With over 800 million members in more than 200 countries, LinkedIn is one of the top services for connecting the world’s professionals. Yet it is surprisingly common for otherwise successful people to underutilize LinkedIn as a reputation management tool on Google.
If your goal is to “own” the majority of your search results on that all-valuable first page of Google, LinkedIn is essential for adding a sheen to your professional brand. If your LinkedIn entry is not showing up at the top of your search results (or at all), there are usually a few reasons why.
These are the basic, essential steps we take to revitalize our clients’ LinkedIn profiles on Google. These changes benefit your presence on the LinkedIn platform, as well:
Ensure your LinkedIn URL address is customized. Most LinkedIn profile URLs auto-include your name with random numbers and letters after it. Under your Public Profile Settings, you can customize your URL address to keywords of your choice. For example, instead of “joe-smith-88888444xyz,” you can change your LinkedIn URL to read “joe-smith-attorney.” Choose whatever presentation is appropriate for your brand. In most cases, you will begin seeing your LinkedIn profile more readily on Google searches within a few weeks.
Update your LinkedIn settings to ensure your profile is searchable on Google. Make sure your full name is appearing on LinkedIn. Go to “Settings,” click on “Edit Visibility” and check the options you prefer. Alternatively, you can opt to make just your first name and last initial visible on LinkedIn except to your connections. This is fine for situations such as a sabbatical, but know it is a hinderance to your profile being found and clicked on.
Max out your use of all relevant LinkedIn sections. Add a Publications section to link to any media interviews where you have been featured, as well as articles and blogs you have authored. This is valuable search engine optimization (SEO) and will help them become more visible on Google, too.
Consistently post fresh, engaging content, from status updates, articles, videos, infographics and other material. Note that posts with photos attract more views than plain text posts. This activity invites more clicks and views of your profile. You can also promote articles you publish on LinkedIn on your social media channels. Additionally, sharing others’ posts and commenting on them are essential steps for keeping your LinkedIn alive as a strong communications tool.
LinkedIn is not a magic wand for rebooting or establishing a reputation: indeed, most reputation management programs employ more sophisticated strategies like messaging, thought-leadership, image curating and other tactics. But with the new season launching and 5 billion internet users out there, upping your LinkedIn game is a good move for proactively taking more control of your reputation on Google—where the world vets you.