job seekers a more comprehensive job search.
• Save Time: Because aggregators consolidate job postings into a single site, job seeks can streamline their search into a single website.
• Hidden Gems: Because aggregators search beyond job boards, they provide the opportunity to find available positions job seekers would not have otherwise found via a more standard job board search. One of these hidden positions could be a candidate’s dream job!
• Easily diagnose the job market: Aggregators offer a quick and efficient way for anyone interested, whether they are looking for work or not, to gather a quick assessment of the job market in a particular field. Information pertaining to the quantity of jobs available, which companies are hiring, and so on can easily be derived from a simple aggregator search.

How to optimize your job ad for a job aggregator

How do employers ensure job aggregators catch their job postings in every relevant search? Here are some tips to optimize your job for aggregators:

• Make sure you utilize a keyword sensitive job ad: choosing the proper job keyword is essential. Make sure the one you select is the keyword most likely to be searched for by your desired potential candidates. Utilize Google’s Keyword Planner to ascertain the keyword with the most relevance and average monthly search volume for your job ad.
• Maximize keyword density in your ad: once you’ve selected the proper keyword, you need to make sure you use it throughout your job ad. The higher the keyword density in your job ad, the higher the chance the post will be listed at or near the top of job aggregator searches. Make sure, therefore, your keyword is included in the job title as well as throughout the job description. Your keyword should comprise a minimum of 2% of the words in the ad.
• Choose the right location for the position: job aggregators enable candidates to search for positions by location. Therefore, you should always list the location of your job posting for the nearest metropolitan area. Say, for example, your company is located just outside of a major city’s limits. Job seekers in your area are highly unlikely to search for positions in your specific town. They will instead use the nearest city to narrow their search. By doing so, job aggregators may leave your position out of relevant searches. Therefore, by utilizing the nearest metropole as your job’s location, you help ensure your job ad will be included in the widest possible range of relevant aggregator searches.
• Utilize the mass push function from other job boards: many job boards allow you to advertise your jobs on other job boards, including job aggregators. Enabling this function typically requires only a single click. Utilizing mass push expands the reach of your job ad. However, with mass push, you do not have much control over what content will appear on an aggregator, so be sure your ad is written with appropriate keyword density.
• Allow aggregators to pull from your career website: you should also consider allowing job aggregators to pull jobs from your career site. This will help ensure your open positions are included in aggregator searches. However, as with mass push functionality, by permitting aggregators to pull your jobs you also surrender some control over what information appears in aggregator searches. So, again, be sure your ad is written with appropriate keyword density.
• Use an XML feed to connect your jobs to aggregators: an XML feed automatically pushes your jobs to aggregators. HML feeds allow you to select all relevant information from your job posting, including keywords, location, job description, etc., and, with a single click, send that information to aggregators. For more on one common XML feed, click here.

Popular Job Aggregators

Here is a list of the largest and most common job aggregators:

• Indeed is the largest and one of the first job aggregators.
• SimplyHired is very similar to Indeed, but offers has more add-on applications for greater social media compatibility.
• CareerJet is also similar to Indeed, but is available in more countries and in more languages than SimplyHIred.
• LinkedIn Jobs is more than a career social media site, it also aggregates job postings.
• LinkUp is much smaller than Indeed, but its aggregator pulls jobs exclusively from company websites. Therefore, all of the jobs included in a LinkUp search are reliable. For this reason, many workers prefer LinkUp to other aggregators.