Many careers websites and corporate recruiters are using search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to stand out from other sources, an expert has commented.

Sarah E Needleman, writing for the Wall Street Journal, warned that achieving high rankings in search portals is difficult for employers as they face competition from recruitment giants such as Monster.com.

According to Google, searches for the word “job” are almost as popular as searches for “movies” and “sports”, Ms Needleman explained.

Corporate recruiters may consider using pay-per-click advertising but this can become costly if they post a popular job, she continued.

Because of this, the reporter added, “more employers are enlisting the help of firms that specialize in search engine optimization to draw more applicants to their sites”.

Search marketing agency FireflySEO suggests that for recruitment firms, boosting their search engine positioning can help attract both candidates and clients.

It states that there is “huge” potential for improving business performance using such strategies.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.