Should I post new jobs in expired url's or new ones

[rag_gupta]

I guess it could take 2-3 years for a URL to get maximum rankings in Google.

Mine is job site where jobs simply come and go. I delete the jobs after 15 days of it's expiry.

Wondering .. if I can keep those expired jobs and replace in the same URL new job matching a few keywords.

Will it be profitable?

Unless Google is doing special handling for job sites, I think it weighs more the pages which are old than just recently arrived.

[aakk9999]

Wondering .. if I can keep those expired jobs and replace in the same URL new job matching a few keywords.

If you are adding new keywords in URL, this becomes a new URL.

I delete the jobs after 15 days of it's expiry.

What happens when a deleted job URL is requested? Are you returning 404 or are you redirecting to the job category page?

[rag_gupta]

I meant not changing the URL when reusing. Reuse the url whose page content has matching keywords to that of current job being posted.

Now after expiry I'm doing a 301 redirect to Job Expired page now.

[aakk9999]

Reuse the url whose page content has matching keywords to that of current job being posted.

Ah, I understand now. This could have a problem when you have no adequate job to replace the content of the current URL. Having a page returning 301 (or 404) for a while (whilst you are waiting for adequate job to appear), then to change the page to return 200 OK with a new job using the same URL may not be the best idea, so you will need to think about this carefully.

In any case, if are going down this route, you need to do more than just matching the keywords - I would do this only if the job type and location match (e.g. accountant, New York), and only if there is a new job available right at the time when this one is expiring and the new job was not advertised on another URL prior to this.

Now after expiry I'm doing a 301 redirect to Job Expired page now.

What is the content of Job Expired page? How often does it change? I am asking because Google could be seeing this redirect as a soft 404.

What I would do is return 404 (or 410 Gone) for jobs that have expired. The content of that 404 page would say something like "This job is not available. Please see below for available jobs" and then below you could put links to various job sections of your site.

[bwnbwn]

I would also add to each header if you were to follow the good advice of aakk999 a meta tag to no index not archive all the 404's 410 no need it is a dead page.

[rag_gupta]

Ok if a job vacancy has got useful dofollow backlink, then how to preserve the juice after the job has expired?

Returing 404/410 will simply void the value of incoming link. In that way my job site will hardly ever have any incoming backlinks in future.

I've heard that doing a 301 to single static "Job Expired" page will at least pass some value of incoming backlink juice for the expired job.

Google is complaining soft 404's in the same was a 404. I'm confused which way to go.

[tangor]

At the very least doing as you've suggested would be wrong for the users who follow that backlink... they would NOT see what the link suggested.

Job sites are TOUGH to build... though the front page and the section/jobtype pages can rank very well.

If the job is GONE, don't mislead folks with a different job on an existing URL for the "link juice". Ultimately that kind of operation might bite you in the a$$ when the referring sites realize what you are doing and remove their link to your site. With a disallow!

[rag_gupta]

tangor .. that's good idea from visitor's view point.

Will it be better idea to show search results of new matching jobs using keywords of the expired job in a new redirected(301) URL?

[tangor]

Are you replacing an expired page with a new page? 301 makes sense, but that's to a new URL for a new listing.

If your jobs/section page is set correctly, ie.

widgetmaker, xanadu, etc. > to the job page
widgetmaker, banadu, etc. > to the job page
widgetmaker, tanadu, etc. > to the job page
widgetcounter, north xanadu, etc. > to the job page
widgetwrecker, east, etc. > to the job page

That page will rank as the over all listings are there all the time. If the job page is gone a 404 that says:
"This listing has either been filled or has expired. See more listings here." and link back to the jobs page. That's the most honest way to do this, and at the same time keep the jobs/services page both valid and possible of gaining rank.

[lucy24]

Seems like you shouldn't be wasting time on individual job-listing pages. What you want is for the site as a whole to rank well. If other people see your site as a useful resource, they'll link to the front page or to general category pages, not to individual listings. How many links can they possibly pick up in the month or two that a job is listed, anyway?

Return a 410 for expired listings, and make a really good 410 page that will make new visitors want to stay on the site. Visible content is for humans; the numerical response is for search engines.

[rag_gupta]

tangor .. but what about if I fill the expired job content with new job matching a few keywords like place, designation?

Visitor does not care about this.

But Google .. yes .. because of the age of the URL. So will this new job with reused URL has higher rank or if I post it on a completely new URL?

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lucy24 .. I've got it .. thanks for your piece of advice.

[piatkow]

If the job is GONE, don't mislead folks with a different job on an existing URL for the "link juice". Ultimately that kind of operation might bite you in the a$$

Not just in terms of "link juice". That's the sort of thing that can get you the wrong sort of media coverage.

I am assuming that the OP is checking that all proposed actions are legal in his jurisdiction. I no little wabout the law in this area but I am aware that there are legal constraints to keep in mind where I live.

[netmeg]

Seems like you shouldn't be wasting time on individual job-listing pages.

This is my thought as well.

[rag_gupta]

I've found this leading site(url [dehradun.quikr.com]) to return HTTP 200 response for expired listing and also show alternate searches.

Maybe I should follow this for my expired job listings instead of returning a 404/410.

[aakk9999]

The idea for alternative searching is fine. But I would not return HTTP 200 with such page - return 404/410 with this content instead.

Otherwise you will end up with many same pages, especially if two expired jobs are in the same work area and your suggested alternatives are the same for both.

Also, to Google it may seem that you are indexing search results - which they advise against.