Last month I helped a good friend with her LinkedIn profile. She had just made a career switch from HR to coaching and wanted to become more visible to potential clients. As I read through her profile, I asked: “What words would someone type to find you?” She looked at me in surprise. “Coaching, I guess?” But coaching alone was too broad. Together we brainstormed further and came up with terms like career coach, personal development and career advice. A week later she received her first invitation from someone who had found her through LinkedIn.
This example shows how important it is to choose the right keywords. LinkedIn is all about findability. Whether you are optimizing a profile, company page or post, keywords are the key.
What are keywords?
Keywords are words or phrases that people type into search engines like Google or LinkedIn to find information. They form the bridge between what people are looking for and what you offer. Think of terms like “best content strategy” or “how do I create a content calendar.” By incorporating these words into your LinkedIn profile, you ensure that your profile is better found by people who are looking for your products, services or knowledge.
What types of keywords are there for LinkedIn?
There are different types of keywords, and each type has a unique role in your online strategy. Understanding and using these keywords wisely really makes a difference. Let’s take a look at the most important types!
- Industry-specific keywords: These keywords describe which industry you are active in. People often search LinkedIn for professionals within a certain sector. Think of keywords such as: conversion optimization, SEO specialist, SEA expert.
- Function-oriented keywords: LinkedIn is often used to find vacancies or to search for experts for a specific position. Make sure your job title and skills are clear. These are keywords such as: team leader, project manager or freelance copywriter.
- Competency keywords: Recruiters often look for specific skills or competencies. These can be both hard and soft skills. These can be skills such as data analysis, Power BI, LinkedIn ads or Python.
- Problem-solving keywords: People also search on LinkedIn for someone who can solve a specific problem. This works especially well if you are an entrepreneur or offer services. Think of services such as: generating leads with LinkedIn or optimizing business processes.
- Location-specific keywords: Employers and clients often search for professionals in a specific region or city. So clearly state where you are active. You can do this quite easily by putting the city or region where you are behind your job title, such as Business Growth Manager Amsterdam.
Why are keywords so important?
LinkedIn works like a search engine. People use specific terms to search for people, companies or content. If you have the right keywords in your profile, you increase the chance that they will end up with you. It is not only about what you do, but also how your target group describes it. It is therefore essential to think from their perspective.
This is how you find the right keywords for your LinkedIn optimization
- Put yourself in the shoes of your target group. Which words do they use to search for your expertise or services?
- Use LinkedIn’s search bar. Type in a term and see what suggestions appear. These are popular searches.
- Check out your competitors. See how others in your field optimize their profiles or posts.
- Mix broad and specific. Think of terms like coach (broad) and executive coach (specific).
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