In the past, recruiting was a simple affair. Recruiters would post jobs on traditional job boards, count the applicants, and plan their budgets for the year. But then, Indeed stormed onto the scene, changing the game with its pay-per-click (PPC) model, quickly becoming the dominant force in the job board industry. Yet, Recruitment Marketing experts can’t help but feel frustrated by the enigmatic nature of the PPC model and the uncertainty surrounding the source of their applicants.

Indeed’s story has two sides. On one side, they paint a rosy picture with impressions, clicks, and the coveted “apply” button clicks. On the other side, your trusty ATS (Applicant Tracking System) reveals how many applicants you received from Indeed. Often, these two sides don’t align, leaving you wondering how much you should invest to secure an applicant.

When things don’t go as planned, Indeed tends to blame the application process or claims that the job is so hot it requires a larger budget to attract applicants. On the flip side, the Recruitment Marketing and Talent Acquisition teams are left perplexed. Despite increasing spending, they’re not getting the desired number of applicants.

However, a significant share of the responsibility falls on the recruitment marketing team if they haven’t set up proper conversion tracking. While Indeed used to provide tracking pixels, that’s no longer the case. If your recruitment marketing manager isn’t proficient in setting up conversion attributes and goals, pointing fingers at Indeed won’t solve the problem. They have the data to show you what’s happening, but you need your data to make a compelling case.

So, how can you establish conversion tracking for Indeed without their tracking pixels? It’s a challenge, but you can get creative with Google Tag Manager (GTM). Using the “Custom HTML” feature, you can insert a script that triggers when someone submits a form, for example. This script sends data to your GTM account, allowing you to set up triggers and variables for data analysis in Google Analytics.

 A custom version of Indeed’s tracking pixel on your career site provides valuable insights, such as which jobs receive the most page views and applicants from Indeed. For instance, you might opt to use Indeed Apply for jobs with low click-through rates from Indeed to your career site.

Without the right conversion tracking on your career site, you’ll have to rely on Indeed’s data and trust that their account managers have your best interests in mind. They usually do, but they also manage other accounts, and they’re not in the best position to help you achieve your objectives on your career site without reliable data.

This post isn’t a step-by-step guide on setting up custom conversion tracking code; however, it’s a reminder that Indeed has its data, and you need your data to gauge the performance of your sponsored campaigns. Once you’ve implemented conversion tracking, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions about your budget and how much you’re willing to invest in Indeed to attract the applicants you desire.