The UK recruitment market is highly congested, with over 40,000 firms at the last count. This means that, for all but the most niche organisations, there are several competitors to differentiate themselves from. In addition, the digitalised nature of the modern world and hiring market means that standing out is essential. Producing regular, optimised blog content is one way to not only position an agency and its consultants as experts in their field but also to push them up in organic search rankings and improve visibility. However, developing concepts and themes can be a challenging and potentially overwhelming task. With this in mind, how do recruitment marketers go about developing engaging blog topics for agencies that boost SEO?
While it’s important to produce regular blogs, there is no point in doing so just for the sake of it, and instead, agency marketers should aim to develop content that not only improves search engine visibility but also actively engages the target audience.
HubSpot research found that nearly half of buyers viewed three to five pieces of content before making a sales decision, meaning crafting original or timely material that consistently aligns with their pain points, challenges and interests, and performs well, is key. Marketers must understand what their target audiences are searching for, and in what way, and then develop their blog topics accordingly from there. The content doesn’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel, but must tap into the challenges and areas of focus facing potential clients and candidates.
One of the most effective ways of learning about true customer challenges is to work with sales teams who will have more regular touchpoints with them than anyone else. For example, if clients keep mentioning evolving salary expectations or are posing questions to consultants about whether remote working impacts candidate loyalty, for example, then these arguably should be areas of focus for upcoming blog topics. Equally, there are also several digital tools that enable marketers to understand their customers' topics of preference. Platforms like Google Analytics, SEMRush and Answer the Public can all offer insights and data that can be leveraged to ascertain the most effective areas of focus.
It can be tempting to fall back on broader subjects such as ‘how to attract top talent’ or ‘how to write a good CV’, but these topics offer far less value than more niche ones. There’s nothing wrong with the generalist material, but it must be elevated with more specific, detailed and tailored posts where there is less competition for keywords, and those searching for subjects are often further along the sales funnel, and closer to taking action. This is where doing customer research can really pay off, and aids both SEO and engagement – with target audiences far more likely to seek out specific topics, over broader ones.
Most agencies are unknowingly sitting on masses of relevant data that can be utilised for a range of content types and externally in the media (which we will cover in future blog posts). Information on placement trends, salary ranges, and candidate drop-off rates are just some of the insights that can be converted into compelling content. They generally perform well with audiences because they’re insightful and verifiable, but also in SEO terms due to their originality and shareable nature.
Even relatively simplistic ideas like quarterly breakdowns of placement activity, with insights on what it says about the wider market, can perform well and provide additional foundations for regular follow-up pieces in the future.
While a core part of SEO is related to keywords and aligning with search engine algorithms, other key metrics include time on page, bounce rates and shareability data. Essentially, content that actually engages audiences will perform well, and real-life case studies are a perfect place to start. All agencies will have examples of where they’ve aided clients and helped them to overcome skills gaps, for example, and converting these stories into real-life posts helps to build trust and appeal to decision-makers, as well as providing compelling material that keeps readers engaged.
Another great source of potential blog topics is reacting to relevant news-related subjects, such as industry trends or government announcements. Speed is of the essence here, as is providing an authentic commentary to complement news stories. The most effective approach to agencies is to comment or respond to a larger-scale, ‘macro’ trend and focus on its impact on their specific niche.
Often, inspiration for blogs can be right under marketers’ noses, and professionals should not worry about always starting from scratch. In fact, one of the most effective SEO tactics is to repurpose, recycle or update older content; search engines reward fresh content, so updating older pieces that have performed effectively in the past can be a useful way of stretching existing material. For example, reports can be converted into blogs, and other material can be repurposed into podcasts, LinkedIn carousels, or webinars. Ultimately, the more ways that content is utilised, the better its return on investment.
Developing engaging blog topics that boost SEO can often feel like an overwhelming puzzle, but recruitment marketers shouldn’t feel intimidated. Often, the best source of inspiration for blog content is right under their noses, and by recognising their niche, leveraging available data and hooking onto real-life stories, they can ensure their brands are visible and engaging to target clients and candidates.
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With over a decade’s experience in PR, marketing and communications, Bruce develops and executes media relations, content and social media strategies for firms in the recruitment and hiring industries, as well as suppliers to those sectors and other organisations both in the UK and internationally.