Increase the eyes on your personal profile with this 6-step SEO for LinkedIn optimisation guide.
If you follow these steps you will see an increase in profile visit rates, engagement rates and qualified leads.
This article will cover:
Keywords
Headlines
Profile completeness
Job title optimisation
Vanity URL
Photo
How Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) works for LinkedIn.
LinkedIn SEO refers to the way you write and use your profile to increase its ranking in a search and therefore its visibility. The higher your profile is ranked when someone searches for a particular term, the more views your profile is likely to get.
When optimising your LinkedIn profile to increase visibility there are several factors to the process including LinkedIn’s ranking process which uses an algorithm to select and order the results provided when a user searches for a keyword or phrase. Each unique user on LinkedIn is provided with a unique relevance score based on various factors to determine the ranking.
Whilst the algorithm sites are deep within LinkedIn’s IT team, there are some simple and effective ways you can make the algorithm work for you.
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Step 1: Keywords.
A keyword is a word or phrase that searchers enter into a search engine. Learn more about Keyword Research. Examples of keywords and phrases include:
Real Estate Agents near me
Mortgage Brokers in Sydney
New home in Double Bay
For LinkedIn, create a list of 7-10 words or terms that your ideal client would use when searching for the service you offer. For example:
Project Management
Property Development
Experienced Accountant
Now, use these keywords throughout your profile in as many sections as possible, including your:
Headline
Role descriptions
Skills and endorsements
Skills and endorsements section. LinkedIn prioritises skills already in its database, so when adding a new skill, start typing it, then select the most relevant suggestion that appears.
Step 2: Headlines.
Your LinkedIn headline sits just below your profile image and name. Customising your headline is not only critical for SEO, it’s also an important part of your personal brand - how people view and perceive you on the platform.
LinkedIn automatically populates your headline with your current or most recent position – however, you have the option to customise it. Remember, you want the headline to create an informative and impactful snapshot of yourself.
When creating your headline:
Include your role title
Include your industry
Include your specialty
Use all of the 120 characters available
Steer clear of emoji use
Headline Example
Step 3: Profile Completeness.
To rank highly your profile will need to be 100% complete, with every profile section completed. Consider using bullet points rather than paragraphs, and format the text so it’s easy to read.
Use LinkedIn’s automated guidance to help improve your profile – it prompts you to add to incomplete sections.
Broaden your network with quality connections that are aligned to your organisation, industry, speciality and target client. Remember to think quality over quantity when making new connections.
Step 4: Job Title Optimisation.
Type your current role into Google and review the types of roles that come up. If your exact role title comes up, keep it as is. If a variation comes up, consider amending your title to that.
Step 5: URL Customisation.
LinkedIn allows you to personalise your URL, changing it from the automated URL, which is usually quite long and contains a random assortment of numbers. Upon updating make sure you update your email signature, business cards and other marketing collateral.
Standard URL example (not optimised): www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-johnston/22345562
Custom URL example (optimised): www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-johnston-marketing-specialist/
To change your LinkedIn public profile URL:
1. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Click View profile.
3. Click Edit public profile & URL on the right side.
You’ll be redirected to the Public profile settings page.
4. Under Edit your custom URL on the right side, click the Edit icon next to your public profile URL.
It'll be an address that looks like www.linkedin.com/in/yourname.
5. Type the last part of your new custom URL in the text box.
6. Click Save
Step 6: Photo.
You can control the visibility of your profile photo. Posting a profile photo is optional, but it helps your connections and others to recognize you. Members with profile photos can receive up to 21 times more profile views than those without profile photos.
Include a clear, good-quality photo of yourself taken against a white or plain background. You ideally want to show your head and shoulders and be dressed in professional attire.
Consider updating your privacy settings on LinkedIn for your photo to be shown to users who are not yet connected to you.
To change the visibility of your profile photo:
1. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Click View profile.
3. Click on your profile photo.
4. Near the bottom right of the pop-up window, click Visibility and select the visibility for who can see your profile photo from the following options:
Your connections
Your network
All LinkedIn members
Public (default)
5. Click Apply to save the changes
Naomi Johnston
E: naomi@njconsulting.com.au
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