LinkedIn officially stated that users who optimize their profiles get 40 times more profile views compared to unoptimized profiles.
The benefits of optimizing your LinkedIn profile are more than just having an attractive account. It increases the odds of your connection requests being accepted, helps recruiters find your profile, and makes it easier for you to connect with the right people.
Optimizing your profile was once a great marketing feat but is now a necessity for every professional to personally brand themselves on the platform. It opens doors you never knew existed.
The great thing about optimizing your profile is it’s simple and easy, and it barely takes the time you spend reading this blog post.
I have worked with CEOs and CMOs to optimize their profiles and increase their presence on LinkedIn. I’ve gathered these 25 features that should be updated on every LinkedIn profile.
1. Choose the right profile picture
Your profile picture sets the first impression, so choosing the right one is crucial. Invest time in selecting a passport-sized photo with your face covering 50-60% of the space. It’s recommended to wear a suit with a bright background to boost your reliability. Professionals in the design and marketing industry can opt for casual attire as it is more engaging. Avoid using unrealistically edited photos or long-shot ones as they make it hard to recognize you.
2. Add a Cover Photo
The right cover photo effectively showcases your expertise. Add a contrast cover photo with your business logo or featuring the services you offer. Some even include their achievements in the cover photo as it’s featured in more prominent places. The best practice is to keep it short, simple, and precise.
Here’s a great example of how an optimized cover photo should look. I’ve used Nick Maciag’s profile in the next section as it stands out as an exemplary example.
Example: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmaciag/
10 Free LinkedIn Banner Templates (Canva Edition)
3. Use Engaging Headline
Oftentimes, the LinkedIn headline section is used to feature your job title. Instead, use it to showcase your job title along with your expertise. Use this format to make your headline section more engaging: Job Title | Achievements | CTA. For example, a copywriter can write: Copywriter for Google | Ghostwriter for 7-figure CEOs & Founders | Follow for insights on writing, personal growth, & productivity.
4. Talk about Yourself in the About Section
More often than not, the About section is left empty or with suboptimal content. You don’t need to write paragraphs, but highlight your skills and experience and how they benefit your current organization or how they can benefit the user viewing your profile. Try to include hashtags and keywords focusing on your primary service or solution as it will help you get discovered by people with those needs.
Check out AI LinkedIn hashtag generator to create 100% free hashtags.
5. Sync Contacts from your Email
Many people don’t know about this killer feature that LinkedIn offers, which allows you to connect with contacts from your email. You can access the Contacts feature from the My Network tab and sync all your contacts to issue connection requests. LinkedIn temporarily suspends your account if more than 5 people deny your connection request and mark your profile as “I don’t know.” New users can leverage the sync contacts feature to avoid getting suspended initially.
6. List Out Your Relevant Skills
A quick way to enhance your profile visibility and boost credibility is to list out the top 5 skills relevant to your expertise. You can enter these skills in the About section of your profile. These skills will be featured on your profile, making it easier for recruiters to find you, especially when they target specific skill sets using LinkedIn Recruiter.
7. Get Endorsed By Industry Leaders
LinkedIn has added a great feature of endorsing and getting endorsed by other users on the platform. It boosts the credibility of your profile when a valued member in a certain industry endorses you. Receiving endorsements might require more effort than other steps as it’s dependent on someone else’s offering. You can start by reaching out to your connections, requesting endorsements, and offering the favor in return. A brief message with a polite tone will help you get endorsed.
8. Customize your LinkedIn Profile URL
You can view your custom LinkedIn Profile URL at the top of your profile page. Typically, the URL consists of your name and a bunch of random numbers and symbols, which can be quite annoying when sharing your LinkedIn profile with others. Use the “Edit Public Profile & URL” option to customize it to include only your name. Use a hyphen or underscore to differentiate if you include more than one name.
9. Turn On Creator Mode
Creator mode feature is being canceled in the USA and is expected to be removed from LinkedIn altogether. Until then, make good use of it by turning it on, as it offers crucial details such as profile views, post impressions, and search appearances.
10. Post Content Consistently
70% of online businesses consider LinkedIn the best platform for online marketing and branding. Posting high-quality content consistently will increase post impressions and profile views. For LinkedIn content marketing, you can visit this free blog – Complete Guide to LinkedIn Marketing 2025. Share case studies, insights, engaging facts, etc., that your connections will find entertaining or educational.
11. Repost from Your Connections or People you follow
Creating and posting content may take a lot of effort and time, which most working people don’t have. Instead, you can leverage the reposting feature on LinkedIn by adding your thoughts or unique perspective to others’ posts. You can instantly repost without adding any note. However, it’s recommended to offer a fresh perspective, provide additional details, or contradict the claims of the original post to make it more engaging.
12. Join Relevant Groups
Expand your LinkedIn network by joining industry-specific groups. Engage with like-minded professionals, stay updated on trends, and participate in discussions to boost visibility and credibility. Search for active groups in your niche and contribute insights to establish yourself as a thought leader. By engaging in relevant groups, you’ll build valuable connections, gain new perspectives, and increase visibility within your target audience.
13. Add Comments
Engage with other users’ posts by leaving thoughtful comments that add value to the conversation. When you comment on posts, you not only demonstrate your knowledge and expertise but also build relationships with other professionals in your network. Aim to provide insights, ask questions, or share relevant experiences to spark meaningful discussions.Commenting on others’ posts before sending a connection request or reaching out via DM will increase the likelihood of them accepting and responding.
14. Follow industry-relevant influencers
Engaging with industry influencers can also help you expand your network and stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your field. Following influencers from your industry will provide engaging and fresh content on your feed. You can engage with, comment on, repost, or even gain inspiration to create your own posts.
15. Toggle Open To Work On
Ready to freelance or looking for a new job? Toggle the “Open to Work” feature on so that recruiters can find your profile. LinkedIn also offers the option to hide this feature from anyone who isn’t looking to recruit, to avoid conflict with your current employer.
16. Expand Your Network with Mutual Connections
It’s easier to get your connection request accepted if you both have a mutual connection. It adds a layer of credibility and reliability. Don’t be afraid to connect with 3rd degree people. But grow your mutual connections to increase your network faster.
17. Fill Out Your Employment Details
Adding your experience to your LinkedIn profile allows other users to quickly understand your career trajectory. Ensure that the details entered on LinkedIn accurately represent your resume. Don’t omit any details, including freelancing gigs, and feel free to include breaks in between. Make sure to add your recent promotions and announce them to your network.
18. Add Educational Details
Adding educational details to your LinkedIn profile enhances your professional credibility and demonstrates your qualifications to potential employers or clients. It provides context about your background and expertise, helping you stand out in your industry. Additionally, it can create connections with alumni and industry peers who share similar educational backgrounds. Lastly, showcasing your education allows recruiters to filter and search for candidates with specific qualifications, increasing your visibility and chances of being discovered for relevant opportunities.
19. Include Your Certifications
Completed courses from famous institutions like Google and HubSpot? Including certifications on your LinkedIn profile enhances credibility, validates skills, and boosts professional development. It sets you apart in job markets, increases visibility to recruiters, and facilitates networking with peers. Don’t miss the chance to share it as a post to showcase your latest skills to your network.
20. Add Location
Add your current location to your LinkedIn profile to get connection recommendations based on your geography. It also helps users with premium tools like Sales Navigator find your profile by filtering through location. Although it’s not advisable, remote teams may add their location as their company’s.
21. Contribute to Collaborative Articles
A recent update on LinkedIn is only accessible if you are invited to contribute. LinkedIn gathers elite industry professionals, addresses common issues, and asks invitees to offer solutions to them. These articles are rich with high-quality and latest information as industry veterans are answering them. You will have to grow your presence on LinkedIn by posting consistently to gain LinkedIn’s attention. Contributing to these articles exposes you to increased visibility and recognition.
22. Gain Top Voice Badge
Contributing to collaborative articles with great content that benefits readers might motivate them to react to your solution. More users reacting to your contribution will help you be featured at the top of the list and possibly earn you a “Top Voice Badge”.
23. Grow Your Connection List
As straightforward as it may sound, it really helps in getting more connections much easier. You need to reach 500+ connections to start off. LinkedIn often displays 500+ connections once you reach that threshold. People are more likely to accept your connection request if you have more connections rather than just a few. Also, turning on the creator mode will show your follower count. The more, the merrier.
24. Add Link To Your Website
Whether you’re aiming to impress a recruiter or guide your profile views to book a call with you, adding a link to a landing page will aid in the conversion event. You can do this by editing your Contact Info and adding a link to your website, portfolio, or landing page.
25. Highlight Your Top Posts
Do you have any major event coming up like a conference you are speaking at or an webinar you are conducting? Highlight those events that will be featured next to your name and headline on LinkedIn. People who have a lot of profile views can leverage this free feature to get more audience in for their event.
26. Feature Your Top Posts
I’ve promised you 25 ways, but here’s one more because of how amazing you are: Feature your top posts so that they remain more active and receive more views and engagement. Additionally, a more professional use of this feature would be adding news articles or any major internet articles that you’ve published or that talk about you.
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile will help you connect with the right prospects, whether they’re ready to convert or recruiters searching for the right talent like you.
Follow these 26 steps and comment below on your experience.
Want to gain more in-depth LinkedIn marketing strategies? Visit our Complete Guide to LinkedIn Marketing 2025.
FAQs – How to Optimize LinkedIn Profile
1. How do I optimize my LinkedIn profile?
The blog post provides a detailed breakdown (26 steps!) on optimizing your profile. Here’s a quick summary:
- Visuals: Choose a professional headshot and a relevant cover photo.
- Profile Content: Craft an engaging headline showcasing your expertise and achievements. Use the About section to tell your professional story and highlight relevant skills.
- Network Building: Sync contacts, get endorsed by connections, and customize your profile URL for easy sharing.
- Content Strategy: Consistently post high-quality content, engage with others’ posts, and join relevant groups to build your network and establish thought leadership.
- Visibility: Leverage features like “Open to Work” (if job hunting), and optimize your profile for search by including relevant keywords.
2. How to optimize LinkedIn profile AI?
LinkedIn doesn’t currently offer built-in AI specifically for profile optimization. However, you can leverage AI tools like resume builders that might suggest relevant keywords based on your experience.
3. How to use ChatGPT to improve LinkedIn profile?
ChatGPT is a large language model that can be creatively used to brainstorm profile content ideas or even craft initial drafts. However, it’s important to review and edit the output for accuracy, professionalism, and your unique voice.
4. What are the 3 key factors to have a quality LinkedIn profile?
- Completeness: Fill out all relevant sections with accurate and up-to-date information.
- Relevance: Tailor your profile content to your target audience and career goals, using keywords and showcasing relevant skills and experience.
- Engagement: Be an active participant on the platform. Share valuable content, engage with others’ posts, and build your network.
5. What tools optimize LinkedIn profile?
These are few online tools can help with aspects of profile optimization:
- Resume builders: Some AI-powered resume builders can suggest relevant keywords based on your experience, which can be helpful for your LinkedIn profile as well.
- SEO tools: Free or paid SEO tools can help you identify relevant keywords to include in your profile for better search visibility.
- Graphic design tools: Tools like Canva can be helpful for creating professional-looking profile visuals like your cover photo.
6. What is profile optimization?
Profile optimization refers to the process of strategically tailoring your online profile (in this case, LinkedIn) to achieve specific goals. This might involve improving your profile’s completeness, visibility, and overall brand image to attract recruiters, connect with potential clients, or establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.
With a passion for SEO, digital branding, and social media marketing (SMM), this expert brings extensive experience in driving online visibility and engagement.
As the founder and CEO of Rank Brand Social, they leverage expertise in SEO strategies and digital branding to help businesses achieve their marketing goals effectively.
With a proven track record of success, they are dedicated to delivering impactful solutions that elevate brands and drive measurable results in the competitive digital landscape.
Connect With Me on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezekiah-livingston/
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