Navigating Indeed's Updated Organic Job Visibility Policies

As a Platinum Partner with Indeed, we want to make sure you're always informed about any changes that could impact your hiring strategies. Our goal is to make this transition as smooth and beneficial as possible for you. Today, we're sharing some important updates to Indeed's job visibility policies and how they can work in your favor.

We get it-change can be unsettling, especially when it comes to something as crucial as your hiring process. But don't worry, we're here to guide you through it and ensure your jobs continue to attract the right talent.

What's Changing on Indeed?

Starting October 1, 2024, if your jobs are already visible on Indeed through sources like your ATS, any additional jobs you post directly on Indeed will need to be sponsored to maintain visibility. If your ATS (like ours) is already feeding jobs to Indeed, and you post those same jobs directly on Indeed, they will not receive that free organic visibility.

But why this change? The goal is to prevent duplicate postings and create a more balanced and healthier marketplace where every job-whether it's highly competitive or niche-has a fair shot at being seen by the right people. Whereas, in the past, certain job types may have overshadowed others. This adjustment is designed to spread organic visibility more evenly across all job postings.

We understand this might feel like a big shift, especially if you rely on free job listings. But there's no need to worry-your jobs that are already indexed via the ATS will still enjoy free organic visibility as long as you follow a few key best practices. (We'll talk more about this below)

Why This Isn't a "Pay to Play" Scenario

We've heard your concerns-does this mean you'll need to pay for every job to be seen? The answer is: absolutely not.

This update isn't about forcing you into sponsorship. Instead, it's about optimizing how your jobs are visible to candidates. For those using our ATS, Indeed is still offering free organic visibility for your indexed jobs, so no need to stress there!

That said, sponsorship can be a great tool, especially if you're finding certain roles harder to fill. Sponsored jobs tend to be filled faster because they're pushed to a wider and more targeted candidate pool. If speed and reach are what you need for a key role, sponsorship can be an efficient way to make that happen.

Indeed Best Practices to Help Boost Your Organic Job Visibility

• Be sure you're not job blasting - Indeed's algorithm targets very broadly so trying to trick it is not a good solution.

• Always include pay In your job ad - Pay is a major factor in Indeed's healthy marketplace and not including it on jobs may reduce or remove search visibility. If you do not want to give precise pay, you can include a range.

• Do not ask for Personal Identifiable Information - Indeed no longer allows questions regarding PII or any mention of requiring a background check or criminal history checks in the job description or job questions. You may ask for it later in the screening process, just not as part of the initial application.

• Do not include a redirect link in your job ad or screening questions - A redirect link is any URL that takes the applicant away from the application process on Indeed. Indeed will block ALL of your jobs if any of them include a URL in the job ad, screening questions, or the Quick Apply feature on Indeed.

• Use precise location in your Job Ad - We now have the capacity to send a Street Address to Indeed. Ensure this feature is used and is used accurately. Indeed checks the address against an API to verify its validity.

  Note that not all jobs have precise locations as a possibility. We are working to get Remote jobs in alignment with Indeed's guidelines but other jobs that are more transient in nature with no precise location will likely need to sponsor.

• Avoid using special characters or numbers in your job title - Although your job may not be blocked per se, a similar job posting without those special characters will get better visibility. If you need to use special characters, we recommend doing so in the body of the job ad.

• Refresh jobs on 30-day intervals if absolutely necessary - This means creating a completely new job with a different title, description, and any other updates that may be relevant.

How This Benefits You in a Healthy Marketplace

Think of this change as a way to ensure that every job, from your entry-level roles to those niche or hard-to-fill positions, has the opportunity to shine. With this policy shift, jobs that may have previously gotten lost in the shuffle will now have more of a chance to be seen by top candidates.

For many of you, this is a good moment to reassess your job posting strategy. If free listings are crucial to your business and you're finding certain positions difficult to fill, this update could be an opportunity to experiment with sponsorship and see how it can accelerate your hiring.

What Should You Do Next?

Here's what you need to know:

1. Keep using the ATS! If you're already posting jobs through our ATS, you're all set for free organic visibility, unless your visibility is being limited for other reasons. This change only applies if you're posting directly on Indeed, so sticking with the ATS keeps you in the clear.

2. Think about sponsoring tough-to-fill roles. For roles that are more competitive or where speed is essential, sponsoring can give you the visibility boost you need to find great candidates faster.

3. Let's Chat! We're here to help. If you have any questions about these changes or how to adjust your approach, don't hesitate to reach out to us or your Indeed representative. Together, we'll make sure your recruitment strategy is set up for success.

With our close partnership with Indeed, we're in the perfect position to guide you through these updates and ensure that your hiring process continues to run smoothly. We've got your back!