TL;DR
LinkedIn algorithm is a system that evaluates content based on engagement, relevance, expertise, and other factors. In this guide, we’ll break down how the LinkedIn algorithm works and how to optimize your content strategy for maximum exposure.
So, you’ve heard that LinkedIn is one of the best channels to get leads. You hopped on this platform, started connecting with potential customers, and posting about your business. And then…crickets… nothing happened. Why?
The harsh truth of LinkedIn is that not all of your connections will see your posts. What’s more, if you don’t follow the unspoken rules of this social media platform, no one will. To achieve success on LinkedIn, you need to know how to appeal to its algorithm.
Let’s break this down!
Outline:
What is the LinkedIn algorithm?
LinkedIn’s algorithm determines content visibility and is designed to maintain the quality of this social media platform.
Ideally, it should ensure that LinkedIn users only see content that’s relevant and meaningful to them. It was developed to keep LinkedIn a place of professional discussions, free from spam and in-your-face promotions.
The algorithm is powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, which analyze various engagement metrics, user behavior, and content preferences. It continuously adapts based on what resonates with users, displaying more valuable posts on their feeds.
Why optimize your content for the LinkedIn algorithm?
While LinkedIn’s algorithm is not perfect, it’s a force to be reckoned with. In order to generate leads and grow your business presence on LinkedIn, you need to draw new users to your profile. This means you need to create more content and ensure people engage with it.
Here are some of the benefits of LinkedIn algorithm optimization:
Increased profile visibility
LinkedIn’s algorithm favors content that brings value to people. This might take the form of educational articles, your expert commentary on industry trends, or practical tips and recommendations. The main thing here is to ensure your posts are relevant ot your niche and people in your network might actually find it helpful.
Targeted outreach
If you understand how the LinkedIn algorithm works, you can easily tailor your content to make sure it resonates with your audience, maximizing its impact and gaining better engagement.
Strategic networking
LinkedIn’s algorithm was created to connect you with professionals in their niche, making it easier to build relationships and expand your network.
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💡 Expert tip When it comes to networking, we strongly recommend sending connection requests only to people relevant to your field of work and keeping the number of pending invitations under 500. The fewer pending invites you have, the better it is for your SSI and account reputation. |
Career opportunities
This is your chance to showcase your expertise and get noticed by the right people. By optimizing your profile, content strategy, and engagement, you’ll steadily climb the search results and newsfeed rankings, making it far easier for recruiters to find, evaluate, and reach out to you with new career opportunities.
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📌 Key takeaways: A well-optimized profile and content strategy improve your search ranking, making it easier for hiring managers and decision-makers to discover and reach out to you. Consistent, high-quality posts increase your reach, so you can fill your pipeline with prospects who have already seen your expertise in action. |
How does the LinkedIn algorithm work?
The LinkedIn algorithm changes constantly. It is also very complex by nature. LinkedIn has never disclosed the exact rules it’s based on. This makes sense because there are too many benefits to manipulating the algorithm.
However, our team experimented with LinkedIn long enough to uncover the most important patterns in its behavior:
- First of all, the algorithm checks your content for quality. This initial check filters out badly written posts and content that doesn’t hold value for users or outright violates the platform’s regulations.
- If your content passes the initial check, it is shown to a small portion of your network. Your first-degree connections and people subscribed to your updates are most likely to see your posts at this point.
- The algorithm evaluates how your audience reacts to your content. If your post earns fast engagement, LinkedIn pushes it to a wider audience. This includes your second and third-degree connections or people that LinkedIn suggests you might know.
- Highly engaging posts may be featured in LinkedIn’s “Top Posts” section or trending in hashtags. This way, your content will become visible to people outside of your network.
Last but certainly not least, LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI) plays a significant role in your ranking. This is a score from 0 to 100 that measures how effectively you use this platform to network and engage in social selling.
SSI contains four components:
- Professional brand
- Finding the right people
- Engaging with industry insights
- Building relationships
The higher your Social Selling Index, the better your content performs, and the more people see your posts in their feeds.
You can monitor your SSI score here: https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi
Social Selling Index experiment
I doubled my SSI in two weeks manually by consistently posting expert content, growing my network, and engaging with other professionals. It took me around 2-4 hours every day. It was okay as an experiment, but I can’t afford to keep up this pace for long stretches of time.
Indeed, constantly checking your SSI while maintaining consistent outreach on LinkedIn is tiring and time-consuming. This is where Snov.io’s LinkedIn prospecting tool comes into play.
With this tool, you can:
- Automate LinkedIn actions that boost engagement, such as profile views, post likes, and following other users.
- Send personalized connection requests, messages, and InMails.
- Monitor your SSI score and get personalized recommendations for your daily activity limits.
How does the LinkedIn algorithm prioritize content?
As LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, it aims to encourage conversations rather than passive scrolling. That’s why the LinkedIn algorithm was designed to promote more thought-provoking and informative content. But how does it determine which posts are more valuable than others?
In our experience, LinkedIn’s algorithm evaluates content based on:
1. Relevance
It takes into account users’ interests, industry, and connections to determine if a particular post would be valuable to them. You’ve probably noticed that posts from your direct network appear on your feed more frequently. The same goes for content with industry-specific keywords or hashtags.
2. Engagement potential
If the post has many likes, comments, and shares, the algorithm deems it worth the attention. The speed of engagement also matters. Content that received engagement within the first hour of posting is more likely to be displayed to a wider audience.
3. Credibility
Content produced by a trusted source is more valuable for the LinkedIn community. Users who regularly contribute to the discussions and post engaging content become favored by the algorithm.
4. Timing
Fresh content is usually prioritized. But if your posts receive ongoing engagement, the algorithm can decide they are still trending and show them again to more users. It’s also worth noting that the more time a user spends reading your content, the higher it will be ranked by the algorithm.
Best practices for optimizing your content for the LinkedIn algorithm
Now that we’ve covered the basic principles of the LinkedIn algorithm, let’s apply them in practice. But before getting into the tips and tricks of creating high-ranking content, it’s crucial to remember one simple truth:
The algorithm doesn’t care about you! Your audience does. Write for them.
Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, LinkedIn Top Voice
This means your content should resonate with your audience first and be optimized for the algorithm second. Keeping this in mind, let’s review how to showcase your value-packed posts to more people.
Write compelling hooks
The first two lines of your post should grab attention and encourage users to click “See more.” It doesn’t matter how valuable your post’s content is; it won’t do you and your audience any good if users keep scrolling past it.
To draw your readers in, ask questions or mention pain points that resonate with professionals in your industry. You can also briefly describe what your post is about, highlighting its unique points. Adding emojis or unusual formatting can also attract attention. This tactic should be used sparingly, though, to avoid an unprofessional look.
Below is a great example of a compelling post opening from our marketing specialist, Nika Porobaniuk. At the beginning of her post, Nika clearly states a problem familiar to many LinkedIn users. Then, she asks a question that prompts users to read further.
Alternate between different content formats
Some social media marketing professionals state that text posts are becoming less favored by the algorithm. LinkedIn encourages users to post more visually engaging content, including images, videos, and carousels.
While this is partly true, without text posts, you won’t be able to explore meaningful topics in depth. The best strategy in this case would be to mix up your text posts with other types of content.
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💡 Expert tip To boost your engagement, we recommend leveraging the following types of content:
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Engage with other users
As we mentioned earlier, the LinkedIn algorithm keeps track of your activity. This includes both how often you post your content and participate in conversations. You can join discussions under someone else’s posts, in industry-specific groups, or on company pages.
The algorithm also tracks whether you follow and connect with other professionals from your industry.
Post at optimal times
Your posts will garner the most attention if people from your industry see them soon after they get online. Thus, it’s best to post your content when users log onto social media and start scrolling their feeds.
As per our experience, mornings (8-10 AM) and lunch hours (12-1 PM) on weekdays generally work best. Weekends are the worst time to reach LinkedIn users, as people tend to avoid this job-related social platform when they are off work.
Posting consistently is as important as posting during active times. LinkedIn favors profiles that regularly roll out engaging content for their audience. Make sure not to overdo it, though. Frequent posts might register as spam with the algorithm.
The best approach is to post 3 – 4 times a week. Posting more frequently, such as once every 24 hours, can lead to older posts ‘stealing the thunder’ from newer ones (or vice versa).
Marketing Specialist at Snov.io
Optimize your content for SEO
Including industry-relevant keywords and hashtags in your content can increase its visibility. Just remember to use them sparingly to avoid looking spammy. Stick to 3-5 relevant hashtags and incorporate keywords organically into the text.
Below is a great example of an SEO-optimized LinkedIn post by Kseniia Skobelska, a marketing specialist at Snov.io. In her post, Kseniia organically mentions the keywords “sales” and “cold calling”, and then enhances the effect by adding the corresponding hashtags.
Final thoughts
Once you start considering the LinkedIn algorithm in your strategy, your reach will grow. Remember that the algorithm is not a constant. As LinkedIn changes and new technologies appear, new rules for content prioritization will emerge. It’s crucial to adapt fast.
Also, keep in mind that cracking the LinkedIn algorithm is only one step of the way to succeeding on social media. To consistently generate leads and sell, you need to have an effective strategy.
We at Snov.io are here to help you stay ahead of the ever-changing LinkedIn game. Sign up today to boost your LinkedIn algorithm!
