Your First 100 Jobs: How to Get Listings on a New Job Board
Launching a job board is an exciting step — but let’s be honest: an empty job board isn’t going to attract anyone. Your first 100 jobs are critical. They create momentum, boost SEO, and make your platform feel alive and trustworthy.
So how do you go from zero to 100 job listings without relying on luck or big ad budgets? This guide walks you through realistic, actionable strategies to seed your new job board and get it growing fast.
🎯 Why 100 Jobs Is a Key Milestone
Before we get tactical, here’s why that number matters:
•Trust: Job seekers are more likely to return if there’s enough variety.
•SEO: Google indexes job listings individually — more content = more chances to rank.
•Conversion: Employers are more likely to post if they see an active board.
•Engagement: A fuller board encourages browsing and longer session time.
Let’s dive into how to get there.
✅ 1. Curate Listings from Public Sources (With Caution)
In the early days, you can manually curate job listings from public company websites — especially if they’re not on every aggregator already.
Tips:
•Focus on local or niche employers.
•Link back to the original application page.
•Always check the site’s terms of service — and give credit when appropriate.
Bonus: This gives you free, high-quality listings and helps you identify potential future customers.
🤝 2. Invite Employers to Post for Free
Reach out to businesses and say:
“We’ve just launched a new job board for [industry/location]. We’re offering free job postings for a limited time to grow our platform — would you like to feature a role?”
Many will say yes — especially if they’re used to paying to post elsewhere.
You can:
• Run a 30-day free job posting campaign
•Create a “Founding Employers” spotlight section to incentivise participation
•Ask them to share the listing on their socials for extra reach
📥 3. Use Job Feeds (if your software supports it)
Some job board software allows you to import jobs via XML feeds or APIs. For example:
•Integrate with recruitment CRMs
• Pull in listings from your own network or clients
•Syndicate jobs from partner organisations
Just make sure:
•You have permission
•Listings are fresh (expired jobs kill trust)
•You’re not duplicating jobs found on Google Jobs (you’ll get penalised)
🧑💼 4. Offer to Post Jobs for Busy Employers
Let’s face it — some employers won’t bother registering to post one job. Instead:
• Offer a “Done-for-you” listing service
•Ask them to email the job description
•You upload it for them with logo, contact info, etc.
This reduces friction and makes it easier to get your board filled.
📣 5. Leverage LinkedIn & Local Groups
Use LinkedIn, Facebook groups, Slack communities, and forums where employers or recruiters hang out. Post a short message like:
“We’ve just launched a job board focused on [niche or area]. We’re offering free job postings for early adopters. DM if you want to get listed.”
It works especially well in:
•Industry-specific LinkedIn groups
•Local business groups
•Association or alumni networks
📰 6. Reach Out to Recruiters and Agencies
Recruitment agencies are always looking for more visibility. Many will welcome an extra channel.
You can say:
“We’d love to feature some of your current roles on our new platform. There’s no cost — we just want to highlight quality listings.”
They’ll often provide:
•Recent listings
•A job feed
•Logo + branding
Bonus: Some may become paying partners down the line.
🛠️ 7. Create Sample or Demo Jobs
If you’re really starting from zero, create a few demo listings that show what good job posts look like. Label them clearly (e.g., “Sample Job — Not Live”) and remove once you have real posts.
Use these to:
•Test layouts
•Populate your board for screenshots or demos
•Show what’s possible
🚀 Wrapping Up: The First 100 Jobs Are Just the Beginning
Seeding your job board with 100 high-quality listings takes a bit of hustle — but once you hit that milestone, growth gets easier. You’ll:
•Attract more candidates organically
•Gain trust from employers
•Boost visibility in search engines
The key? Consistency, outreach, and making it easy for others to participate.
Want to Launch Your Own Job Board?
Whether you’re a recruiter, association, publisher or non-profit, we can help you launch a beautiful, SEO-friendly job board — fast.
