The term “portal site” is commonly used, but how is it different from other websites?
For example, “HR Pro” operated by our company is widely used by members and vendors as one of the largest human resources portal sites in Japan.
This time, we will consider the significance and benefits of using portal sites from a marketing perspective.
*Click the link below to access the HR Pro website.
Japan’s largest human resources portal HR Pro
What is a portal site?
A portal site
is the first website you visit when accessing the Internet.
The word “portal” in portal sites means an entrance or entrance, and typical portal sites include search engine sites such as Google and Yahoo!.
Google is a portal site that specializes in search, while Yahoo! is a portal site that specializes in information content, posting a wealth of content such as news and weather forecasts.
In addition to search engine sites, there are also portal sites that specialize in posting reviews and reservations for food, beauty, and travel, portal sites that collect blog articles and information, and specialized portal sites that are enriched with content specific to certain themes. There are various types of sites.
In this way,
portal site pages can be used as a convenient function when you want to view or confirm specific information using a computer or smartphone
.
For example, “HR Pro” introduces HR-related news, services, research data, and various seminars for HR managers, managers, and executives. In other words, it can be said to be a specialized portal site specializing in human resources that is convenient when you want to view and confirm personnel-related information.
It also serves as a matching site for human resources personnel, managers, and management members with companies that provide human resources support services.
*Click the link below to access the HR Pro website.
Japan’s largest human resources portal HR Pro
Significance and benefits of using portal sites
A portal site is the first site that users access when they want to view or check the information they want using a computer or smartphone.
Therefore,
compared to other websites, it is characterized by a certain amount of sessions and UUs
.
If a company’s own website is a place to disseminate information and accumulate content, a portal site is a place to aggregate and select that information, and a place where content with high information value is selected. Masu.
Therefore, if you are able to disseminate your company’s information on a portal site, regardless of whether it is paid or unpaid, the impact it will have in terms of access numbers and inquiries will inevitably be greater than if it were posted only on your own website.
How to increase access to your website using a portal site
There are two main ways to increase the number of accesses to your website: “SEO measures aimed at ranking higher in search results” and “Using advertisements on portal sites.”
After implementing SEO measures for your company’s website, be sure to utilize the portal site
. If you do both, you’ll definitely get more traffic.
SEO measures aimed at ranking high in search results
As mentioned in previous columns, the biggest advantage of
SEO
measures is that if you can do it with in-house resources, it basically costs nothing.
However, it takes effort to gather SEO know-how such as keyword selection and internal measures, and to write columns for content production, and it takes a certain period of time to see results.
*For SEO measures, the columns below will be helpful.
Utilization of advertisements on portal sites
Yahoo! and Google have search-linked advertising, or so-called “programmatic advertising.”
The advantage of programmatic advertising is that you can control the budget limit, delivery period, and delivery method.
You can choose to pay per click or per impression, so you can customize your site to suit your needs. However, this also requires a certain level of operational know-how on the ordering side.
There is also “pure advertising” where you reserve and buy a slot on a specific site.
It is difficult to operate ads flexibly here, but since a maximum cost is set, you can avoid the risk of incurring more costs.
If it is a pure advertisement for a specialized portal site, we have a track record of operation on each site, so please directly ask the sales person about the range that can be disclosed, such as the number of emails sent, the number of sessions, and the number of CV (conversions). It would be a good idea to consider operating this as a reference value.
*For programmatic advertising, the column below will be helpful.
Popular/successful examples of portal sites
Below are some examples of popular and successful portal sites.
Search-based portal site “Yahoo! JAPAN”
“
Yahoo! JAPAN
” is a search-based portal site that covers information closely related to daily life, such as “buying”, “knowing”, and “investigating”. With approximately 83 billion PVs per month
*
, it has solidified its position as one of the largest portal sites in Japan.
A wide range of information is posted in all fields, and the website is designed to make users feel like, “I can find the information I want just by searching within the Yahoo! JAPAN site.” In addition, a huge amount of news is provided daily, and you can also check weather forecasts and traffic information.
In this way, being able to obtain a variety of information on just one website is a very convenient point for users.
*As of March 2023
Real estate specialized portal site “SUUMO”
”
SUUMO
” is a portal site specializing in real estate, providing a wealth of information on newly built and used houses and condominiums, rental properties, land, etc.
It also contains useful content related to house hunting, mortgage loans, etc., making it an extremely useful portal site for users looking for properties.
The search screen has also been designed to be easy to use, allowing you to narrow down your search to detailed items such as area and market rent, as well as property structure, facilities, and tenancy conditions.
Due to its overwhelming amount of information and ease of use, it has a high level of customer satisfaction, and has even been ranked number one in the Oricon Japan Customer Satisfaction Ranking.
Review/UGC type portal site 1 “Tabelog”
”
Tabelog
” is a gourmet review site that is useful when searching for restaurants that serve delicious food and sweets.
It is a portal site that falls under the UGC genre, and is made up of content such as posts, reviews, and word-of-mouth from general users. All reviews are checked by a dedicated team, and we even have systems and algorithms in place to determine whether a reviewer is trustworthy or not.
“Tabelog” is a
very
popular portal site with over 91 million monthly users and over 1.96 billion monthly page views. This is because we continue to provide reliable information.
*As of June 2023
Reviews/UGC type portal site 2 “Jalan”
”
Jalan
” is a major domestic accommodation reservation site that mediates reservations for hotels and inns.
Not only can you reserve accommodations, but you can also book original plans that suit your preferences, and you can also book in combination with transportation such as airplanes and Shinkansen, and it has a wide range of functions that meet the needs of travel lovers.
Another major feature is that it posts a lot of attractive content such as seasonal recommendations and coupon information that allows you to enjoy your trip at a great deal.
Review/UGC type portal site 3 “Kakaku.com”
”
Kakaku.com
” is a portal site that is classified as UGC type, like the aforementioned “Tabelog”.
We handle a wide variety of genres, from electronics to fashion, housing and credit cards, and each category has a huge amount of information such as rankings, featured products, and reviews.
It has a wealth of so-called “user-oriented” content, such as product reviews and comparison information with similar products, making it a very popular portal site
with
over 39 million monthly users.
*As of June 2023
Regional portal site 1 “Hirakata Tsushin”
”
Hirakata Tsushin
“, as the name suggests, is a portal site specialized in Hirakata City. This portal site is categorized as regional, and provides information specific to the target area to local residents.
The purpose of regional portal sites is to build deep relationships with local residents in the area, and they provide useful information in the area, such as municipal government information, local news, job information, and information on newly opened delicious restaurants. will be the main content.
“Hirakata Tsushin” also publishes a wide range of useful content for local residents, such as information on closings and openings in Hirakata City, information on events and real estate, etc.
Regional portal site 2 “Fufufugifu”
”
Fufufugifu
” is Gifu Prefecture’s official portal site operated by Gifu Prefecture.
Our main content is useful information for living in Gifu Prefecture, including information on migration and settlement, disaster information, support/subsidy information, and job information.
Regional portal site 3 “New! Tsukuba”
”
New! Tsukuba
” is a migration information site along the Tsukuba Express line in Ibaraki Prefecture, operated by the Ibaraki Prefecture Location Promotion Department, Housing Land Development and Sales Division.
Although the target area is quite limited, the target is clearly defined, and the content being sent is narrowed down to match that target.
“New! Tsukuba”, like the aforementioned “Fufufugifu”, also aims to increase the number of people immigrating to Ibaraki Prefecture, and will disseminate information not only to local residents but also to people living outside Ibaraki Prefecture. I’m doing it.
Regional portal site 4 “Suwa City Tourist Guide”
”
Suwa City Tourist Guide
” is the official portal site of Suwa City operated by the Suwa Tourism Association. As the name suggests, the Suwa City Tourist Guide is operated for the purpose of disseminating information to people visiting Suwa City for sightseeing.
Therefore, content related to migration and settlement, such as the above-mentioned “Fufufugifu” and “New! Tsukuba”, is rarely published. Also, there is almost no information on the city administration or job openings, so it can be said that the portal site is targeted only at tourists.
How to create a recruitment site and the flow
Portal sites have many benefits, so many companies may want to build their own. If you are thinking of building it in-house without outsourcing, we recommend that you first create a recruitment site as a stepping stone, understand the flow, and then start building a portal site.
1. Define the purpose and target (persona) of the recruitment site and decide on the concept.
2. Create a sitemap
3. Make sure the design is easy to understand
1. Define the purpose and target (persona) of the recruitment site and decide on the concept
If this phase is ambiguous, the axis of the site will be swayed after the start of the site operation, and it will be difficult to know what kind of target to provide the content to.
Be sure to clearly define the purpose and target (persona) of your recruitment site in advance, and decide on a concept before you start creating the site.
2. Create a sitemap
A sitemap is a map of your site. By creating a sitemap, you will be able to get a bird’s-eye view of your recruitment site.
3. Make sure the design is easy to understand
You don’t need an elaborate design for your recruitment site; the important thing is to have an “easy-to-understand design” that allows visitors to understand what kind of content is available at a glance.
In terms of UX (user experience), this will lead to higher visitor satisfaction, which in turn will lead to better hiring results.
What is a portal site? A thorough explanation of the basic meaning, purpose of use, and benefits! summary
◆On the Web, the first site you visit when accessing the Internet is called a “portal site.”
◆If you can disseminate your company’s information on a portal site, regardless of whether it is paid or unpaid, the influence it will have in terms of access numbers and inquiries will inevitably be greater than posting information only on your own website.
◆There are two main ways to increase the number of accesses to your company’s website: “SEO measures aimed at ranking higher in search results” and “utilization of advertisements on portal sites.”
◆Popular portal sites include Yahoo! JAPAN, Tabelog, and Hirakata Tsushin, and their features and functions vary greatly depending on the site’s purpose.
◆If you want to build your own portal site, we recommend starting with a recruitment site as a stepping stone.