Using keywords in your LinkedIn® profile is crucial because they help improve your visibility and findability in searches conducted by consultants, recruiters, hiring managers and professionals in your industry.
Keywords will:
Increase Profile Visibility: LinkedIn’s algorithm uses keywords to match profiles with relevant searches. Including industry-specific terms, job titles, and skills helps ensure your profile appears in more searches.
Align with Headhunter Searches: Consultants/Recruiters often search for candidates using specific job titles, qualifications and skills. By incorporating those keywords, you increase your chances of being discovered.
Enhance Credibility: Using the right keywords signals to others that you understand the language of your field, establishing you as a knowledgeable and credible professional in your industry.
Incorporating relevant keywords is key to optimising your profile for the right audience, increasing your chances of standing out in a competitive market.
Visibility:
Consultants, headhunters, recruiters and hiring managers do not have the time to or interest in manually sift through thousands of CV’s or profiles to find the few that perfectly match their brief.
Instead, we rely on LinkedIn’s powerful search algorithms, filtering for specific terms that suit our client’s role.
Most Consultants will use LinkedIn® Recruiter - a paid for version of the platform, specifically designed by the powers at LinkedIn® for those within the recruitment world. This is a highly sophisticated search engine requiring different rules and a special etiquette, while providing unique search options when compared with the ‘free/premium’ versions of LinkedIn® - the versions most people are familiar with.
This means that if your free/premium profile lacks the right keywords - words relevant to your industry, skills, location and position - you are effectively invisible to the LinkedIn® algorithm and therefore LinkedIn® Recruiter and one of your primary target audiences.
There are rules with regards to using keywords – but once mastered they will ensure your profile is given reach and seen by the right people, thus leading to opportunities.
Imagine you are a marketing professional. A vague job title like ‘Creative Guru’ might sound impressive, imaginative or quirky, but it will not do you any favours in LinkedIn® Recruiter search results. Instead, be clear and specific. Terms like ‘Digital Marketing Specialist’, ‘SEO Associate’ or ‘Content Strategist’ are much more likely to show up when someone is hunting for your specific talent.
Your goal is to align the language you use with the words/phrases recruiters are actively searching for – using keywords throughout your profile.
Credibility:
When we are scrolling through dozens of profiles a day, the first thing that catches our eye is how well your profile demonstrates industry expertise. Keywords do not just make you visible - they add a layer of credibility.
For example, if you are aiming for a role in finance, specific phrases like ‘Financial Modelling Analyst’, ‘International Investment Banking’ or ‘HNW Portfolio Management’ will increase the chances of your profile popping up in a consultant/recruiter’s search results. The more relevant keywords you have, the more discoverable you become.
By optimising your profile with relevant industry-standard keywords, you are making it easier for headhunters, like me, to discover you when we are searching for potential candidates. Think of it as planting the right seeds: you want to use the terms and phrases that align with your skills, qualifications and desired roles so that opportunities come directly to you.
For some positions a LinkedIn® Recruiter search can produce dozens if not hundreds of results (depending on the clients brief). If that is a position you are open to discussing, you need your profile to be on the first if not second page of results presented by LinkedIn® to the consultant/recruiter (the top 25/50 profile matches).
Trawling through pages of potentials is time consuming and requires considerable effort. Using multiple relevant keywords will push your profile towards the start of the results and gain the attention of the consultant/recruiter early on in their process. Make it as easy as possible for that consultant using LinkedIn® to realise YOU are the professional they need to connect with regarding their particular opportunity.
Personal Branding:
Your LinkedIn® profile is your online personal brand and keywords are one of the most important tools in shaping that brand. Every keyword you use tells a story about who you are as a professional. They show that you are serious about your career and mindful of how you present yourself online.
Headhunters and hiring managers are not just looking for people who can fill a role; we are looking for professionals who take pride in their careers and have a strong sense of self-awareness. Optimising your LinkedIn® profile with the right keywords shows that you care about your online presence, your job search and your long-term career development.
As a Headhunter, I cannot stress enough how important it is to take control of your job search by using the correct keywords on LinkedIn®. It is a small effort that can have a huge impact. Not only will the right keywords increase your visibility, but they will also enhance your credibility, make you easier to find and present you as an approachable, well-rounded professional.
Please connect if we can help you optimise your LinkedIn® profile with relevant Keywords.
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