Easy LinkedIn SEO Strategies for (non-tech) professionals

Whether it is a caution or a compulsion, professionals are either on leave or working from their homes.

Companies have opted to delay or do-away with in-person interviews. 

Businesses have taken a hit and they need to recover as well as acquire new clients.

In these times of “social distancing” and physical disconnection, it is better that you are discovered online by the right prospects, collaborators or recruiters.

You could achieve this from an hours' research by implementing a sound SEO strategy for LinkedIn by:

1.      Getting Your List of Keywords Right: You may already know most keywords that can make you a relevant result to an online search, but few keywords can make you visible across multiple search categories of LinkedIn, especially those of “People” and “Content”. You can get a useful list of keywords by:

a.      Populating words specific to your industry and career.

b.      Searching these words on Google, Bing and LinkedIn and assessing their results. A few minutes every day and you will know which words result in good searches and which words fill your screen with clutter. You can highlight those words that can set you apart from your competition.

c.      Using Keyword Research Tools, including free tools like:

     i.     Google Adwords Planner iii.     Wordstream vii.     Ubersuggest viii.     Soovle

     Here is an example of their use in action:

d.      Make a list of target phrases that also carry one or more of your keywords. These can include popular words and phrases used by LinkedIn influencers of your industry.

2.      Choose the Right Keywords: Keywords lead users to information on your profile. Hence, it is very important that they get the information they seek and they trust it. Your keyword of choice can make or break this trust. For example, you can avoid overused keywords such as “innovative” or “dynamic”, “performer” or “vast experience” unless you can showcase it with a value proposition or call to action in your profile summary. 

3.      Optimise Your Profile: This is one of the most important things that you can do to push yourself ahead of your competitors. You can express yourself better if you do not overload your profile with keywords and keep your Headlines precise. Only use what is necessary.

A LinkedIn Headline has a 120 character limit (more if you use an iPhone) and this is where you must combine primary and secondary keywords efficiently. You can create a catchy headline with two primary keywords like “Financial Advisor” combined with secondary keywords like “Certified”, “Registered” “Equity” etc.

When it comes to the various sections in your profile, tailor your Experience and Professional Summary around your skills that align best with your current professional objectives. This does not mean that you leave your profile incomplete. In fact, a complete LinkedIn profile is an indispensable part of your LinkedIn SEO strategy.

***LinkedIn profiles with photos get 21x more views and 36x more message***

PRO-TIP - name your profile photo with your role eg. financialadvisor.jpeg to rank higher in searches.

5.      Build Quality Backlinks: According to a 2019 report by Trust Radius, professionals find LinkedIn to be the most trustworthy social network, about 3x times more reliable than its closest competitor i.e. Twitter. If you are sharing professional posts on your blog or other social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter, you can link them back to your LinkedIn Profile or your LinkedIn Posts and leverage this trust. These backlinks will drive traffic to your LinkedIn Profile and since you have placed them in professional content, they will yield good quality traffic.

6.      Start Publishing Regularly: Create a comfortable schedule of short and long posts on LinkedIn that showcase you as a professional and a sociable human being. You can include some of the same keywords that you have mentioned in your profile. Your content can be unique but it must be useful. Think of posts that can help people adapt to the present situation, avoid misinformation or reach out to you for conversation. You could also find a way to repost and repurpose your content on LinkedIn but do not duplicate the content as it may spoil your SEO rankings.

7.      Socialise on LinkedIn: Contribute content, comment and have conversations on LinkedIn. Connect to the right network and become visible in the right LinkedIn Groups. Your LinkedIn activities will attract profile visitors and also motivate people to tag you to contribute to other posts. There is no method to socialising, only a word of caution that you do not troll other members and try to establish a flow in your comments that attracts people to your content and your profile.

8.      Incorporate some Hashtags: #Hashtags are indexed by all search engines and LinkedIn. They are used frequently in content and LinkedIn posts but some Hashtags have gained prominence in profiles. For example, the #ONO stands for open to new opportunities. While it is an invitation to recruiters, it may not attract prospective clients. Many such Hashtags are easily recognisable by LinkedIn. On the other hand, you can create a unique hashtag of your own and this can serve as a keyword as well as backlink. For a full guide to hashtags on Linkedin click here.

9. SEO your Company page

Incorporate Keywords in Your Tagline: Consider this small patch of real estate underneath your banner to be your company’s “elevator pitch.” You want to convey, as quickly as possible, what you do and who you serve.

Once you’ve optimised your brief tagline, you can turn your attention to the ‘About’ section, which includes a longer-form overview of your business as well as details like the size of your company, the industry you’re in, your specialties, and your website URL. Include your website URL on your LinkedIn Page to drive traffic to your site.

Write a Strong ‘About’ Section

With relevant keywords in mind, work to craft an engaging overview that answers questions your audience might have. 

 ***Companies with complete information gain 30% more weekly views.***

Why wouldn't you do the above?

For bespoke social media marketing advice to take full advantage of the opportunities available to you via #LinkedIn, schedule an initial phone consultation here

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