Even if you don’t use LinkedIn as a social media platform, you probably have a profile. Have you looked at it recently?
It’s considered a best practice to claim and optimize both your personal profile and your company page even if your ideal audience isn’t on LinkedIn. When someone searches your name in Google, LinkedIn results rank very highly. What will people see in these search results when they see your profile?
Your LinkedIn profile ranks well in Google Search. Does it reflect what you want your audience to know?
Too often business owners forget about their LinkedIn profile, and it still shows information from years ago that isn’t relevant to the business they are trying to attract today. Approach your LinkedIn profile strategy like you do your SEO strategy using keywords and messages that resonate with your ideal audience
Your Personal Profile
LinkedIn for business owners and professionals is different from using LinkedIn as a job seeker or corporate employee. LinkedIn is not your resume and job history. it should explain to your ideal audience what it is that you do for them.
The most important elements are your profile picture and your headline. A headline is the line of text directly below your name on your profile and fits about 120 characters. Headlines let your audience know what your business is and who you serve. This should not be just your job title or description. Use these 120 characters wisely to include SEO keywords, but also make it interesting so that visitors want to click. It’s a good place for your value proposition.
Make your profile available to the public and explain to your ideal audience what you do for them.
Make sure that your public or searchable profile is showing what you want it to show. There are a number of settings in LinkedIn that you can customize as to what appears on a public search for your profile. We’ve got a guide to the settings you’ll want to check for your personal profile, and you can download it here.
Your Company Page
Your LinkedIn Company page can rank in Google Search, too!
LinkedIn is mostly about person to person connections and less about your company page, but these are public in search as well. LinkedIn recommends these five tips to SEO optimize your company page:
- Add keywords to the beginning of your tagline. Think of it as your “elevator pitch,” that quick introduction you use when you meet someone in person for the first time.
- Keyword optimize your ‘About’ section. This should be information that reflects what you do for your clients, but don’t stuff your profile with only keywords. You still want your message to be readable and resonate with your audience.
- Fill out your business profile. Don’t forget to include all relevant information and links.
- Update your page frequently. This shows the search engines your commitment to fresh content. You can post long-form content that matches search demand. Hint: this can be the same or similar content you are posting on your blog!
The bottom line is this: Search queries in Google for your name typically show LinkedIn results. Make sure it accurately reflects what you do and the type of client you want to serve. The greatest results come from consistent messaging and strategy across all platforms.
