Mastering the LinkedIn algorithm is essential for businesses seeking to boost visibility and engagement. As the platform continues to evolve, understanding how the algorithm prioritizes content can make all the difference in reaching your target audience effectively.
In this article, System SocialZ explores key factors influencing LinkedIn visibility through the LinkedIn algorithm. We’ll cover post optimization and the importance of a strong network, sharing strategies to enhance your presence and make your business stand out.
What is the LinkedIn algorithm?
The LinkedIn algorithm serves as a recommendation system, curating posts for each user’s feed based on their likely interests. With over 1 billion members, LinkedIn processes billions of posts daily to create a personalized experience focused on relevant, high-quality content that fosters engagement.
While the platform prioritizes substance over sensationalism, it is not designed for viral content. Instead, LinkedIn emphasizes sharing valuable knowledge and updates for professional growth. This commitment encourages meaningful interactions, making LinkedIn a unique space for professional networking and development.
How does the LinkedIn algorithm work?
LinkedIn decides if your post is spam or good content
The LinkedIn algorithm starts by classifying your post to check for compliance with the platform’s spam guidelines and community policies. If clear violations are detected, the content is filtered out. Examples of spam as defined by LinkedIn include:
- Emoji or reaction polls meant to artificially inflate engagement
- Chain letters
- Requests for likes, reactions, and shares
- Excessive, irrelevant, or repetitive comments or messages
If a post isn’t clearly categorized, it is sent for human review. If it passes this review, the content remains visible on the platform.
LinkedIn puts your post to the test
Once the LinkedIn algorithm confirms your post isn’t spam, it tracks engagement signals to evaluate its value for your networks. While engagement indicates relevance, the algorithm prioritizes meaningful interactions—like thoughtful comments from relevant individuals—over simple likes or reactions.
This focus on quality means genuine engagement can significantly boost your post’s visibility. Insightful comments that spark conversation will be more effective than general approvals from a broad audience.
This is especially true for LinkedIn pods; joining a generic pod may not enhance distribution unless it’s a targeted group genuinely interested in your content. Ultimately, fostering authentic connections and encouraging meaningful interactions will yield better visibility on the platform.
LinkedIn assesses your expertise
LinkedIn’s algorithm evaluates individual expertise beyond just post content; your professional background significantly impacts how it ranks your content.
For example, if you share insights on digital marketing strategies, the platform expects you to have relevant experience in that field. This approach ensures the algorithm considers both the quality of your posts and your qualifications, promoting content from users whose expertise aligns with their topics.
By prioritizing knowledgeable voices, LinkedIn encourages users to share insights based on genuine experience, ultimately enhancing the value of discussions on the platform.
LinkedIn delivers your most valuable content to relevant users
Who sees your post is determined by three key ranking signals:
Identity
Recent updates to the LinkedIn algorithm prioritize showing your content to first-degree connections. Generally, the closer your relationship with a follower, the more likely they are to see your posts. This can also include connections from your extended network, influenced by factors like your skills and profile location.
Content
The algorithm evaluates how relevant a post is to individual users based on its performance with others on the platform. Key signals include:
- The frequency of views and engagements
- The relevance of the topic in relation to identity signals
- Whether the content provides knowledge or professional insights
- The language used in the post
- The professionalism and constructiveness of the comments
- Mentions of companies, people, and topics
Member activity
The algorithm assesses a user’s interests through the groups, hashtags, pages, and individuals they follow. It also considers their engagement with topics by analyzing actions such as posting, liking, or commenting on relevant content.
Users are more likely to see posts similar to those they’ve engaged with in the past, as well as from people they interact with most frequently.
Continued engagement monitoring
Even after a post reaches a wider audience, the LinkedIn algorithm continues to assess user reactions to determine its quality. If content is flagged as spam or largely ignored, its visibility will decrease. Conversely, if it resonates well with viewers, it will remain in circulation.
So, how does LinkedIn measure engagement? Consider these points:
- Meaningful comments should engage with the substance of your post rather than being simple responses like “congrats.”
- Are these comments from relevant users or random accounts?
LinkedIn evaluates comment relevance based on the groups, hashtags, and pages users follow, as well as their past interactions with content, to gauge the engagement’s contextual value.
What kinds of posts get LinkedIn engagement?
Let’s outline the basics of an effective LinkedIn content strategy. While the algorithm may not prioritize specific content types, certain formats tend to generate higher engagement and align with best practices. Understanding these can help you create posts that resonate with your audience and boost your visibility.
Question-based posts
Question-based posts are vital for any LinkedIn content strategy. By asking questions, you encourage meaningful engagement and draw followers into longer discussions.
Consider questions as natural conversation starters. Since the LinkedIn algorithm favors interaction, regularly posing (and answering) questions boosts engagement.
LinkedIn is an excellent platform for professionals to connect and share insights, and thoughtful questions can spark valuable conversations and networking opportunities.
Timely updates and industry insights
Sharing timely updates and industry insights demonstrates your active engagement in your field and positions you as a knowledgeable resource. LinkedIn’s “LinkedIn News” feed helps you stay updated on fresh stories and trending topics, making it easy to share relevant insights with your network.
Additionally, new research, intriguing statistics, or noteworthy trends can spark engaging discussions. For example, a post featuring recent remote work trends along with key statistics and a graphic can attract attention and encourage commentary.
Visual content
Visual content is highly effective on LinkedIn, as it is on other platforms. Successful accounts often use engaging visuals, like infographics, to simplify data and boost engagement.
Professional quotes also resonate well, and tools like Canva simplify image creation.
LinkedIn is evolving, with increasing acceptance of lighter content, including memes and humor. For example, a humorous post can attract attention and enhance engagement, showcasing the diverse content that performs well on the platform.
Employee-centric content
Both businesses and individual accounts should aim to showcase their human side on LinkedIn. Sharing employee highlights, office photos, and team-building activities provides a refreshing contrast to purely promotional content.
Recognizing your employees on LinkedIn not only boosts morale but also increases engagement with your audience, creating a more authentic connection and fostering a sense of community.
Event coverage
When your business attends an event or conference, be sure to share it with your followers. Event coverage offers a chance to educate and entertain your audience, attracting valuable “Likes.”
Behind-the-scenes content is a refreshing change from promotional posts, especially if notable speakers or team members are involved.
Video content
LinkedIn has embraced video content since launching its native format in 2017. Marketers should prioritize uploading videos directly to LinkedIn instead of just sharing YouTube links.
The platform continues to evolve with new features, including LinkedIn Live, which allows real-time interactions similar to Facebook Live. This format enables businesses to cover events and host Q&As, creating fresh engagement opportunities. As new features are often favored by the LinkedIn algorithm, expect more brands to experiment with live content. These live sessions can also drive engagement, much like question-based posts.
Bite-sized advice
A growing trend on LinkedIn is the use of punchy, text-based posts that offer quick advice or stories—no links or sales pitches involved.
These “words of wisdom” are highly shareable and suggest that LinkedIn favors native content over external links. Regularly sharing meaningful tips can help establish you as an influencer without overwhelming your audience with promotions.
The importance of employee advocacy and the LinkedIn algorithm
Businesses on LinkedIn must recognize the impact of employee advocacy in enhancing their reach through the algorithm. Employee advocacy involves encouraging your team to promote your brand and its content on LinkedIn by sharing posts and engaging with your company page.
The key takeaway is that your employees’ activity directly influences your brand’s visibility. Instead of micromanaging, focus on empowering your team to effectively promote your business.
An overview of ranking signals on LinkedIn’s algorithm
The LinkedIn algorithm uses four key ranking signals to determine how posts appear in a user’s feed:
Personal connections
In 2019, LinkedIn shifted its focus away from content by mega influencers—like major celebrities or well-known business leaders—and began prioritizing posts from users’ personal connections. To identify these connections, LinkedIn considers:
- Current and former colleagues
- Users’ past interactions on the platform
As a result, users now see more posts from those they engage with frequently and from individuals who consistently share content. They also encounter posts from connections with similar interests and skills, based on their profiles.
However, as of 2022, LinkedIn has started introducing more opportunities to follow thought leaders, industry experts, and creators beyond a user’s immediate network. This highlights that while personal connections play a significant role in post ranking, they are just one of several influencing factors.
Interest relevance
Relevance is a crucial ranking signal on LinkedIn and arguably the most important. According to LinkedIn’s engineering blog, they utilize a robust set of explicit and implicit signals to gauge what content might interest a member based on their social connections and the Knowledge Graph (like companies they follow or popular news within their organization).
Additionally, LinkedIn employs an “interest graph” to assess relationships between users and various topics, enabling the algorithm to measure:
- Users’ interest in specific subjects
- How related different topics are
- Which connections share similar interests
The algorithm considers the companies, people, hashtags, and topics mentioned in a post to gauge user interest. To enhance relevance, it’s crucial to understand your target audience and craft content that resonates with them.
Subject matter expertise
Subject Matter Expertise (SME) is a key signal in LinkedIn’s algorithm, reflecting the platform’s shift towards prioritizing high-quality content over low-effort posts. LinkedIn seeks to move away from inexpensive engagement driven by memes and instead focus on delivering valuable, authoritative information to its users.
The algorithm identifies individuals with substantial expertise in specific domains as valuable contributors. This assessment is based on the details in their LinkedIn profiles and their demonstrated authority on the platform. LinkedIn understands the importance of highlighting content from those with deep knowledge and experience in their fields.
By incorporating Subject Matter Expertise as a ranking signal, LinkedIn aims to enhance the quality of content in users’ feeds. This strategy aligns with its commitment to being a trusted source of professional information, fostering a more meaningful and insightful experience for users.
Engagement with meaningful comments
Interaction is crucial for a post’s ranking on LinkedIn. The platform employs machine learning to assess interaction in two main ways:
Engagement Probability: It evaluates how likely a user is to comment, share, or react to a post based on their previous interactions with similar content and connections.
Engagement Speed: The algorithm tracks how quickly a post receives engagement after being published. Posts that garner rapid interactions are more likely to appear at the top of others’ feeds.
Users who frequently engage with others’ posts are also more likely to see interactions on their own content, creating a cycle that enhances their visibility on the platform.
LinkedIn algorithm for job search
The LinkedIn algorithm significantly impacts job searches, enhancing the experience for job seekers and employers. Key aspects include:
- Profile Relevance: It prioritizes job listings matching your skills and keywords, so keep your profile updated.
- Connections: Jobs from companies with mutual connections are more visible; engaging with your network boosts visibility.
- Engagement Signals: Interacting with job postings (likes, comments, shares) can improve your search visibility.
- Job Alerts: LinkedIn offers personalized job recommendations based on your profile and search history; set up alerts for new postings.
- Company Insights: It highlights jobs from companies you follow, helping you find relevant opportunities.
- Application Activity: Applying through LinkedIn can lead to more tailored job listings based on your application history.
To maximize your search, ensure your profile is complete, engage with your network, and utilize job alerts.
LinkedIn algorithm company pages
The LinkedIn algorithm affects company page visibility through key factors:
- Engagement: Posts that generate likes, comments, and shares gain visibility.
- Connection Relevance: Content visibility increases when employees engage with posts.
- Content Variety: Using diverse formats like videos and infographics boosts engagement.
- Consistency: Regular posting keeps your page active and visible.
- Hashtags: Relevant hashtags enhance discoverability.
- Employee Advocacy: Encouraging employee shares extends reach.
- Target Audience: Tailor content to audience interests for better engagement.
- Analytics: Track performance to refine your strategy.
Focusing on these aspects helps companies leverage the LinkedIn algorithm for improved visibility and engagement.
LinkedIn algorithm update
Recent updates to the LinkedIn algorithm represent a significant shift from its previous version, which was influenced by a surge of new users in 2020. Initially designed to promote engaging content, the old algorithm led to the rapid spread of posts that often lacked relevance for the professional community, with many viral posts considered unsuitable for a networking platform.
In response, LinkedIn has made substantial changes, emphasizing the sharing of knowledge and advice. The updates announced in June 2023 further refine this focus, prioritizing valuable insights and enhancing connections between first-degree contacts to foster a more meaningful professional environment.
These adjustments are based on user feedback indicating a desire for more knowledge-driven content and stronger professional connections. Consequently, LinkedIn is now prioritizing posts that provide insights and advice while de-emphasizing personal updates and self-promotional content from unfamiliar users. This aims to enhance visibility and engagement with meaningful content among connections and followers.
Tips to maximize content visibility with the Linkedin algorithm
Grasping how the LinkedIn algorithm operates is crucial for expanding your reach and ensuring your content resonates with your audience. The next step is to optimize your posts based on the algorithm’s key priorities, which involves mastering the ranking signals.
Here are our top tips for creating high-performing LinkedIn content:
Be relevant and informative
The LinkedIn algorithm now highlights content that aligns with users’ skills and interests. To maximize reach, focus on topics relevant to your audience’s expertise, ensuring overlap with your own to enhance credibility. LinkedIn identifies your expertise from your profile, so posts in those areas are more likely to spread beyond your immediate network.
Analyze your audience’s interests using insights from other platforms, even competitors, to build personas. Then, align these insights with your expertise for a targeted LinkedIn strategy.
Rich media significantly enhances engagement on LinkedIn. Posts that include images receive twice as many comments, while videos generate five times more engagement.
Schedule your posts for the best times
Early engagement is key—if your audience is offline, your post won’t gain momentum. To boost visibility, schedule posts when your followers are most active.
While 1 p.m. on Mondays works well for many, every audience is unique. Personalized recommendations can help optimize timing.
Consistency counts too. Posting weekly on LinkedIn can double your engagement.
Promote your posts (on LinkedIn and off)
One effective way to boost engagement on LinkedIn is by increasing the number of people who see your posts.
Here are some tactics to gain extra visibility:
- Tag relevant individuals and companies
- Use targeted keywords
- Include relevant hashtags
Branded hashtags can also make a big impact. Creating a hashtag worth following encourages the algorithm to show posts using it to followers of that hashtag.
Examples include Starbucks’ #ToBeHuman, Microsoft’s #MicrosoftLife, and Salesforce’s #SalesforceOhana. Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke fosters a community of over 15,000 followers, sharing brand experiences.
Tip: Don’t restrict promotion to LinkedIn. If a post could interest your team or customers, share it through newsletters. This can boost engagement and improve your post’s performance on LinkedIn—a win-win situation.
Avoid outbound links
LinkedIn prefers to keep users on the platform, so posts with outbound links tend to get less priority. In fact, our experiments show that posts without external links consistently perform better. If you must share a link, try adding it in the comments instead.
Encourage meaningful engagement
LinkedIn’s algorithm favors engagement, but only when it’s relevant and thoughtful. Generic comments won’t boost your reach. Aim for responses from professionals who engage deeply with your post.
To encourage this, ask questions that invite opinions or insights. This positions your brand as a thought leader and sparks meaningful discussions.
Plus, you’ll gain insights into your audience’s interests, helping you create more targeted content.
Don’t forget to participate in the conversation. LinkedIn values active discussions where you’re involved, not just a stream of comments from others.
Craft original content with a unique perspective
Original posts tend to outperform shared ones in reach and engagement.
If you’re repurposing content or using user-generated material, try reframing it with your own insights. LinkedIn prioritizes content that shares knowledge and fosters connections, so adding your unique perspective is key to maximizing visibility and engagement.
Build your network strategically
Connections and relevance are crucial for the LinkedIn algorithm, highlighting the need for a strong professional network. Once your page hits 150 followers, growth opportunities expand significantly. Here are key strategies:
- Complete Profiles: Fully fill out personal and company profiles; complete pages get 30% more views.
- Use Keywords: Include relevant keywords in your page overview for better searchability.
- Invite Connections: Use the Invite button to inform first-degree connections about your page.
- Engage Employees: Encourage employees to list your company and use your corporate hashtag.
- Employee Notifications: Notify employees about key posts to boost engagement.
- Follow Relevant Pages: Connect with industry professionals and other relevant pages.
- Join or Host Groups: Participate in or create LinkedIn Groups to foster community.
- Public Profile: Keep your profile public for better visibility.
- Be Active: Engage in conversations regularly.
- Promote Your Page: Share your LinkedIn link on your website, newsletters, and email signatures.
Post LinkedIn-appropriate content
LinkedIn is all about the professional landscape, so tailor your posts accordingly. This isn’t the platform for sharing personal moments like your dog’s birthday party; keep the focus on business.
LinkedIn’s community policies emphasize professionalism and trust. Stay within your niche, but don’t be afraid to infuse authenticity, humanity, and even humor into your content.
Adopt a friendly, approachable brand voice. Overly corporate jargon or rigid tones can turn off users, while being genuine and relatable encourages meaningful interactions. Your audience will appreciate the authenticity and respond in kind.
Engage with other LinkedIn posts
Being proactive in liking and commenting on posts can significantly enhance your visibility.
Engaging from your personal account can also help elevate others’ content, and they’ll likely return the favor.
Keep in mind that LinkedIn thrives on conversations. Since it demands less effort for content creation compared to other platforms, prioritizing these discussions should be key to your strategy.
Keep an eye on SSI
LinkedIn has a unique metric called the Social Selling Index (SSI), which evaluates your effectiveness in building your professional brand, connecting with the right people, engaging with insights, and nurturing relationships. LinkedIn reports that users with high Social Selling Index (SSI) scores create 45% more opportunities than those with lower scores.
Additionally, a higher SSI boosts the visibility of your posts in your audience’s feeds. While this primarily affects personal accounts rather than brands, it remains a crucial factor in how LinkedIn’s algorithm operates.
Mistakes to Avoid to Stay in the LinkedIn Algorithm’s Good Graces
To avoid getting blacklisted by the LinkedIn algorithm, steer clear of these mistakes:
Doing too much self-promotion
When sharing content on LinkedIn, prioritize delivering value. Focus on helpful and informative posts that benefit your connections. Overloading your feed with self-promotional content can alienate users, making LinkedIn less likely to showcase your posts.
Avoid being spammy, and limit your use of hashtags to keep your content relevant and engaging.
Publishing your content at the wrong time
To maximize your content’s visibility, share it at the optimal times when your target audience is most active on LinkedIn. Experiment with various days and times to identify when you get the highest engagement, and then focus your posting schedule around those peak periods.
Not having a publishing strategy
A publishing strategy outlines the type of content you’ll share, how often, and your target audience. With a clear strategy, you’re more likely to create high-quality content that resonates with your audience, which in turn boosts your visibility with the LinkedIn algorithm.
Neglecting profile completeness
Neglecting profile completeness can hurt your visibility on LinkedIn. Ensure both your personal profile and company page are fully filled out and up-to-date. A strong headline, detailed summary, and regular updates enhance your professional image and increase discovery by recruiters and collaborators.
LinkedIn Algorithm – Frequently Asked Questions
What is the golden hour of the LinkedIn algorithm?
If your content sparks discussions and gains shares and likes within the “golden time”—the first hour—the algorithm will boost its visibility in more feeds. However, if users ignore your post or flag it as spam, the algorithm will limit its reach to others.
What is the LinkedIn profile ranking algorithm?
The LinkedIn search algorithm focuses on three main factors: relevance, engagement, and authority. Relevance measures how closely your profile, company, or content aligns with a user’s search query and intent.
What’s another name for the LinkedIn algorithm?
- LinkedIn Machine Learning
- LinkedIn program
What is the 1 2 3 in LinkedIn?
1st-degree connections are users you’re directly connected with. 2nd-degree connections are users who aren’t in your network but share a mutual connection. 3rd-degree connections are users who are connected to someone in your 2nd-degree network, but you have no direct connection to them.
Is 100 connections on LinkedIn good?
If your goal on LinkedIn is to network closely with a select group, around 100 connections may be ideal. However, if you’re job searching, you might aim for a larger network to expand your opportunities and visibility.
Where can I find the LinkedIn algorithm report PDF?
You can find LinkedIn algorithm reports and resources on LinkedIn’s official blog or help center. Research papers and articles from marketing or social media analysis sites also offer insights. For specific reports, try searching “LinkedIn algorithm report PDF” on Google for useful results.
Conclusion
To boost your business visibility on LinkedIn in 2024, prioritize understanding the algorithm and tailoring your content strategy. Focus on meaningful engagement, optimize your profile, and share valuable insights that resonate with your audience. For more tips on other social networking strategies, visit System SocialZ.
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