Fact:
A LinkedIn profile is a fundamental element of a strong online
presence. But, did you know that,
according to LinkedIn, you are actually 40
times more likely to appear in a search if your profile is complete? That’s important stuff!
Think of your profile as your online resume,
but with so much more. Here’s how you
can bring your LinkedIn profile to 100% completeness to improve your search
engine optimization.
Ensure that your profile includes:
- Your Current and (2) Past Positions – Ensure that you include not only your current
employment information, but past as well (from at least 2 jobs), so that people
who know you from your past places of employment will know that it’s you when
they search you out. The “Experience”
section is your employment history/resume in a little bit more depth. Try to be brief, just as you would be on your
paper resume, but ensure that you include all of your important accomplishment
information. Include the names of
companies that you worked for. Search
out these companies on LinkedIn to ensure that you are connecting to the
correct branch of the company. This will
make it easier for past co-workers to find you.
Include duties to fill out the description of your work.
If you don’t happen to be currently
employed, it’s not a good idea to blatantly lie, but an idea might be to state
that you do some consulting – that you’re self-employed. Or, if you do any volunteer work, here would
be a good place to showcase that.
Likewise, if you’re new to the working world and don’t have two previous
jobs under your belt, again, be creative – what have you done in the past that
might constitute ‘a previous job’?
- Your
Educational Background – You want people with whom you’ve gone to
school to be able to find you on LinkedIn.
Even if you’re not a university grad, ensure that you include any and
all education that you do have. It’s not
practical to lie and include a degree that you have not earned. Just make sure that you include any courses
that you have taken.
- Your Profile Summary – This can be up 2000
characters, and although it’s not necessarily recommended that you use all
2000, it’s essential for you to use at least 100 characters. In filling out the Summary portion, remember
to include all of the crucial, need-to-know information about yourself. Keywords are important here as brevity is
essential! Consider your summary your
“Elevator Pitch” – you have less than one minute to share all the vital
information you want people to know about you.
Ensure that it captures the essence of the ‘business you’ and that it
specifically lets connections know exactly what it is that you can do for them.
Make it quick, but make it count!
- Your
Specialties & Skills – Fill these items in as you would search terms
or keywords. Consider the position and
mindset of a person searching for your skills or services. What words would they use?
- Your
Photo –
This is important, as it is the means by which you are most easily
identified. There could be more than one
person out there that shares your name!
Consider having a headshot done professionally - you want to put your
‘best face’ forward and you want to ensure that the photo is well lit and really
does look like the professional you.
It’s also a good idea to use the same photo on all of your social
networking profiles as your photo can be your brand identity.
- Your
Recommendations – A minimum of 3 recommendations are required
to post a complete profile (each is worth 5% on the completeness scale). It is possible to solicit recommendations from
colleagues, former employers, and people you have hired. It is in fact a good idea to have at least
one recommendation from each of your jobs.
It is within the culture of LinkedIn to request recommendations from
others. A good idea is to reciprocate
and write one for someone from whom you want to request one.
It’s also a smart idea to provide the links to your website, Twitter
account and blog where applicable. This
enhances your online connectedness as well as your SEO (Search Engine
Optimization).
It’s imperative that your profile’s
searchability be at its maximum potential.
Your profile should be searchable on all search engines as well as on
LinkedIn. To the right of your profile
page, a narrow blue box appears that indicates you profile completeness – try
to bring it to 100%.
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