[smartician]

Recruiters scour websites like LinkedIn and email anyone who remotely seems to have relevant skills or experience. Don't read too much into it. In the interviewing process, you'll have the same odds of getting an offer as if you applied out of your own volition.

[stevekemp]

Agreed.

I've been reached out to about five times by Google in the space of two years. Every single time I say the same thing

"I'm based in Edinburgh, I do not wish to move, therefore I cannot work for you - regardless of how awesome you might be. Please don't contact me again."

It's a shame that their recruiters don't seem to use any consistent search-backend prior to mailing people ..

[wikwocket]

This is the correct answer.

Recruiters are generally desperate to fill roles, and doubly so for engineers in the current market. Some of them will carefully discern how to find the best candidates and contact them with discretion. Many of them will not.

If you want to work at Google, or anywhere else, then by all means pursue this. But treat being contacted by recruiters as an unrelated and independent event.