Is your career website optimised for job searches via smartphones and tablets? If not, this piece of news may give you cause for panic. Because Google has announced that, from 21.04.2015, websites that are not optimised for mobile devices will be officially ranked as 'less relevant' in searches using mobile devices. This means they will no longer appear in the top listings, but significantly lower down.
86% of candidates use their smartphone for job searches
Whilst, in addition to internet job platforms and company websites, a Google search is one of the first ports of call for job hunters, an ever increasing number of candidates are using mobile devices for this. After 21 April, companies whose career web pages are not optimised for mobile devices may find themselves even further behind the well positioned competition. Because 70 percent of candidates would also prefer to apply from a mobile device.
80% of career web pages have not been optimised for mobile devices.
Only very few companies have already invested in better exposure for their vacancies or in mobile employer branding messages. Consequently, the use of career web pages that are optimised for mobile devices or websites with responsive design can mean a clear competitive advantage in the struggle for the best talent. This is because the ranking for websites optimised for mobile devices will be higher under the new rules, so that these career web pages will be shown as being more relevant by Google in mobile searches, i.e. appear higher up the list.
Career pages optimised for mobile devices should, for instance, fulfil the following criteria:
- Automatically adjust the web pages according to the size of the browser, to offer the best possible user experience at all times
- Texts and fonts that can be easily read without having to zoom
- Pages that can be loaded quickly
- Forego software such as Flash or Java, which cannot be used on mobile devices
- Links and buttons that have appropriate gaps between them, to ensure that, on a touch screen, several are not clicked automatically
Find out more about why responsive design is the best solution for your career website here. Would you like to take immediate action? Simply contact one of our experts!
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