How to Optimize Your Profile for LinkedIn Algorithm?

LinkedIn is currently more popular than Twitter and Facebook among the networkers and the recruitment companies. It not only provides you with a networking platform but is also a great place to market your products and services.
We know that LinkedIn has been on the rise for the past few years, and with that increment in popularity came a lot of new features andtools. It is a powerful platform, so much so that it has been dubbed the “new résumé”.
In this blog, I will delve deep into the LinkedIn algorithm and will explain how it works, how to rank on this platform, what matters, and what doesn’t. I will also shed some light on the benefits of LinkedIn for professionals.
Now before going into technicalities, for those who are not familiar with what they can do on this platform, let’s discuss some of the ways you can use LinkedIn to your advantage.

• Connect with peers.
• Meet professionals
• Publish your own content.
• Build your company page on LinkedIn.
• Get to know the recent news.
• Plan events
• Use LinkedIn messenger to send direct messages.
• Advertise your products or services.
• Learn skills with LinkedIn learning.

All of these benefits would definitely make you want to use the platform. Now that we all agree on the benefits of this amazing platform, let’s get straight to the technical side of things. To use LinkedIn to the fullest, you’ll have to increase your LinkedIn visibility and for that, you’ll have to rank your profile or page.
This is where the LinkedIn algorithm comes in. We all understand that just like all other social networks and search engines, LinkedIn has its own algorithm that helps you connect with others and helps others find you.

Relevancy over recency

The first thing we need to understand in order to learn is that LinkedIn highly favors content relevancy or recency. With its core mantra being, “People you know, talking about the things you care about.” The LinkedIn algorithm will most likely show content that’s relevant to your interests, even if it’s not recent so you might see a few posts that were posted a while back. This is how the platform shows you exactly what you want to see in terms of posts, articles, and discussions so that you engage with the content and not skip it.

User engagement

LinkedIn algorithm promotes content that has the potential to garner more engagement and go viral. So, if your content engages the audience and sparks discussion then it is more likely to rank. Your content can reach a lot of people even if you don’t have many connections, only if it’s highly engaging, meaning it is reshared, commented on, and reacted to.

Top LinkedIn ranking signals

As aforementioned, LinkedIn has its own algorithm just like other platforms. That means it has its own ranking parameters as well. If you fulfill these factors then your content is sure to reach more people, get more engagement and your visibility will eventually increase. Here are the LinkedIn ranking factors that you should keep in mind while creating content for the platform.

1. Connections
This goes without saying. We all know how important LinkedIn connections are. Now here is a twist though. LinkedIn divides connections into different degrees to create your network. This also defines who is more relevant and more likely to engage with your content.
If you have more connections, that means you have much more second or third-degree connections which makes your content available to people who are not directly connected to you.
LinkedIn also takes into account your activity on the platform for example who you interacted with, in the comment section or direct messages. This way the algorithm identifies your interests and shows you relevant content and it does the same with content that you post.
2. Content Relevance
LinkedIn takes into account your past activity, your interests, etc. while showing content to you and it does the same when you are posting your own content. It analyzes the content, hashtags, etc., and also the people’s profiles and activities in order to show it only to the people who are more likely to engage with it.
This is how people come across content that interests them, not just from their immediate connections but from others as well. When I say content, I mean posts, job listings, connection suggestions, and more.
3. Engagement
Engagement is one of the core ranking factors for LinkedIn. If your content garners more shares, comments, and reactions, it means that your content has the potential to appeal to a greater audience.
The algorithm finds a relevant audience for any piece of content using these factors and if your content has the potential to go viral, it is more likely to be shown to more people even if they are not directly connected to you. The same goes for your profile as well, you will only see the content that you are more likely to engage with.

How to rank your LinkedIn profile?

We have discussed what matters when it comes to the LinkedIn algorithm. Now it's time to talk about ranking your content and your profile. There are a number of steps you can take to rank your profile and the content you post on LinkedIn.
We can safely say that the LinkedIn algorithm is not as complicated as some other platforms so if you focus on the factors that we will discuss in this blog, you’ll surely go big on this platform.

1. Keyword Research
Whenever we talk about search engine optimization, keyword research is the first thing that comes to mind. However, LinkedIn keywords research is a bit different than how we do it for Google using multiple tools.
There are no tools available to do keyword research specifically for LinkedIn. So, what you do is you go to LinkedIn search and you type in the keyword that you think is most relevant to your topic area.
There, you will see a number of ways people are using the same search term. Now if you click on See all people results, you’ll see the total number of people who are ranking for that particular keyword.
This will give you an idea about the competition for that keyword as well. Now you don’t have to use that specific keyword. You will have to go on and search for other variants and LinkedIn will also suggest phrases related to that keyword.
Choose the ones that describe your service the best with a moderate level of competition and prioritize those keywords.
2. Profile optimization
Once you’ve figured out the keywords that you want to rank for, you can start optimizing your profile for those specific keywords which would increase the chances of your profile showing up when people search for those keywords.
Now the question is, how do you optimize the profile? Well, it’s quite easy if you do it properly. First, you should optimize your ‘about section description’. Here you will add the selected keywords while describing who you are, what you specialize in, and the services you offer.
Another place to focus on is LinkedIn’s experience section. You have to use this space to add the relevant keywords while describing your expertise and experience. What you should keep in mind is that you don’t have to target only one keyword, rather focus on all the relevant search terms and use them throughout your profile.
Now here is a pro tip by the best LinkedIn Marketers in Dubai, never stuff your profile with keywords and unnecessary phrases. This will not help. Firstly, because it won’t help you rank, and more importantly, even if your profile gets ranked, you won’t achieve your objectives.
The reason is that your goal is not just to rank but convince people to hire you or connect with you. Now if someone comes to your profile and finds keywords stuffed throughout the profile without any head or tail, they will not be impressed by it and will eventually leave the profile.
Here are a few tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile:
• Use a catchy professional image to attract users.
• Add a compelling and descriptive cover photo.
• A link to your website is a must.
• Add media, such as articles, and videos.
• Get recommendations from relevant people.
• Add relevant skills.
3. Build connections
Focus on building connections, not just any connections but relevant ones. This helps a lot when it comes to gaining visibility. As I said earlier, your content is not only shown to your first-degree connections but second and third-degree connections as well.
Aim to get 500 relevant connections in the start and build from there. People who have at least 500 connections will get more visibility and their content will reach a greater audience.
4. Engage on posts by other people
Last but not the least, take out time to engage with other people’s content. Comment on their posts or like and share their content. This interaction won’t just be between you and your connection but it will also be shown to others with similar interests as well.
This will lead to increased visibility of your profile. Moreover, the possibility of your profile going viral is always there. If you comment on someone’s posts and they interact back to your comment, their connections would also find out about that.
This is how you keep building your LinkedIn profile. Indeed, it is a time taking process and it is not going to happen overnight. However, if you continue to follow these steps and keep interacting with others, you will keep on growing your network and the rewards are unlimited.

This is it for today’s blog. I hope you liked reading it. Be sure to share your feedback with me and share the blog with your friends as well so that they could also learn. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
If you run a business that you want to market on digital platforms, especially LinkedIn, contact Prism Digital, the best LinkedIn Marketing Agency in Dubai and our marketing experts will help you create and run marketing campaigns that would take your business to a new level. I will catch you in the next blog. Until then, goodbye.