LinkedIn Tip #148 – How to Keep the Search Engines Happy!

Are you one of those people with all kinds of characters and icons throughout your profile? Tell me, when you see a profile peppered with all kinds of icons, what do you think of that profile? Is the profile easy to read, or is it very distracting?

Here’s the schtick!

Last summer I had the opportunity of speaking with a Google representative who specialized with Google Searches. Here is what he helped me to understand.

Three Things:

1.   Copy no longer needs to be long copy.

2.   Keywords are king.

3.   The search engines do not like all the icons in LinkedIn profiles.

Length of Copy

It used to be that the search engines wanted to have at least 1500 words to search through in order to find all your keywords. Now, the search engines just want short copy of 250 to 500 words. Just remember to use keywords in your copy.

Keywords

Have you been wondering what to use for keywords in your blogs and on LinkedIn?

Here is a trick to use.

Think about what people would type into that search bar if they were looking for your type of product or service and did not know your name or the company you represent?

What would those words be?

If you are a realtor for instance, what would someone type into that search bar?

The secret is to specialize in a certain aspect of what you have to offer. I used to sell real estate before I had four children and was in the top ten of the entire MLS in Edmonton, AB. Know how I did it?

I specialized with FSBOs (For Sale By Owners). I watched what other realtors were not doing or avoiding and I did what they weren’t doing. So my keywords would include FSBO or For Sale By Owners. Sure I could sell any property to my clients that they wanted, but I learned that when you specialize, you get more business.

This was back in the days of Block Brothers. Remember them?

Now you know how old I am!!! EEp!

Use of Icons and the Search Engines

When people teach us to use these icons, we are making the search engines confused to say the least. The icons single out profiles by trying to figure the icons out, and the icons do it big time…at first. -But what the Google expert said was that this is actually down-grading your LinkedIn profile. The search engines get confused and then they blacklist your profile!

So at first, the profile gets lots of attention, but once the search engines cannot figure it out, they all blacklist the profile or any website that is using these icons.

Is this what you really want? “Not I, said the cat!”

Here is a tip for you. You know all your skills that you list on your LinkedIn profile? Try adding them in a sequential list at the very bottom of your “About” page. They are merely there to entertain the search engines.

Type in: Specialties: FSBO, For Sale By Owner, Marketing, Marketing Mentress, etc. -just as an example.

Remember that the more you can use appropriate keywords in your profile the more the search engines will love you.

You can join my webinar that demonstrates how to use keywords and set up a Killer Profile by joining my next webinar.

MM 101 - Doing It Right

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Christine Till

The Marketing Mentress

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