Anywhere SEO is mentioned, the first thing many people think about is blog content and how they can be made to rank on search engines. This could not be farther from the truth. If there is a search engine involved, and there is anything at all you would like to come out on top in searches, SEO finds a place there.
By that extension, it is easier to see why you will need SEO to not only make your LinkedIn profile stand out, but also show up early in targeted searches too. We have curated this list of things to do just for you.
1) Identify your Keywords
When optimizing for LinkedIn, we recommend going for just a couple of keywords. You can have supporting keywords for the cause, but make sure there is one phrase at the heart of it all. That way, you build your strategy around a central point rather than having one account that is just all over the place.
Your choice of keyword should not only be influenced by your field but how people seek this field out. That will enable you to show up in organic searches better, rather than leveraging the algorithm to help you show up in contextual searches instead.
2) Spice up your Professional Headline
After your name, LinkedIn also looks at the professional headline which you have set up. These days, the AI deployed on LinkedIn is so smart that it can help you craft a solid professional summary based on the experiences and input you have on your account. While this is great, it can sometimes be generic – so generic that you miss out on the important keywords which should have gone into the account.
Your headline gives people a quick snapshot of what you’re about, whether it’s a one line summary of your experience, or a few words about what you do, your headline can give people an insight into why you’re connecting with them and what they stand to gain from being in your network and vice versa.
3) Experience
LinkedIn allows you to add all the jobs you have ever held, and for good reason too. Besides being a great way to show your audience that you have the needed experience in the fields you claim expertise on, it is also a great place to sprinkle your keywords.
Take your keyword from above and use it generously (but ) in the experience section when describing the various positions you have held, up to the current one. For example, if you’re working in marketing now and have had previous roles which encompassed a part of this, you can utilise the keywords to help your profile surface well in searches for marketing professionals.
4) Skills
A simple search in the skills section will return results for relevant skills that are being searched for on the platform. While you can add as many as 50 skills, you might not know that these are not all visible to anyone who searches your profile. To that end, always remember to reorder the way these skills appear on your profile. Go for the most important ones to show first, and let the rest come behind it. Great way to put your best foot forward, don’t you think?
Getting your skills endorsed by other people in your network also adds credibility to your profile, and reinforces your background and experience listed on your profile.
Importance of LinkedIn SEO?
You’d be surprised how often people search for a service they require in LinkedIn, and connect with relevant profiles that catch their eye to build relationships with and eventually buy from. The domain authority of LinkedIn is also phenomenal, and having a strongly worded LinkedIn profile can help to boost the ranking of any websites your profile is linked to (e.g. your company website) in bigger search engines – all eventually helping to drive more business.
Optimising your LinkedIn profile keywords is a perfect and inexpensive way to really capitalise on any lead generation strategy, as it will only compliment anything you’re already doing. Having a better ranking website, and boosting your LinkedIn profile increases your visibility and credibility. When carrying out outbound LinkedIn lead generation, having a thoroughly key worded profile will lead to LinkedIn’s platforms surfacing your profile as one that is reliable, informative and highly active, so all strategies optimise each other.
We have an in-house expert that can help you optimise your LinkedIn profile, and make the best of an outbound campaign. To chat to us about how we can help you achieve your growth plans, click below or ring one of the team on 0161 503 7654.
