Optimize Your Keywords

Last month we talked about the first Essential for a magnetic LinkedIn profile, KEYWORDS.

Let’s do a small recap: your Keywords are the search terms used to find someone who does what you do. In my case, one of my strongest keywords would be “LinkedIn Trainer” or “LinkedIn Expert” because that’s exactly what I do.

For more examples, take a look at the profile headline on Cathy Alessandra’s profile to see how her headline includes all her strongest keywords.

Here goes Essential #2:

OPTIMIZING YOUR KEYWORDS.

To “optimize” your keywords is to use them in the most valuable places in the profile, the first places the search spiders will look for them:

1. Profile headline

2. About section

3. Current Experience headline

4. The body of the current Experience

5. Skills section

6. Banner

Not all real estate is equal on LinkedIn, meaning LinkedIn puts looks to match search results primarily in these the first five places listed.

Let’s talk about the Banner for a minute. I haven’t always used my keywords there, but I do now. The reason is not for the search spiders, but for the reader.

It’s probably the first place the eyes go, even faster the profile photo, because it’s bigger. So wouldn’t it make sense to capture the reader’s eye with some of your keywords as well as eye-pleasing graphics?

Let me know if you have any questions about LinkedIn. Just send them to info@LinkedInBossLady.com with the subject line Dear Debbie.

See you next month!