Whether you want to be seen as an expert or bring your business to the public, LinkedIn is one of your most important social networks. Activity on LinkedIn requires strategy, content production, and regular activity; But in addition to being a specialized social network, LinkedIn also has a powerful search engine. Whenever search engines are mentioned, search engine optimization (SEO) appears. If your goal is to get a job, grow in your field of expertise, get known, and have your business page found by others using LinkedIn SEO, this article is for you.
In this article, we will go to LinkedIn profile SEO. We explain LinkedIn SEO training step by step. At each step, we have tried to introduce the tools needed for this, and at the end, provide a complete checklist for LinkedIn optimization.
Table of Contents
What is LinkedIn SEO?
LinkedIn SEO is the process of optimizing pages and profiles on LinkedIn to increase visibility in the search results of this social network.
The goal of LinkedIn SEO is to appear at the top of search results for keywords related to your industry. Like website SEO, this approach is also based on principles such as optimizing keywords, increasing content quality, and regularly updating pages.
LinkedIn SEO is not limited to profile SEO; You can also SEO your articles in the LinkedIn search engine in content keywords.
The importance of LinkedIn SEO
LinkedIn is the largest professional social network in the world. Therefore, increasing visibility on this platform can create many opportunities for businesses and individuals. Among the benefits of LinkedIn SEO, the following can be mentioned:
- Visibility in search results and attracting potential visitors
- Increasing the visibility of content and profiles on LinkedIn
- Attracting new customers and increasing website traffic
- Recruiting expert staff
- Visibility for professional employers
- Establish relationships with professional colleagues
- Increase visibility and followers
For many of us, the main use of LinkedIn is to be seen in our specialized profession and to find a job. One of the main sources of headhunters or recruiters of large companies is LinkedIn. They are constantly looking for professionals for their company on LinkedIn. For example, they search for SEO specialists, follow the profiles and achievements of people, and connect with the best.
How to rank results on LinkedIn (SSI factor)
LinkedIn uses a personalized algorithm to provide users with better and more relevant search results. The order in which the results are displayed depends on the type of user search: search about people, company pages, jobs, or posts. For example, the algorithm of business pages is based on the following: page name, number of followers, content quality, etc.
If you want to know how well your profile is optimized for LinkedIn search, the SSI index is a good indicator. LinkedIn’s SSI tool measures the value of your social selling activities (the ability to connect and engage with prospects through social media) based on four profile ranking factors:
- Creating a professional brand: publishing useful content and completing the profile considering the target audience
- Finding the Right People: Identifying Prospects and Building Connections Through LinkedIn Search
- Building rapport: Communicating and interacting regularly with people
- Contributing findings: finding relevant findings and disseminating them
LinkedIn SEO steps
In this part, we talk about LinkedIn SEO steps. I default to Personal LinkedIn Profile SEO, but do the same steps for Business LinkedIn SEO and just translate the steps for your business. At the end, I will introduce a comprehensive checklist and a wonderful plugin for LinkedIn SEO.
Selection of keywords
Whenever SEO is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is keywords. This is also the case in LinkedIn SEO. This step is very important because it is the basis of the next steps and other people are going to find you with these words. You should find the words that users and recruiters search for in the LinkedIn search field. For example, the company’s human resources force to hire a digital marketing force.
Another way to choose the right keyword is to use keyword research tools such as Keyword Planner, Keyword Tool, etc.
Use high-quality images
As you know, one of the items shown in LinkedIn search results is your profile picture. Also, one of the most important visual elements of your profile is your header image (Background photo). So be very careful in choosing these two images. Choose a high-quality and official image for your profile picture and leave the header image as a profile of your expertise so that your field of work and expertise can be understood. This step may not directly affect the SEO of your LinkedIn profile, but it is very important for your selection in search results and following people.
Write the headline carefully
The headline of your LinkedIn profile is one of the most important parts for selecting users from search results, as well as the SEO of your LinkedIn profile. Be very careful in writing it; Use the keywords you got in the previous step. Write the headline in a way that shows your expertise and is impressive. For example, you can write your expertise and current job position in the first section and your other important expertise in the following sections.
About me is very important
All LinkedIn profiles have an About section, which is a summary of you for contacts who have entered your profile. This is the best place to use the keywords you want to show up for. But don’t just list your keywords. In this section, you should pay attention to the users by using effective sentences in addition to giving importance to the LinkedIn algorithm. As I said about me is a summary of your abilities to the audience. So use your keywords in the form of practical sentences. Try to write it from 400 words to 700 words.
Also, LinkedIn has added the feature of top 5 skills to this section. In this section, choose your top 5 skills and expertise that you used in the headline and text about me and that you are well specialized in so that you have also optimized LinkedIn in this section.
Optimize experiences with keywords (Experience)
Experience is one of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile for employers and recruiters. For the SEO of your LinkedIn profile, it is better to pay special attention to this part. Be sure to use your keywords in the title and description of the experience. Let’s say a point outside the topic of this article; For more impact on recruiters, it is better to use a few bullet points instead of textual and task-oriented explanations. Also, LinkedIn has added the ability to add skills to any job title. Be sure to include the skills you have acquired in each experience.
Complete your profile
At the top of the profile, click the add section option and be sure to add skills and Certifications. LinkedIn also recommends adding it if you haven’t already done so. Be sure to use your specialties and keywords in the skills section. You can add up to 50 skills. But pay attention that these skills are among your expertise and master them. Also, LinkedIn has designed tests to confirm your skills (Assessment). By participating in this test, you can get LinkedIn’s confirmation of your skills, which you can see in the image below.
Also, try to complete your field skills by participating in various training courses such as LinkedIn Learning, Google Garage, Coursera, etc.
Generating regular content is the key to success in LinkedIn SEO
So far, we have explained the meaning of SEO on LinkedIn. But the work does not end here. One of the main algorithmic monitoring of LinkedIn on your profile happens through posting and content creation. It is necessary to follow the following tips for success in LinkedIn profile SEO:
- Be sure to plan content. Choose content that is in your field of expertise and has added value for your audience. Your audience needs to interact with your post.
- Produce regular content. One of the important things that the LinkedIn algorithm takes into account is the regularity of your posts. By doing this, you will be more on the page (feed) of your contacts.
- Interact with your contacts. Connect with people in your industry, like and comment on their posts. Make recommendations for people you know and endorse their main skills.
A versatile LinkedIn SEO plugin
If you are looking for a tool or plugin to help you optimize your LinkedIn, Careerflow is a versatile plugin. This plugin was introduced by the Careerflow website, which aims to help people optimize LinkedIn and find a job through it. Install this plugin on your Google Chrome browser through the link below; Log in to your LinkedIn profile and follow the recommendations this plugin makes for LinkedIn SEO. With this, your profile is almost ready for optimization. Now make your way to be seen by employers and recruiters easier by producing regular content and interacting with your audience.
Careerflow plugin for LinkedIn SEO
This plugin checks your LinkedIn profile and gives you a score between 0 and 100 based on it.
LinkedIn optimization checklist
- Choose your keywords.
- Have a quality profile picture.
- Choose a banner image (header or background) according to your expertise.
- In the headline, enter your specialty and current position in the first section, in the second, third, etc., enter your next specialties in order of priority. Be sure to use your keywords.
- In the About Me section, write a summary of your specializations and work path using keywords and sentences with meaning.
- Use your keywords in the experience section and use a few bullet points instead of explanations.
- Add the skills and certificates section.
- Use the main skills and keywords in the skills section.
- Plan content and post regularly.
- Interact with your contacts.