Changes To LinkedIn Can Be Better For Your SEO In The Long Term
LinkedIn recently announced changes to its algorithm, meaning the way in which it will prioritize posts on your feed. Let’s discuss the changes and how you can create posts that mesh with the new guidelines.
So, What Changed?
Apparently, LinkedIn surveyed frequent users and asked what they liked the most, and what they liked the least.
Unsurprisingly, unhelpful or irrelevant posts, like poorly disguised boasting or inspirational quotes, were the least favorite among those surveyed. Rather, users tend to prefer posts that give them something they can use.
Accordingly, the press release for the algorithm update said, specifically, that LinkedIn will now prioritize posts that show “knowledge and insights” in a field.
This is not at all dissimilar from Google’s algorithm, which focuses heavily on the user experience and how this fits in with useful and relevant content. LinkedIn is simply paring it down to be career-focused.
What can you do not only to survive but thrive, in LinkedIn’s new knowledge-centric algorithm?
First of all, don’t panic. Posting anything at all is still quite rare for the majority of LinkedIn users. There are roughly 260 million monthly LinkedIn users, of which around 3 million posts or share content regularly. That’s 1 percent. So if you are posting, you are already ahead of the game.
Like other social media platforms, you can find success through a unique perspective. If you find humor in a position that others seem to take too seriously, use that. Offer guidance, insights, and helpful tidbits through your personal lens. Remember that things that seem obvious to you, as an authority in your field, may not be obvious to others. Share things you’ve learned along the way, give lists of mistakes you made and how to avoid them, and share your favorite hacks-anything you have that could serve your readers better.
Focus on the Bantah, Babe
The other thing to focus on, as with other social media platforms, is engagement. But trolls and spam are not what you want. True engagement is a conversation piqued by a genuine interest in your post. Regular threads discussing what you have offered will help build your authority.
Skip the Links
Finally, saving outbound links for the comments section is a good rule of thumb. After all, LinkedIn wants you to stay on LinkedIn.com. Don’t link directly to a blog post or other source in the actual post. Rather, give the most helpful summary you can with a high-quality photo and no more than three extremely relevant hashtags. Only @people who you know will see it and, preferably, leave a comment.