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Optimizing a LinkedIn Profile for Better Leads

As consultants, we need to leverage our relationships, contacts and online profiles to maximize our ability to attract the right clients.

Over the last few years, we’ve helped a number of people with their LinkedIn profiles by showing them how to improve the search performance.

Why LinkedIn? Many people find that LinkedIn helps them to shortcut the new vendor evaluation process. LinkedIn profiles highlight a prospective consultant’s experience, endorsements and level of influence based on the size of their network and make finding new vendors simple and easy.

What to Optimize

The method for optimizing a LinkedIn profile is in many ways the same way as optimizing a web page. In both cases, knowing the page elements that influence the search process is important.

Let’s start by searching for “Social Media Consultant” and then dissecting the search result.

 LinkedIn Profile in LinkedIn’s Advanced Search for “Social Media Consultant”

 Figure 1. LinkedIn Profile in LinkedIn’s Advanced Search for “Social Media Consultant”

The image above shows a search result in LinkedIn’s Advanced Search feature.

The results display the name, headline, category and number of connections. If this profile did not contain the phrase “Social Media Consultant,” the results may not have included this result.

The headline, just below the name, is where we inserted related keywords into this listing.

This headline is the first place to insert keywords, and we need to decide the best keyword changes that will create the most impact.

Optimizing with Keywords

Potential clients are just like everyone else when it comes to search behavior.

They will start with shorter keywords and focus on the skills and/or services they need to hire.

In the example above, the keywords center around social media, SEO, digital strategist, etc. This process works the same for landscape architects, software engineering consultants or babysitters.

The principles are the same since the focus is on the search term, not the actual work experience.

The owner of the profile must put themselves into the position of potential client. What words would this person search? These are the terms that should be included in the headline.

Once the proper keyword phrases are selected and entered into the headline, the same keyword phrases should be used within the summary and various job descriptions.

The use of keywords should be as frequent as possible without sounding “spammy.” See the example below.

Profile with Keyword Phrase “Social Media Consultant”

 Figure 2. Profile with Keyword Phrase “Social Media Consultant”

By spending a little time thinking about the phrases a potential client may use to find suitable vendor candidates, a LinkedIn profile can be easily improved.

Follow the simple instructions above and get more LinkedIn leads today!

About Melanie Yunk (50 Articles)
Melanie Yunk, President, Roaring Pajamas Melanie Yunk started working as a social media and search engine optimization consultant early in 2009, when she founded Roaring Pajamas, a digital marketing agency in Northern California. Melanie is passionate about helping businesses market their products and services online. She brings more than 20 years of marketing, engineering and content experience to clients from various industries, including search engines, construction, retail, B2B, wholesale, heavy duty trucks, authors and more. Melanie previously founded Melanie's Fine Foods after purchasing Big Acres® Gourmet Sauces where she expanded the line to be distributed nationwide and in Canada. She also founded Yunk Consulting where she assisted software and semiconductor companies in implementing international standards for electronic databooks that she also helped developed while working at Intel Corporation. Her earliest career began at Honeywell Commercial Flight Systems where she worked on the Boeing 777 and MD11 cockpit projects. She continues to write on the Roaring Pajamas Blog and also as a guest blogger writing about all natural and gourmet foods. Melanie volunteers as a Board Member for the San Carlos Chamber of Commerce and former President of the Advisory Board for the Rosalie Rendu Center in East Palo Alto. She lives in San Carlos with her husband Kent and two Cornish Rex cats.

2 Comments on Optimizing a LinkedIn Profile for Better Leads

  1. Great tips here for any LinkedIn profile. It’s amazing to me how many people will simply use their standard job title as their headline when they could optimize it with keywords so easily. Hope that everyone that reads this will take that step. By the way I didn’t know you were also an ASU alum. That’s cool!

  2. Hi Michael! Thanks for the kudos and I can’t agree more. With a little work and thoughtfulness, anyone can get more from their LinkedIn profile. And yes, I’m a Sun Devil – had no idea you were too! Go Sparky! 8)

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