Jan 29, 2014 Danielle Laurion
Are you on LinkedIn? With more than 259 million LinkedIn users in 200 countries, the answer to that question is most likely, yes. But, the really significant question: is your profile optimized? Having an optimized LinkedIn profile is important for many reasons including job searching, networking and highlighting your professional expertise. However, have you ever thought about the power of LinkedIn for lead generation? Below are some helpful tips to optimize your profile in order to generate leads for your business. These five tips will make it easier for people to find you via LinkedIn and Google searches, and will also increase your professional credibility when connecting with others.
1) Include a professional photo and make your profile public. Your photo should be a headshot – with only you in it. LinkedIn is not Facebook where it is fine to have group shots. When setting up your profile, make your profile public. There is really no point in being on LinkedIn with a private profile. LinkedIn is all about building connections and using those connections to tap into your second and third degree networks.2) Use industry relevant SEO keywords in your professional headline. There are 184 million unique monthly visitors to LinkedIn. That’s a lot of people checking out the site and a lot of activity. In order to break through the clutter to be found, it is important to use the 120 characters in your professional headline to your advantage. Rather than only stating your job title, add in your industry or expertise. By using relevant search engine optimized (SEO) keywords in your headline, you will have a greater chance of being found by similar professionals. For example, saying, “Social Media and Public Relations Professional” on top of “Account Executive at InkHouse Media and Marketing” will increase your chances of people in the same industry looking to connect with you. A potential lead.
3) Edit your LinkedIn URL to be your full name. Did you know 40 percent of LinkedIn users check the site daily? To make it even easier for people to find you quickly, edit your public LinkedIn URL to be your full name. This is another SEO trick to help you rank higher in Google when people are searching for you. For example: http://linkedin.com/in/FULLNAME
4) Add in professional Skills and Expertise. Again, think about SEO keywords that define your professional career. You can add up to 50 skills and expertise, but focus on adding a solid 10 that summarize you as a professional. Endorse others first, so they will endorse you back.
5) Add in keywords to current and past employment. Don’t just list your current and past jobs with your title and company, describe what you did and accomplished. LinkedIn should serve as your online resume where people can instantly find out your expertise and get an understanding of your current and past experiences.
It is not enough to simply set up a LinkedIn profile and to leave it. By having an optimized LinkedIn profile, not only will people in your industry have an easier time finding you, but they will be able to see your level of expertise and want to connect with you. It’s all about building your network to help you discover new connections, and potential leads.
