Helping The LinkedIn Algorithm Figure Out Whose Content You Want To See

The LinkedIn algorithm decides what you see in your feed. So if you understand how it works, you can use that information to your advantage and guide LinkedIn to present more of the content you want to see. 

While you can express interest in topics and influencers (they are under the "My Network" tab), a big part of what the algorithm does is look at your recent interactions. It looks at whose posts you are interacting with and what topics you are researching. Then LinkedIn interprets this data and predicts what you would like to see more of. This is where the algorithm is really smart and really dumb at the same time. 

If the algorithm sees me commenting on your posts, and especially if we trade a bunch of comments back and forth on that post, the algorithm interprets that as a high interest level on my behalf with regards to your posting. So LinkedIn will show me more of your posts.

The algorithm is very wise. 

But the algorithm also sees someone come along who hates your post, acts like a troll, and wants to argue with you and call you names. Because the algorithm just looks at the back and forth and does not understand what is actually being said, the algorithm interprets these comments as a high level of interest on the troll’s behalf and LinkedIn will now show the troll a lot more of your posts.  

The algorithm is kind of dumb. 

Oh, and I said “looks at your recent interactions” because I went away on vacation for a week and when I came back the algorithm had effectively forgotten everything about me. I had zero notifications. It had to “discover me” and build its database of who I liked all over again.

So how do we take advantage of this? Well, aside from not commenting on posts you dislike, the idea would be to consider all your interactions with other people on LinkedIn as an interest gauge. Especially comments. There is evidence which suggests that comments are weighted heavily by the algorithm. When you comment on LinkedIn you are not just commenting on the post in question, you are telling LinkedIn, “This is interesting. More like this please.”

You will find evidence of this in your feed all the time. For example, you haven’t interacted with someone in months, but then you commented on one of their posts. Over the next week, it seems like every time that person does something on LinkedIn, it shows up in your homepage feed. 

So when you make lots of comments on content from people you would like to see more of, your feed will get better as the algorithm does less guessing as to who’s content you want to see.

When you understand how LinkedIn interprets your actions, you can act accordingly and help guide the content you actually want to see to your feed.

Got an idea for something I should write about? I am Open Profile so you can send me a free message on LinkedIn.

The obligatory disclaimer: I do not work for LinkedIn. The only business relationship I have with LinkedIn is sending them money every month for my Sales Navigator account.