{"id":19241,"date":"2021-03-12T10:23:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T17:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/?p=19241"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:25:25","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T23:25:25","slug":"seo-guide-to-optimizing-your-linkedin-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/seo-guide-to-optimizing-your-linkedin-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"SEO Guide to Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might think that search engine optimization is something reserved for your business website and digital marketing content, but SEO actually has powers that reach far beyond that. As it turns out, learning how to optimize your LinkedIn profile is something that you\u2019ll want to tackle sooner than later.<\/p>\n

For years, LinkedIn has had a reputation as a stuffy site primarily reserved for CEOs, sales reps, and a handful of college students making attempts to network. As a result, many people have built a LinkedIn profile that looks like a complete copy\/paste of their most recent resume: bulleted lists of credentials and professional experience, and maybe a short blurb that describes who they are and what their goals are.<\/p>\n

If you think that this is exactly what your LinkedIn profile looks like, you\u2019re not alone – and we\u2019re not here to judge. Instead, our goal is to show you that LinkedIn is actually a dynamic search engine with the ability to funnel targeted traffic directly to your profile page. On top of that, that high-volume traffic can produce both new customers and invaluable professional connections.<\/p>\n

For a business owner, this makes LinkedIn an exciting (but usually untapped) opportunity. You can use LinkedIn as a valuable part of your digital strategy, specifically for SEO. But how exactly do you optimize LinkedIn profile content in a way that supports your SEO goals? We\u2019re going to take a deep dive into everything you need to know about LinkedIn search optimization, giving you all the tools and tips you need to start making better use of the powerful potential of this professional platform.<\/p>\n

So, pull up your LinkedIn profile and get ready to put this social media platform through its paces using strategic SEO.<\/p>\n

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile for Search Ranking<\/h2>\n

Before you jump into applying standard SEO to your profile, it\u2019s important to understand that LinkedIn SEO is an entirely different animal. When the average user conducts a search on LinkedIn, they\u2019re likely to enter completely different keywords than they would use on Google Search. Because most people look at LinkedIn as a social media site, not a search engine, they tailor their keywords accordingly.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how: let\u2019s say that a small business owner is looking for a copywriter for a few quick projects. On Google, they might search for \u201ccopywriting services for small businesses\u201d or \u201csmall business copywriters for hire.\u201d These types of search inquiries use what\u2019s known as a long-tail term.<\/p>\n

In contrast, on LinkedIn, they\u2019ll probably use what\u2019s called a short-tail term, which condenses their keyword phrase into one or two words. For example, they might type \u201ccopywriter\u201d into the LinkedIn search bar and go from there.<\/p>\n

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile starts with aiming to make use of both long- and short-tail terms. When someone searches either one on Google, your LinkedIn profile has the opportunity to rank in the search engine results pages (SERPs). So when you optimize your LinkedIn profile with both types of SEO keywords, you increase your chances of hitting the SEO jackpot by getting as close as possible to your ideal ranking on the SERPs.<\/p>\n

Benefits of LinkedIn Profile SEO Optimization<\/h3>\n

Obviously, the primary goal of optimizing your LinkedIn profile is to increase traffic to your profile page. More visitors to your page means more opportunities to be found by your target audience on LinkedIn, as well as people arriving via web search.<\/p>\n

But in addition to a boost in traffic, LinkedIn profile optimization can also be a helpful strategy for building your brand presence. When you center important keywords and terms in your LinkedIn content, you make it easier for people to understand the focus of your business. And because you\u2019re specifically using simple language to communicate this concept, it makes the user experience that much easier.<\/p>\n

SEO Keywords for LinkedIn<\/h2>\n

Step one: Find LinkedIn SEO keywords<\/h3>\n

Begin building a great LinkedIn profile page by finding the keywords that will attract the right traffic to your page. You can do this using the same keyword research process you would use for your business website.<\/p>\n

Consider what you want your LinkedIn profile to rank for and whether those search terms align with the intent of your target audience. Then, look into whether those search terms can offer quality search volume without too much competition. Ideally, find a sweet spot between excellent ranking and reasonable search volume for optimal results. With your list of keywords in hand, you can effectively optimize your public profile content.<\/p>\n

At this point, you\u2019re probably wondering exactly how to find LinkedIn SEO keywords. Unfortunately, there is not yet an SEO tool that can provide search volume data specifically for LinkedIn. Because of that, figuring out how to use LinkedIn for SEO requires you to make some educated guesses and do a bit of trial and error. But with a well-thought process, you can do a solid job of optimizing your LinkedIn profile using high-quality keywords.<\/p>\n

Here is a simple series of steps that can help you with finding keywords for LinkedIn:<\/p>\n

1. Conduct a search using the shortest, broadest term possible that would be associated with the products or services your business offers.<\/strong> Using the LinkedIn search box, search for the most general term you can think of that applies to your business. For example, if you are a freelance social media consultant, try entering \u201csocial media.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You\u2019ll notice that LinkedIn automatically displays the top search results for that term, specifically within your network.<\/p>\n

2. Take a closer look at the full search results.<\/strong> At the bottom of the automatically-populated search results, click on \u201cSee all results for [search term].\u201d Clicking that option will bring you to the full page of results that are associated with the keyword. There, you can see the exact number of results, their location, whether each result is a company, group, or connection, and more.<\/p>\n

More than likely, the top results are labeled as \u201c1st,\u201d 2nd,\u201d or \u201c3rd,\u201d telling you that they are connections in your LinkedIn network. Since LinkedIn gives search priority to the people and companies you are already connected with, this means that what you\u2019re looking at isn\u2019t a completely accurate view of search results.<\/p>\n

Therefore, we need to do a little more digging to figure out which LinkedIn terms can achieve both high volume and good match (relevancy) results.<\/p>\n

3. Observe the search volume for your selected keyword.<\/strong> Take a moment to make note of how many results your search returned – this is your search volume. Towards the top of the page, you can see exactly how many results you received. If you\u2019d like, you can filter results to only include People and Companies (but don\u2019t filter beyond that just yet).<\/p>\n

This number gives you a good idea of how many results will be provided to users that searching that term. In other words, it\u2019s the competition that you\u2019re facing in your mission to come out on top when competing with similar people or companies in the search results.<\/p>\n

4. Experiment by filtering by connections.<\/strong> Using the drop-down menu labeled \u201cConnections,\u201d tick off the boxes next to \u201c1st,\u201d \u201c2nd,\u201d and \u201c3rd.\u201d This action filters your results to the profile of people you are presently connected to, in addition to people that are not included in your connections.<\/p>\n

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While there is no perfect method for viewing what users see when they search your selected keyword, this is the next best option. You can get a clear idea of the keywords that people both inside and outside your LinkedIn network are using. Also, it offers a peek into how well those profiles are ranking for those search terms.<\/p>\n

5. Study the SEO keywords you can see within the search results.<\/strong> Anytime you\u2019re conducting keyword research for a website, one of the most important things you assess is the keywords being used by your closest competitors. When you\u2019re optimizing your LinkedIn profile, you can use the same approach. Browse the highest-ranking LinkedIn profile pages, examining how the keyword is being integrated into the content.<\/p>\n

Using our original example of \u201csocial media\u201d as a keyword, you might look to see whether top profiles are using \u201csocial media\u201d in its simplest form or more specific keywords such as \u201csocial media specialist,\u201d \u201csocial media marketing,\u201d or \u201csocial media strategist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ask yourself which of the terms are the most accurate match for your target audience? What kind of traffic do you want to drive to your LinkedIn profile, and which keywords most closely match?<\/p>\n

Make a shortlist of the search terms that you need most frequently used among the top search results. Re-run your search using the words and phrases from your list, evaluating what results you receive. Keep doing and redoing this process until you can assemble a list of three to five search terms that are most often used in relation to your original keyword.<\/p>\n

6. Use your usual SEO keywords list as a point of reference.<\/strong> Even though LinkedIn SEO is very different from regular SEO, there is still often some overlap in keywords. Comparing your keyword lists from LinkedIn and standard SEO is a great way to find the search terms that can offer the best of both worlds: traffic from searches on LinkedIn and Google.<\/p>\n

Step two: Edit public profile page to include both LinkedIn and SEO keywords<\/h3>\n

Now that you\u2019re armed with a well-rounded list of keywords, it\u2019s time to actually add them to your public profile.<\/p>\n

Before you start stuffing your profile page with keywords, take a moment to make sure you’re considering your audience and their perception of our profile copy. Even though LinkedIn doesn\u2019t appear to penalize pages for keyword stuffing, that doesn\u2019t make it a good idea. Instead, find ways to naturally fit in keywords to create copy that is equally compelling and a serious contender in the search results.<\/p>\n

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Some of the parts of your LinkedIn profile you can add SEO keywords include the:<\/p>\n