How long have you been waiting for LinkedIn to share the exact keywords people have used when searching for you on LinkedIn?

Good news! The wait is finally over.

This week I started getting a new list at the bottom of my Search Appearances section that shows just that. Now, if LinkedIn keeps this as an ongoing feature (they have a history of pulling features like this just when we get used to them), it will be a game-changer. If you haven't received this yet, stay tuned. Sometimes it takes a while for everyone to get LinkedIn’s new features.

How to find the list of keywords your searchers used

On your profile dashboard, click the box that shows the number of search appearances. At the bottom of the listing you’ll find five words or phrases your searchers used to find you.

If you haven't been here before, don't miss the potentially important data above this list that includes where your searchers work and what your searchers do. I’ll share specific strategies for that data in a future article.

You can also get this list on your mobile app by following the same steps.

Are these keywords your most important keywords going forward?

If you can't answer this question with a resounding YES, then you need to make some revisions to your profile and place more of the words you want to be searched by throughout your profile, especially in the profile sections that LinkedIn seems to give extra search algorithm weighting. See below for more specifics on this strategy.

If you’re in sales and having difficulty identifying your best keywords, they’re typically the products/services you offer to your customers. If you’re using LinkedIn for general branding purposes or to find a job, job postings can be quite helpful for finding your best keywords.

When I do one-on-one LinkedIn consultations and notice how people are using keywords, the most common mistake I see is they put lots of past, resume type information on their profiles rather than describing their current or future objectives. Past information should be included, but you really should focus on where you’re going rather than where you’ve been.

Where to put your most important keywords and how many to include

Because it’s part of their secret search algorithm, LinkedIn doesn’t give us much guidance about this. However, from my personal experience and work with my individual clients, I’ve learned that more is better, and including keywords in your Headline, Job Titles, and Skills is particularly advantageous.

“LinkedIn” is the first keyword on my list, and, not coincidentally, it’s included in all three profile sections I just mentioned. Putting your most important keywords in these three sections is one of the best LinkedIn strategies you can adopt, so be sure to get this done. 

Also, from a frequency standpoint, more is better (“LinkedIn” shows up on my profile 211 times), but I wouldn’t want to simply put “LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn.” Not only have I found that LinkedIn will pick up on your efforts to keyword stuff (and they may penalize you for this), but you’ll look pretty silly to your profile reader as well. Therefore, try to weave your best keywords in as naturally as possible when you compose the various sections of your profile.  

Now that LinkedIn is sharing this important new data with you, get busy and make the necessary revisions to your profile. This will definitely improve your chances of showing up in the search results when the right people are searching for someone like you.

SPECIAL OFFER

If you’d like help with keyword identification and placement as well as developing a LinkedIn strategy that will catapult your business and career, take advantage of my limited time offer: a one-hour, one-on-one LinkedIn consultation for just $175 (50% off my regular fee). This offer also includes an in-depth critique of your profile.

I will share my computer screen with you during the call and send you a marked-up copy of your profile prior to the call.

There are limited spots available, so don't delay. Book your session today by clicking here.