LinkedIn Profile Optimization

LinkedIn is a search engine. Optimize for both algorithms and human readers. The goal: get found, make an impression, start conversations.

Headline (120 characters)

Your headline appears everywhere—search results, comments, connection requests. Make it count.

Formula Options

• Role + Value: "Product Manager | Building B2B SaaS that users actually love"
• Role + Expertise: "Data Engineer | Python, Spark, dbt | Real-time pipelines"
• Mission + Proof: "Helping startups scale from 1 to 100 employees | 3 successful exits"

Do

• Include your target role title (for search)
• Add a value statement or specialty
• Use keywords recruiters search for
• Make it skimmable

Don't

• "Looking for new opportunities" (signals desperation)
• Just your job title (missed opportunity)
• Buzzwords without substance ("Thought leader | Visionary")
• All caps or excessive emojis

About Section (2,600 characters max)

The About section is your pitch. Most visitors won't click "see more"—front-load value.

Structure

[Hook - 1-2 sentences that grab attention]

[What you do and who you help - 2-3 sentences]

[Key accomplishments or proof points - bullets or short paragraph]

[What you're looking for or how to connect - 1-2 sentences]

First 300 Characters

These appear above the fold. Include:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Why it matters

Tone

• First person ("I" not "John is...")
• Conversational but professional
• Specific over generic
• Show personality

Experience Section

Title

Use recognizable titles that include keywords. "Senior Software Engineer" beats "Code Wizard Level III."

Description Format

Lead with scope and impact, then details:

Scope: Team size, budget, geographic reach
Key achievements: 3-5 bullets with metrics
Skills demonstrated: Relevant keywords

Achievement Bullets

Use the formula: [Action verb] + [What you did] + [Result/Impact]

Good: "Led migration of 200+ microservices to Kubernetes, reducing deployment time by 70% and infrastructure costs by $400K/year"

Bad: "Responsible for Kubernetes migration"

Metrics to Include

• Revenue generated or influenced
• Costs reduced or saved
• Team size led or grown
• Users/customers served
• Speed/efficiency improvements
• Scale (transactions, users, data)

Skills Section

Top 3 Skills

Your top 3 appear prominently. Choose skills that:

• Match your target role
• You want to be known for
• Have endorsement momentum

Skill Strategy

• Add all relevant skills (up to 50)
• Prioritize skills in job descriptions you want
• Get endorsements for top skills (ask colleagues)
• Reorder based on career direction

Additional Sections

Featured

Pin your best content:

• Portfolio pieces
• Media coverage
• Top posts
• Case studies

Recommendations

Quality over quantity. Ask for recommendations that:

• Speak to specific skills
• Come from credible sources
• Tell a story about working with you

Activity

Regular posting signals engagement:

• Comment thoughtfully on others' posts
• Share industry insights
• Celebrate wins (yours and others')

Search Optimization

Keywords

Include target keywords in:

• Headline
• About (first 300 chars especially)
• Experience titles and descriptions
• Skills section

Complete All Sections

LinkedIn rewards complete profiles:

• Photo (professional, recent)
• Background image (on-brand or relevant)
• Location
• Education
• Certifications (if relevant)

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
No photo	Add a professional headshot
Generic headline	Add value proposition
Third person About	Write in first person
Job descriptions, not achievements	Focus on impact with metrics
Outdated information	Review quarterly
No activity	Engage weekly minimum
Missing keywords	Add target role terms

Profile Checklist

• Professional photo
• Custom background image
• Headline with role + value
• About section with hook and proof
• All experience with achievement bullets
• Skills ordered by priority
• At least 2 recommendations
• Featured section with best work
• Education complete
• Custom URL (/in/yourname)