Jobs.co.za Launches “work in cape town” site

Local search is considered the most significant area for growth in online user behaviour as internet users move towards searching for things in a geo-location as opposed to the previously broader search terms. In March 2010 studies showed that 20% of all searches on Google were related to location, however it is said that searches done with local intent has now shifted to 40%, where 5% specifically include the city or state/ region name in the search query.

Google Insights shows that on a scale of 0-100, the number of searches done for ‘Jobs in South Africa’ (relative to the total number of searches done on Google) went from 25/100 in 2007 to 58/100 this year, while in comparison, searches over the same period for ‘Jobs in Cape Town’ has increased from 26/100 to over 84/100 in 2011, confirming that there is a definite shift in South African user behaviour towards including more specific location search terms in their queries.

Says Gillian Meier, CEO of Jobs.co.za: “These statistics reiterate what we have known for a while, that location search optimisation should become a crucial part of any online-based business’s strategy. If 40% (or even 20%) of all searches are for location specific information, then we could be losing out on 20 to 40 percent of our potential traffic if we don’t adapt our strategies to accommodate these users. With Google investing more time into local search, it seems fitting, if not essential, that Jobs.co.za does the same.”

Jobs.co.za has partnered with leaders in their respective fields to drive the content for the Workincapetown.co.za portal. While job seekers can search through latest jobs in and around Cape Town, the portal will also display properties available for sale or to rent in the same locations driven by Private Property. Since working life in the Mother City is all about the lifestyle, the portal features daily lifestyle deals from Ubuntu Deal. To further facilitate working life for the Capetonian’s, the website provides up-to-date weather and transport routes in and around the City.

Working Life in Cape Town is the first location-based portal to be released by Jobs.co.za, with Durban and Johannesburg portals to follow soon. Cape Town was chosen as the most appropriate of the three to launch first, given that the growth in search volume for Jobs in Cape Town seems to be more popular than Durban and Johannesburg at present. Working Life in Durban and Joburg should be released in the next couple of weeks.