Overcoming the Digital Divide: How to Stand Out on LinkedIn

Overcoming the Digital Divide: How to Stand Out on LinkedIn

In this excerpt from Overcoming the Digital Divide, author Shelly Palmer shares how to stand out on LinkedIn and optimize your presence:

  • First and foremost, utilize your profile as a search hub. With a network Pagerank of 9, LinkedIn carries a great deal of “Google juice.” In other words, it appears often in search results and is a great source to link out of.
  • Craft your profile with SEO in mind, using keywords appropriate to your area of expertise often.
  • Make use of the Websites section of your profile, but don’t use the generic My Company or My Blog headings. Instead, select Other when editing that section of your profile and optimize the outbound link’s title with something more descriptive.
  • LinkedIn calls the byline directly underneath your name a “professional heading” and automatically labels it with your current job title. It might be a good idea to edit that heading to something with a little more pop, like your personal brand.
  • After all, the heading appears in search results and is often the first thing people see; use it as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

And while LinkedIn is certainly one of the more static social networks out there, there are some unique areas for participation that other networks do not offer:

  • One useful area is the Answers function, in which users pose and respond to questions within different areas of expertise. This is a fantastic way to learn from others and attract visibility on the network.
  • As a bonus, if one of your responses is selected as the best answer by the user who posed the question, you get an “expertise point,” which is displayed on your profile.
  • You should also join and contribute to groups relevant to your industry.
  • Members of the group have increased direct access to each other and provide a platform to discuss issues of mutual interest, share news and fill jobs.
  • Request and write recommendations to trusted colleagues and clients. A highly recommended professional profile engenders trust among new connections and archives a positive remembrance in the minds of those who recommend you.

 


Want more great tips for optimizing your online presence? Check out Overcoming the Digital Divide now.