LinkedIn SEO: How To Optimize Your Profile To Rank Higher

• Updated on: 2017-07-09
• Read original article here

Want more view on your LinkedIn Profile?

LinkedIn SEO may be your answer. Instead of soliciting people through LinkedIn, it’s easier to let them find you – through search engine optimization. That means when people search LinkedIn for “SEO Consultant” (or whatever keywords you chose), you can optimize your profile to rank higher in LinkedIn’s search results.

Ranking Higher In LinkedIn vs. Google – both have their own algorithm. LinkedIn is more about relevancy to the person doing the search (that’s why adding connections is so important) while Google is more about

Update to this article: while keywords are still important, LinkedIn has updated their search engine to more heavily show people with similar connections and groups.

This can help you get a job, get more sales, or whatever you’re looking to accomplish. And, it works. I’ve ranked profiles in the #1 result for multiple keywords, like my own:

Before you start, note that Google penalizes websites using “keyword stuffing” (using the same keyword over and over on a page), while this is the most important factor in getting your profile ranked higher in LinkedIn. This means you’re going to have to use certain keywords in your profile, and quite a few times. If you don’t want to clutter your profile with keywords, there are still plenty of ways to help your LinkedIn profile’s SEO.

Here’s what to do….

Think of some keywords you want to be found for. Keep in mind that “social media consultant” and “social media consulting” are two different keywords. So if you want to rank higher for both, they should both be in your keyword list. A social media consultant might chose these words:

If you want to know what keywords your profile is already being found for, you will need to upgrade to LinkedIn premium. Otherwise you can always guess. For me, it would be “WordPress SEO consultant” and WordPress designer” – pretty simple.

Before you start optimizing your LinkedIn profile, it’s best to fill out your profile completely; get a headshot photo, write your summary, list your job titles/descriptions, education, etc. LinkedIn SEO can affect how your profile is organized and written, so it’s best to read this entire tutorial before building out your profile completely.

Where to put your keywords:

Professional Headline. Your professional headlines adds the most weight to your LinkedIn profile SEO. It’s a small section but an important place to include keyword(s).

Job Titles. Add keywords in any relevant job titles. You can use commas or separators to list multiple variations of the title,  like “Social Media Consultant – Social Media Strategist”.

Projects. This can really boost your LinkedIn SEO, but it might also require the most keyword stuffing. Add the “projects” application to your profile and list a few. In the project description, use keywords discretely. If you don’t care about keyword stuffing, list a 5-6 sentence legitimate description. After the description repeat your keyword(s) over and over until LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to add anymore. When you view the project on your profile you will have to click a “more” link to view all those keywords.

Main Content Body. Try to use keywords throughout the main content of your profile. This can be in your summary, job descriptions, interests, and even organizations/awards.

Besides making yourself look reputable, recommendations also add to your profile’s SEO. Getting a recommendation for each job position will double the strength of the keywords listed in your job titles. Once you approve the recommendation, it will appear on your profile along with the job title’s keywords.

When you search LinkedIn, you might notice people who share similar groups and connections show up before people that don’t. This is because sharing the same groups and connections makes your profile more relevant in search.

You can join up to 50 groups and unlimited subgroups. Joining  a group with 1 million people will make you more relevant in search to those 1 million people. And if you’re targeting a specific city, try searching that city in “LinkedIn Groups” to see if there’s any good ones to join.

Just like groups, adding connections will make your LinkedIn profile more relevant. Not only will you be more relevant for that 1 person, but you will be relevant for thatperson’s connections (your 2nd degree connections).

Start off with adding people you already know. Click “Add Connections” in your profile and use your email address to invite email contacts. On your main profile page, there should also be a link that says “People You May Know” near the top right. Have at it.

Adjust your public profile settings to customize what people see when they search for your in Google and other search engines. You can also adjust the URL of your public profile. When you’re done, fill out the “Skills” section with common terms like any programs you use. Finally, set your location/industry to make you even more relevant in LinkedIn’s search.

The results of your LinkedIn SEO efforts will take place immediately. Search your keywords in LinkedIn and see where you stand. Be sure to filter by “keywords”.

Note: performing a search within your own profile gives you bias results – your profile might show up first because you are relevant to yourself. For less bias results, ask a friend (preferably someone who doesn’t have you as a connection) to search your keywords in LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed my article, please share it with a friend who might like it too. I would really appreciate that.