LinkedIn has three essential tenets: be seen, be found, and connect. Thus, the B2B social network network par excellence, created in 2002, continually updates its algorithm to provide an optimal experience for members, recruiters, and advertisers.
What sets LinkedIn apart from other social networks? Outstanding organic reach! The platform gives you high natural visibility for a limited time. Even without advertising, you can build your reputation.
However, to benefit from it, you need to know how the algorithm works and what to do to be favored by it. This article tells you everything!
LinkedIn algorithm: 4 steps to determine your post's reach
LinkedIn has implemented a four-step process for distributing content on its network. The goal? Improve the user experience by reducing the reach of spam or inappropriate content.
Each post is subjected to the following process before the platform decides whether to amplify its reach.
1. The initial filter
Every time you publish content (even if it’s an image) on LinkedIn, an automated system immediately places the content into one of three categories
the following:
- Spam
- Low quality
- Clear
Your posts need to be placed in the last category to maximize your reach. However, if they are categorized as “low quality,” they can still move on to the next checkpoints…
2. The anti-spam filter
Once your item is classified by the bots, it appears in members’ feeds to be tested. Initially, it will be shown only to a small group of users.
LinkedIn will consider the post’s popularity while checking how well it’s received by the audience. If the post is reported or hidden multiple times, its reach will drop significantly. Conversely, it will progress to the next stages…
3. Content scoring
Once published, your content will generate engagement. But not all interactions are equal! LinkedIn will assign points based on the actions taken by users.
We don’t know the exact scale, but the order of importance of interactions is as follows:
- Share
- Comment
- Like
The higher the score, the more the post will rise in your contacts’ news feed.
4. Evaluation by editors
If you get a lot of engagement on your post, it is sent to human moderators who will decide whether it should appear in the social network’s “Featured” tab.
If so, your content will also be suggested to users outside your network, boosting your visibility!
How is content ranked on LinkedIn?
On LinkedIn, users can choose how content is displayed in their feed. They can opt to see recent posts first (for a chronological view) or the most relevant ones. The default option is the latter, which explains the importance of LinkedIn’s algorithm for your visibility…
The factors that influence “relevance” according to LinkedIn’s algorithm often change, but the two main ones are:
1. Social Selling Index (SSI)
The Social Selling Index measures your ability to build a personal brand, find the right people, engage with ideas, and build relationships.
A high SSI places a user’s posts at the top of the feed. Note that this index primarily affects the visibility of content from personal accounts. If you primarily interact as a page, this indicator is less relevant.
2. Dwell Time
LinkedIn’s algorithm counts the time a user spends on a post’s content. This is what the social network calls “Dwell Time.”
The more time a user spends reading and interacting with a post (for example, by watching a video or by reading a list of tips), the more likely LinkedIn is to push it to the top of the news feed.
LinkedIn algorithm ranking factors
Beyond the factors mentioned above, there are three signals that LinkedIn's algorithm uses to rank posts in a user's feed:
1. Personal connections
Since 2019, LinkedIn no longer prioritizes mega-influencer content. The social network now favors content from users' personal connections.
LinkedIn mainly shows accounts a user currently works with or has worked with, or those they interact with frequently.
In short: you are more likely to see posts from your colleagues or the companies you have worked for. Similarly, if you regularly interact with a contact or a page, LinkedIn will surface their content to you first.
2. Relevance of interests
LinkedIn uses an "interest graph" (or Knowledge Graph in English) to optimize content relevance. This indicator is based on the relationships between users and topics. It allows the algorithm to measure:
- Users' interest in certain topics
- The relationship between different topics
- Network members who share a user's interests
To determine interest, the algorithm also takes into account the companies, people, hashtags and topics mentioned in a post.
For example, if a user often reacts to posts about search engine optimization, LinkedIn will show them news containing keywords like "search engine optimization" (of course!), but also "SEO", "SEA", "SERP", etc. The social network may also promote articles about Google or Bing to that user.
3. Likelihood of engagement
Engagement plays an important role in ranking a post on LinkedIn. The platform uses machine learning to classify interactions in two ways:
- The likelihood that a user will comment on, share, or react to a post based on the content and the people they've interacted with in the past.
- How quickly content receives engagement after it's published. The faster users interact with a post, the more likely it is to appear at the top of other users' news feeds.
How to take advantage of the LinkedIn algorithm?
Now that you know more about how the LinkedIn algorithm works, it's time to woo it to expand the reach of your posts! Here are some best practices to increase the organic visibility of your content, whether you manage a personal profile or a company page:
Avoid the spam trap
The first step to achieving a high ranking is to show LinkedIn that your post is not unwanted.
Here are some tips to get past the anti-spam filter:
- Avoid hashtags like #follow, #like, and #comment
- Pay attention to typos and grammar
- Do not post more than once every three hours (in fact, once a day is more than sufficient)
- Do not include multiple links in the text of your post
As a general rule, always make sure to publish quality content that will help your audience. Don't chase likes at all costs; instead aim to spark a real discussion with information that adds value.
Use LinkedIn's bias to your advantage
LinkedIn is clear about the type of content it wants to display. It's primarily a professional network. It is therefore recommended to:
- Stay relevant to your audience, your brand, and your industry.
- Focus on a specific niche.
- Provide value to someone's career, such as advice for their professional growth.
- Use different formats such as live videos, LinkedIn Stories, LinkedIn polls, carousels, etc.
Generate engagement within the first hour
The first 60 minutes after publishing content are crucial for its reach. If no user reacts to your post within the first hour after publication, there is a strong chance the reach will be low.
To generate engagement quickly on your post:
Inform your employees about the publication
Use your internal communication channels to make colleagues aware of the importance of sharing your posts. Also use the "Send a notification to employees" feature available on pages.
React or reply to every comment under your post
The more interaction there is, the higher the post will appear in your contacts' news feeds, which will create a snowball effect.
Use mentions and hashtags to increase the reach of your posts
Use at least 5 hashtags in each news item and tag the relevant users (employees, colleagues, or partners related to the announced news).
Post native content
When you share content from a platform other than LinkedIn, its performance collapses. The social network wants to keep users on the platform and throttles the visibility of your links, YouTube videos, or blog articles.
The solution? Publish content directly on LinkedIn without external links! You can upload a native video, share a list of tips, or summarize an article into an infographic or SlideShare presentation.
Still want to add a link? Put it in the comments or edit your post after publishing.
Try LinkedIn's new features
Like any social network, LinkedIn's algorithm likes it when you fully use its features. The platform recently launched new formats, such as polls, image carousels, and events, so make use of these options!
You can also pin an important article to your page or profile to give it more visibility.
Finally, LinkedIn has launched profile photo frames #OpentoWork and #Hiring. The first signals to your contacts that you are looking for opportunities by adding a green frame, while the second shows that you are recruiting with a purple frame.
Conclusion
Engagement is essential for LinkedIn's algorithm. It depends on relevance, the activity level of your network, and your reputation.
To expand the reach of your posts, keep your audience's interests and needs in mind and encourage them to engage with impactful, useful content that sparks debate!
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