Many employers have relied on Indeed free job posting visibility when advertising vacancies manually, through their website, or via a recruitment platform. For years, this gave businesses, particularly SMEs, an affordable way to reach candidates on one of the UK’s most widely used job boards without needing a large recruitment budget.
However, Indeed has now changed how free job adverts appear in candidate search results, with sponsored advertising playing a much bigger role in visibility. This is a wider commercial change introduced by Indeed rather than an issue with recruitment platforms or ATS providers.
In this blog post, we will explain what these changes mean for employers, what you may be noticing with your job adverts, and the practical steps businesses can take to improve visibility and continue attracting candidates effectively.
Changes to Indeed Free Posting Service
Have you noticed application volumes from the Indeed vacancy you’ve posted have dropped or harder to find in candidate searches? This is because the recruitment platform has removed their free visibility offering completely for vacancies posted by agencies.
Indeed personalises search results, so employers searching for their own jobs may not see what candidates see. Checking your Indeed employer dashboard will provide a more accurate picture of performance than manually searching for your vacancy online.
How Employers Can Improve Visibility
While Indeed have moved the goal post, it doesn’t mean there’s no other way to improve visibility of your job roles. Key methods include:
Optimise Your Job Advert
The first place to start is by looking through your job adverts and looking at ways they can be optimised. You can:
- Use clear, simple job titles
- Avoid adding salary/location details in titles
- Complete all location fields correctly
- Clearly explain if the role is remote or hybrid
- Keep adverts unique and up to date
This is one way to make the most of your free job posting as much as possible.
Focus on Quality Job Content
While visibility is important, the quality of your job advert also plays a major role in attracting the right candidates. Even with sponsored advertising, a poorly written advert is unlikely to generate strong applications.
Candidates are looking for clear, engaging, and transparent information before deciding whether to apply. A well-written advert can improve click-through rates, application numbers, and the overall quality of applicants.
Here are a few ways to improve your job content:
Use Clear and Simple Language
Avoid jargon, overly complicated wording, or internal terminology that candidates may not understand. Keep job titles and descriptions straightforward so applicants can quickly understand the opportunity.
Be Transparent About Salary and Benefits
Many candidates now expect salary information to be included within adverts. Providing clarity around pay, benefits, flexibility, and career development opportunities can help increase applications and reduce unsuitable enquiries.
Sell the Opportunity
Job adverts should do more than list responsibilities. Take the opportunity to explain:
- Why someone should join your business
- What makes your culture unique
- Career progression opportunities
- Training and development support
- Flexible or hybrid working arrangements
Keep the Candidate Experience in Mind
Long application forms or unclear processes can discourage applicants. Make the application process as simple and user-friendly as possible to avoid losing quality candidates along the way.
Keep Adverts Updated and Unique
Avoid reposting duplicate adverts repeatedly to refresh visibility. Instead, review and update the content regularly to ensure it remains relevant, accurate, and engaging.
Make Use of Other Job Boards and Channels
Despite the changes to indeed free job posting, Hireful offers a wide range of other free integrations including Adzuna and GOV.UK. These platforms are also great platforms to utilise when looking for the right candidate
Hireful can also arrange paid media with Total Jobs, Reed, and CV Library if this is something that you are interested in.
Should Employers continue to use Hireful?
Absolutely. While Indeed’s visibility changes may affect how vacancies appear in search results, this is not an issue caused by Hireful or other recruitment platforms. Hireful continues to deliver job adverts correctly and remains a valuable tool for managing and improving your recruitment process.
Recruitment is no longer about relying on a single job board. Businesses now need a broader strategy that combines strong job adverts, multiple advertising channels, and a positive candidate experience. This is where recruitment platforms such as hireful continue to add significant value.
The platform also provides useful reporting tools, automation features, careers page support, and applicant tracking functionality that can help businesses improve their overall recruitment process and save valuable time.
While the recruitment landscape is evolving, platforms like hireful still play an important role in helping employers attract, manage, and hire candidates effectively.
How We Can Help
Our team of experts provide flexible recruitment services for businesses throughout the UK. We offer a wide range of recruitment packages that provides tailored support at every stage of the hiring process. We can help with:
- Recruitment support
- Job advert writing
- Employer branding advice
- ATS support
- Recruitment strategy
- Advice on improving candidate attraction
Find out more about our packages and prices on our website.
In Conclusion
The recruitment market is evolving, and employers may need to adapt how they advertise vacancies. While the Indeed free job posting visibility changes may feel frustrating, there are still many effective ways to attract candidates and improve hiring outcomes. By optimising adverts, using the right channels, and taking a broader recruitment approach, businesses can continue to recruit successfully.
