What Indeed Actually Costs (Spoiler: Way More Than You Think)

Look, I get it. You need to hire someone, so you go to Indeed. That's what everyone does, right?

But have you actually looked at what you're spending? Because I've talked to a bunch of Central Valley businesses over the past few months, and the numbers are kinda insane.

The Pay-Per-Click Trap

Here's how Indeed works: you don't pay to post a job. You pay every time someone CLICKS on your job posting.

Not applies. Not gets hired. Just clicks.

In Stockton/Modesto, that's usually $5-10 per click. Sometimes more if it's a specialized position.

So let's do the math on a real example I heard from a restaurant owner last week:

• Posted a manager position
• Set a $300 monthly budget (seemed reasonable)
• Average cost per click: $8
• Got 37 clicks total
• About 8 people actually applied

The Part Nobody Talks About

The $300 budget is just the sponsored listing. Your job also shows up in free search results, which sounds great until you realize Indeed shows your job to EVERYONE.

So you get:

• 50+ applications from people in other states
• Easy Apply people who are mass-applying to 100 jobs
• People who clearly didn't read the posting
• Actual spam/bots

One warehouse in Tracy told me they got 80 applications in a week. They were excited until they realized 75 of them were garbage. That's 5-10 hours of their time just sorting through trash.

It Adds Up Fast

Here's the thing that kills me: most small businesses don't hire someone in 30 days. So what happens?

• Month 1: $300, got 8 applications, none worked out
• Month 2: $300 again, now only getting 6 applications (Indeed's algorithm hates you now)
• Month 3: Bump it to $400 to stay visible, get 10 applications

You just spent $1,000 and still haven't filled the position.

Meanwhile, big companies with $5,000/month budgets are outbidding you, so your job gets buried further down the results.

"But Indeed Has More Users!"

Yeah, and 90% of them don't live anywhere near you.

Why would you pay to show your Stockton job to someone in Florida? Or Texas? Or even Sacramento?

The other problem is Easy Apply. It's designed to make it fast for job seekers, which sounds good except now people are applying to 50+ jobs without reading any of them. You're not getting quality applicants, you're getting spray-and-pray applicants.

What Actually Makes Sense for Valley Businesses

Look, I'm not saying Indeed is evil or anything. For big corporations with dedicated HR teams and huge budgets, it probably works fine.

But for a local restaurant, warehouse, retail store, or small office? You're paying for reach you don't need and features you don't use.

What you actually need:

• People who live in the area
• People who actually read your posting
• A way to contact them directly
• Predictable costs (not per-click games)

That's why I built 209.works. Flat $99 per job (free right now during launch), only local candidates, no algorithm nonsense. You post once, you're done.

Is it perfect? No. Will you get fewer applications than Indeed? Probably. But they'll be better applications from people who actually live here and want THIS job.

The Real Comparison

Let me break down the 6-month cost:

I'm not trying to trash Indeed here. I'm just being honest about what it costs and whether it makes sense for small Valley businesses.

If you're spending hundreds a month and getting mostly out-of-state applicants, maybe try something else?

Give It a Shot

Post your next job on 209.works. It's free right now anyway, so worst case you get a few extra applications.

Best case? You hire someone local without spending $300+ sorting through spam.

Questions? Just email me: paul@209.works