Most job board owners fall into the same trap. They spend months—and thousands of dollars—trying to rank for “marketing jobs,” “engineering roles,” or “sales careers.” Or worse, they aren’t investing at all in SEO.
The problem is you are competing against giants like Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter. These platforms have millions of backlinks and decades of domain authority. Trying to outrank them for broad “head terms” is like trying to build a skyscraper next to the Burj Khalifa with a hand-drill.
If you want to grow your traffic and outsmart the competition, you need to pivot to long-tail keywords.
What are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are specific, multi-word phrases (usually 3+ words) that job seekers use when they know exactly what they want. While they have lower search volume individually, they collectively make up 70% of all web searches.
| Keyword Type | Example | Competition | Conversion Intent |
| Broad (Head) | “Marketing jobs” | Extreme | Low (Browsing) |
| Mid-Tail | “Marketing jobs Houston” | High | Medium (Local) |
| Long-Tail | “Remote junior marketing jobs” | Low | High (Ready to apply) |
Why Long-Tail is a Goldmine for Job Boards
1. Zero-In on High Intent
A person searching for “jobs” is just looking. A person searching for “healthcare compliance jobs Texas” is a qualified professional ready to hit “Apply.” Long-tail keywords filter out the noise, bringing you users who are much more likely to convert into registered candidates.
2. Realistic Ranking Potential
You might never hit page one for “Python jobs.” But you can absolutely dominate the first page for “entry-level Django developer jobs for remote work.” Because fewer sites target these specific phrases, your path to the top is much shorter.
3. Perfect for AI and Voice Search
With the rise of tools like SearchGPT and Gemini, users are searching more conversationally. They don’t just type “nursing jobs”; they ask, “What are the best-paying travel nursing jobs for New York residents?” Optimizing for long-tail phrases prepares your site for the future of search.
How to Implement a Long-Tail Strategy
To turn your job board into a long-tail traffic magnet, follow these three steps:
Step 1: Programmatic Landing Pages
Don’t just have one “Jobs” page. Create dedicated landing pages for every combination of Role + Skill + Location/Type.
- Instead of one “Engineering” category, create:
- example.com/jobs/remote-junior-python
- example.com/jobs/senior-devops-austin-tx
Step 2: Optimize Your Job Titles
Encourage employers to use descriptive titles. Instead of “Marketing Intern,” suggest “Paid Remote Content Marketing Internship (Summer 2026).” This naturally bakes the long-tail keyword into your $H1$ tag and URL.
Step 3: Use “People Also Ask” for Content
Use Google’s “People Also Ask” section to find questions job seekers are actually asking.
- Query: “Healthcare compliance jobs”
- Long-tail questions: “What certifications do I need for healthcare compliance in Texas?” or “Average salary for junior compliance officers.”
- Action: Write a blog post answering these questions and link it back to your job listings.
The Bottom Line
Stop fighting a losing battle for broad keywords. By embracing the long tail, you aren’t just getting more traffic—you’re getting better traffic. You’re finding the candidates the big boards miss and providing the specificity that both Google and job seekers crave.
Some platforms like Jobboardly allow you create “search pages” in which you can filter in jobs that match the page you create. If your platform does not have that ability, use the blogging portion to create blogs arounds the long tail keyword you are targeting.
