LinkedIn Algorithm – How does it work?

LinkedIn is a great place to get your content seen by a broader audience, but what should you consider to maximize your future personal post-exposure?

One question I constantly get when I’m working with clients, both physically and virtually, is: How does the LinkedIn algorithm actually work? There is no easy answer to this question, surprise!

In this article, I will try to give you some basic guidelines to consider for your future posts.

And most important, please bear in mind the algorithm constantly changes!

Remember: When you post, LinkedIn identifies three different divisions for your content.

1. Spam
2. Low quality
3. High quality

 How does LinkedIn differentiate quality from spam content?

• Use good grammar.
• “Authenticity in your posts is key.” Why should people read your post? Give your wording a personal touch.
• Don’t use multiple links in your post.
• Don’t tag many people.
• Careful with hashtags like “follow,” “comment,” or “like.” Use around 3 hashtags. One should be broader; the next could be a little more niche (example: “#socialmedia,” “#socialselling”).

How does LinkedIn distinguish high-quality vs. low-quality content?

• LinkedIn´s algorithms love comments just like Facebook, because people are more engaging than just giving a like.
• “Only” tag people if you “know” they will respond or engage. Even though you can tag Barack Obama you probably shouldn’t 🙂. 
• Format your post, so it’s easy to read on mobile, iPad and laptop (also when you use images and video).
• Post things that encourage a response (asking a question maybe).
• Outbound links are not something LinkedIn favours (I still use an outbound link when it makes sense). Some people have learned that an outbound link in the comment after posting is a way to “trick” the algorithm. I personally don’t do that. 
• Use strong keywords.

Engagement within the first 60 minutes is crucial for the success of your post

The FIRST hour is vital to your post’s success.

LinkedIn analyses the initial engagement to see if it’s worth moving it into more people’s feeds. If your post does well in the first hour, it’s more likely to happen.

If no one sees your post or interacts with it in the first hour, it’s more likely that your post dies 😭.

Do’s and don’ts:

DO’s:

• Post at a time when your connections and followers are active on the platform (could be early morning, lunchtime, etc.). Testing is always a must!
• Ask a question to spark engagement.
• Maybe interact with other posts while your post is in its first hour.
• Respond to anyone who engages with a comment on your post!!

DON’Ts:

• Just post and forget. You need to come back to the post and interact with any comments.
• Go back and edit your post. Usually, this weakens the post’s reach.

Continuous engagement and distribution

LinkedIn has three ranking signals to determine what you see in your feed:

1. Connections

LinkedIn considers who you work/have worked with or who you’ve interacted with before.

2. Relevance

LinkedIn analyses what groups you’re in, people you follow, hashtags, pages you follow, and the post’s language, the companies, people, and topics mentioned in it.

3. Potential Engagement 

First, the algorithm evaluates the likelihood that you will share, comment, or react to a post, but it also takes into account the first impressions on the post.

Linkedin has several content types which all rank differently in the algorithm and gets many different responses from your audience: OUTBOUND LINKS, SHARES, LINKEDIN CONTENT, PHOTOS, VIDEOS, AND TEXT BASED POSTS.

Diversify your content types- video, text, etc. and see what works for you. Experiment, analyze, and update your strategy. Find the exceptions and identify what type of post they are.

Good luck with your future posts.