How we drove a 135% increase in applications for Cygnet in just 3 months

Immediate Impact: A 135% surge in applications and 43% uplift in conversion rates

Within a mere three months, our revamp of Cygnet’s internal careers website led to a staggering 135% increase in applications and a 43% improvement in conversion rates. 

When you consider that candidates that apply through a careers site are 3.5x more likely to be hired than those that come from job boards, these are fundamentally game-changing results for the business.

But what was the strategy behind this success? Let’s delve into the nitty-gritty.

The approach: data-driven insights for SEO success

We first identified the need to make the careers website more visible in search engines, so that people looking for relevant jobs offered by Cygnet would be more likely to visit the website when searching for roles. 

This meant an initial focus on SEO (search engine optimisation), crucial for driving high-quality candidates into careers sites and something that’s now essential for success in the world of recruitment.

After all, if prospective candidates don’t know about your jobs, they’ll never apply!

Our first move was a comprehensive SEO audit using Google Analytics and our bespoke SEO tools. 

This was all about understanding habits and trends in the industry among job seekers, as well as finding out more about how people came to find Cygnet’s careers site, which keywords they used in their searches, and how long they stayed on the site. 

This data-driven approach pinpointed immediate areas for improvement and allowed us to create a targeted strategy for a site that was already outperforming industry standards.

User experience: It’s all about engagement

SEO mainly focuses on driving relevant traffic into the website. But what about when a potential applicant arrives on the site? 

We wanted to make sure we were doing everything possible to increase the likelihood of a website visitor finding what they were looking for and, ultimately, applying. 

Using advanced data tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar, we spotted areas on the site where users were losing interest or facing difficulties. 

This led to calculated layout changes, enhancing not just the site’s look but also its usability. The new design aligned seamlessly with Cygnet’s refreshed employer brand, creating a cohesive and engaging user experience.

In a nutshell

A well-optimised careers site isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a must for attracting top-tier talent. Through a blend of data analytics, SEO expertise, and creative flair, we’ve proven that transformative results are not only possible but also achievable.