There are a number of local job sites on the Internet. These are sites that only advertise jobs that are within driving distance of a particular geographic location.

The idea behind local job sites is that a smaller market is often better. These aren’t websites that receive millions of hits from all over the world for people looking for a job in their niche. Instead, these sites market jobs exclusively to people within a specific area, or those who are willing to relocate to that area.

Are localized job sites superior to their more famous, internationally known bigger brothers? Probably not.

The Larger Engines Already Have What Local Sites Have

First, the larger job sites enable job postings to be specified for a particular geographic region. Employers are required to state the job location on most sites, unless the position advertised as a remote opportunity. Job seekers are allowed to specify a search that includes only jobs within a specific geographic region.

The larger sites have the capital that accompanies an international brand while simultaneously facilitating localized job searches. In that respect, they have the best of both worlds.

Put simply, it’s difficult for local job sites to compete against that kind of muscle. Usually, local sites are run by much smaller companies with fewer dollars to burn on advertising.

As a result of limited exposure, local sites struggle on both ends of the job search market. They have difficulty attracting employers, who want to spend their money to get maximum return. On the other end, they also find it difficult to market their site to people searching for a job.

Local Optimization

Local job sites could, however, be optimized for search engines. An optimization technique known as Local Search Engine Optimization (or Local SEO) would benefit most job sites that cater only to an audience within a particular region. That costs money for the business owner, but it’s far cheaper than advertising against the big boys.

Local Loyalty

One advantage that the local sites might have going for them is that often people feel a sense of responsibility to their local community. Some job seekers might start searching with local job sites because they want to be loyal to businesses in their area.

However, those same people are also going to want a job. They’ll search on websites where they’re most likely to find one, even if that means going to national sites.

Local job sites are a great way to advertise jobs within a specific area. However, they often lack the capital necessary to compete with the larger job search engines.