When you apply for jobs, you can be sure that potential employers are Googling you and a neglected LinkedIn profile can work against you. On the other hand, a compelling profile can definitely help your job hunt. LinkedIn has 260 million active members worldwide, so you never know who’s checking you out or where your next offer could come from.
Here, we’ve compiled everything you need to know to optimize your LinkedIn profile:
Spruce up your profile aesthetic
Optimizing your profile aesthetic isn’t about adding SEO keywords but tailoring the look of your profile to your target audience. Give the best possible first impression to your potential connections. Make it easier for them to understand what you are about and how to get ahold of you.
Write compelling profile copy
Write with your target audience in mind. Make it interesting and appealing to the type of people you want to attract. There are a few primary areas where you can do this, and those are your headline, summary and experience sections.
Implement LinkedIn SEO
To find SEO keywords to use in your profile, simply conduct keyword research as you would if you were finding keywords for your business website. Generate a list of terms that are worth ranking for and that have a reasonable search volume. With this list, you will start on your LinkedIn SEO keyword research and then you’ll optimize your profile with combination of these terms.
Create a profile “funnel”
Funnel your visitors down the page – from your cover photo and headline, to your summary, to your media section and finally, to your inbox or landing page. By creating a profile funnel, you are more likely to take advantage of the traffic coming to your profile. Without a funnel, the burden is on visitors to figure out what you offer and figure out how to contact you. A funnel makes the process straightforward, simple and conversion-friendly.
Build SMART connections
The more industry connections you have, the better. Be smart about the kinds of connections you want to have and how they could benefit you in the short-term and long-term.
Gather recommendations, skills and endorsements
LinkedIn recommendations are the reviews of your profile. This is where references and past clients can talk about their experience working with you. You can reach out to users on LinkedIn to endorse your skills in order to boost your numbers. You can also endorse users for their skills which could prompt them to contact you or endorse you back. It’s best to have many endorsements for just s few skills versus only a few endorsements for many different skills.
Post the right kind of content, consistently
Posting on LinkedIn can be a hit or miss. A few guides have covered how to hack the algorithm. Your success on LinkedIn (in terms of posting) depends on what works best for you and your audience.
Give engagement, get engagement
While posting on LinkedIn can yield spotty results, engaging with other users on the platform appears to be much more promising. Whenever you engage on a post, your comment and name pops up on your connections’ LinkedIn feed. You can also pop up to users in their network, expanding your reach. The more presence you have on LinkedIn, the more likely you are to be seen by people inside and outside of your network.
Understanding your LinkedIn analytics
You can tap into your Google Analytics to see how many visitors you are getting from LinkedIn, and then set up conversion tracking there. The numbers don’t lie. Follow what works and you will certainly see an uptick in connections, traffic and leads over time.
In Conclusion
By following the LinkedIn optimization tips above and testing your own ideas for optimization, you can generate high-volume traffic to your profile and convert that traffic into qualified leads for your business.
Whether you’re just getting started on LinkedIn or have already used it as a marketer or salesperson for a while, optimizing your profile is essential to your success. With a complete profile, valuable and varied content, and a broad network, you’ll stand out from the crowd, attract more attention, and ultimately get better results in business.
SOURCE:
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