LinkedIn is the go-to social platform for B2B brands. Whether you’re aiming to attract new clients, secure a dream job, or build your professional network, optimising your LinkedIn page can make a significant difference. However, with millions of brands competing, simply showing up isn’t enough.
In this article, we’ll share actionable tips and strategies to enhance your LinkedIn SEO and establish your authority in your industry. From perfecting your profile to leveraging keywords and creating engaging content, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make your LinkedIn page stand out.
Join us and learn how to turn your LinkedIn profile into a powerful tool for professional growth and success. Get ready to elevate your LinkedIn game and unlock new opportunities!
Short on time? Here are the key takeaways:
- LinkedIn is the best platform for B2B networking, and optimisation should be your priority. While LinkedIn differs from Google and other search engines, understanding the foundations of any successful SEO strategy is integral to your success.
- The platform’s algorithms assess your number of followers, whether you maintain a consistent presence, and whether people engage with your content when deciding whether to show your brand in user feeds. Hashtags and keywords are also factors in the decision.
- All business profiles should be 100% complete and include relevant information. The platform prioritises complete profiles, and they receive more views.
- To be successful with LinkedIn SEO, you’ll need to create original content, leverage articles and ensure a consistent posting schedule. Strategic keyword and hashtag placement are also essential.
- LinkedIn has a range of features that enable you to track the performance of each post and advert, ensuring higher conversion rates.
- As with traditional SEO, LinkedIn optimisation is an ongoing process. You won’t see results immediately, but stick with it, and they’ll come.
Why is LinkedIn the best platform for B2B brands?
- 67 million businesses have LinkedIn pages (Hootsuite).
- LinkedIn had 985 million members in 2023, less than Facebook and Instagram, but it is business-centric (Insedia).
- 90% of Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members (Blogging Wizard).
- LinkedIn Ads can reach up to 14% of the global population (The Social Shepherd).
- Conversion rates on the platform are double those of other social channels (Sprout Social).
What is LinkedIn SEO?
LinkedIn is an expansive platform, and it’s easy for brands to get lost in the crowd. Like Google and other search engines, SEO is the best way to ensure that target audiences discover your business page, profile, and content.
When executed properly, SEO for LinkedIn can increase engagement rates, attract more website traffic and generate a consistent stream of qualified leads.
It’s important to remember that optimising your LinkedIn page and posts can also attract people performing Google searches, as the platform often includes LinkedIn content in the SERPs:
Why is SEO essential on LinkedIn?
Like traditional SEO, LinkedIn optimisation can build your exposure and attract relevant audiences. Here’s why it’s a must for your profile:
- Build awareness: When brands post on LinkedIn, their content can appear in user feeds, leading to higher levels of recognition. However, your posts must be optimised to ensure they’re visible.
- Generate leads: LinkedIn can help you generate more leads by showcasing your content and profile to relevant audiences. It doesn’t just focus on interests but offers qualified leads from audiences actively looking for your services.
- Cement authority: Becoming an industry authority is one of the most powerful ways to succeed on LinkedIn. Regular posts, original content and seamless optimisation can help cement your expertise and become a go-to resource.
- Ignite your team: LinkedIn is also the perfect place to attract top talent. If people are impressed by your profile and content, they’re more likely to see your company as a positive employment prospect.
How do LinkedIn algorithms work?
LinkedIn aims to provide users with a seamless journey. Users can access information and use the platform to learn new skills, discover opportunities, build professional networks, and find products or services.
Once you know how LinkedIn works, it’s easier to implement a consistent SEO strategy and generate results. Here are the key ranking factors the LinkedIn algorithm uses.
Business profiles
Did you know that LinkedIn favours complete business profiles? The platform’s best practices page says pages with no missing information receive 30% more weekly views.
When reviewing your business profile, LinkedIn algorithms will check whether you’ve filled out all fields, including general information about your business, its services, and locations.
A compelling about page that details your USP and other relevant information lays the foundations for your SEO strategy:
Keywords and hashtags
LinkedIn identifies whether your profile or posts are relevant based on their keywords and hashtags. The algorithms will use these keywords and hashtags to ensure you appear in user feeds or when someone performs a search.
For example, we used #SEO on LinkedIn’s search feature, and the platform served us relevant posts, companies and jobs:
Updates and activity
The algorithms will also assess whether your profile contains up-to-date information and whether you post regularly. You don’t need to post for the sake of it, but keeping your page active ensures your profile remains active.
LinkedIn also appreciates companies that contribute to the platform’s growth, which means engaging with posts, including liking and commenting.
Your engagement rates
As with all social media platforms, the more engagement your profile and posts receive, the better your chances are of appearing in user feeds and ranking in searches.
Quality is more important than quantity; profiles that consistently spark discussions and receive comments are more likely to appear to wider audiences.
Network and followers
Google is the most followed company on LinkedIn, while Bill Gates rules the individual profiles. Why? Because both are industry authorities that provide valuable information for users.
LinkedIn factors in your profile’s followers to determine whether you have authority and influence. Building a network of loyal followers is integral to increasing your visibility on the platform and appearing to relevant audiences.
Top tips for succeeding with SEO on LinkedIn
LinkedIn SEO might seem daunting initially, but once you know how to utilise the platform’s many features, you can enjoy ongoing growth and the opportunity to build authority in even the most competitive industries.
Here are our top tips for developing and executing an SEO strategy on the world’s largest business networking platform.
Prioritise profile optimisation
Any LinkedIn SEO strategy should start with your business profile. Make sure it’s optimised with the right keywords and information while also adding the following:
Compelling headlines
Be bold and informative, and make each word count. Let people know who you are, what you do, and why you’re the best.
Quality images
Your logo, cover photo, and other graphics should align with your brand’s identity and fit seamlessly into your profile.
URL customisation
When you set up a LinkedIn business page or profile, it assigns a string of numbers to the URL, but you can customise it with your company’s name. This makes it easier for people to discover your page.
Relevance and consistency are key
Industry authorities all share one thing: they know their trade, profession and sector inside out. People go to authorities because that’s where the best tips and latest news are—so remember to always keep it relevant.
For example, you might want to tell everyone about your new hobby, but LinkedIn is about forming business relationships and expanding your network. Keep your posts relevant, and you will begin to see results.
For example, Daniel Foley Carter and Matt Diggity are two SEO authorities who leverage LinkedIn to share their knowledge and help brands succeed.
As you can see, their posts generate consistent engagement and remain on topic:
Post regularly, but not carelessly
LinkedIn algorithms love knowing you’re active, so post regularly and update your profile with fresh information. However, every post should deliver value, so offer helpful tips, insights, and polls to ensure engagement.
Once you generate engagement, you can assess when your audience is most active and adapt the posting schedule to ensure conversions.
Get creative with content
The best thing about LinkedIn is that it offers various forms of content, including long-form posts, videos, images, articles, short-form posts, polls, live events, PDFs, and weave carousels.
Remember to experiment with different formats when posting content on LinkedIn and discover which works best for your brand.
Some might succeed more with traditional text and image posts, while others can enhance conversions by advertising webinars and podcasts.
It’s always best to follow the golden rule of three on LinkedIn: Educate, Entertain and Promote.
Don’t forget data
As a highly advanced platform, LinkedIn has features that allow you to track the performance of each post and advert. Knowing how to use these features can help you create content that performs well and understand your target audience.
Audience data
Collecting audience data through surveys and market research is always beneficial, but LinkedIn also has existing data that companies can access. This data contains vital information, including geographical, age and seniority demographics.
Isolate trends
One of the best ways to cut through the noise and catapult your posts is to create content about trending topics. For example, Google algorithm changes often attract attention, and social listening can help you capitalise on trends.
Analyse your posts
Everything you post on LinkedIn should have a purpose, but failing to track performance means you’re not making the most of your strategy. Assess which post formats receive the most engagement and be ready to make changes to secure better results.
Use polls
Polls might seem like more of an entertainment feature, but they can also help you gather vital information from your followers. As you can see from the example below, asking the right questions can give you a deeper understanding of your audience:
Choose the right hashtags
The mighty hashtag tells users what your posts are about and ensures audiences with the same interests can discover your brand. When implemented correctly, hashtags can also help you become part of meaningful conversations surrounding trending topics.
As with keywords, remember to use hashtags wisely and focus on creating quality content. Incorporate branded, trending, and niche hashtags into each post to build brand awareness while also attracting more views.
LinkedIn has a helpful list of the most popular hashtags, but remember to look for niche options, too.
Get social
LinkedIn is a vast social platform that allows users to join groups based on their interests and actively participate in discussions. Focusing solely on your profile and forgetting to post in groups could mean you miss out on a high-value network.
Join relevant groups in your industry and post insightful comments to showcase your knowledge and attract more visitors to your profile.
Write articles
LinkedIn articles are ideal for creating a content network your target audience can visit for valuable information. They also let you establish yourself as a thought leader and drive traffic to your website.
Collaborative articles are also gaining traction on the platform, and experts can contribute to topics generated by AI and LinkedIn’s editorial team. Sharing your insights can expose your brand to wider audiences and secure more profile visits.
Learn about collaborative articles.
Don’t forget Google
LinkedIn articles have a good chance of appearing in Google search results, as long as they’re optimised and offer value, as specified in the Helpful Content Update. Create articles with a unique perspective, and remember to focus on quality.
If Google likes your content, it will appear in relevant search queries, which could lead to more visitors from LinkedIn.
The bottom line
LinkedIn can offer long-term growth for your brand and establish you as a thought leader. Sure, LinkedIn SEO takes time, but many agree that the results far outweigh the investment.
By optimising your profile, posting quality content and leveraging the platform’s many features, you can attract qualified leads and build relationships with your target audience.
If you’d like to focus on LinkedIn SEO and need help with other areas of digital marketing, please book a free proposal with Assertive today. We’d love to hear about your goals and reveal how we can help you achieve them.
