The LinkedIn Algorithm

As with other social networks, LinkedIn also has its own algorithm. These algorithms are responsible for managing how your publications appear to users.

So if you want more visibility and reach, you need to know more about the LinkedIn algorithm and what it rewards. 

What is the LinkedIn Algorithm?

LinkedIn’s algorithm is a set of rules that allow the social network to order the content in a way that reflects each user’s behavior.

A little bit of history…

LinkedIn’s algorithm was updated in 2019 because undiscovered was a situation where the most famous people had no problem getting their content known, but the rest of the people had trouble getting their content to go viral.

To solve this, LinkedIn upgraded its algorithm so that everyone’s content has equal chances of being seen.

How Does The LinkedIn Algorithm Work?

It’s clear that recently the social network has updated its algorithm due to complaints from some users, who saw irrelevant and unprofessional content.

So, what aspects does LinkedIn’s algorithm take into account?

• Quality and professional content.

LinkedIn prioritizes quality content posted on the social network, while non-professional content will not be rewarded.
This is because users started posting too much personal content and users prefer to see professional topics which, in the end, is the type of content they signed up for.
✅ Publish quality content and content that brings value in professional terms to the user.

• Prioritize 1st-degree connections.

Users have confirmed to LinkedIn that the most valuable content on the network comes from their own connections. Therefore, the social network will prioritize 1st-degree connections in your feed.

✅ It’s important to have quality connections, that contribute valuable content to your feed, so LinkedIn can continue to prioritize this.

• Preference to professional knowledge and advice.

LinkedIn is going to prioritize and highlight content that includes knowledge and tips to offer value to its community.

Now how does LinkedIn identify this type of “expert” content?

➡️ If the post is targeted to a specific audience.

➡️ The author writes about their professional expertise.

➡️ The post has important and meaningful comments.

➡️ The post is original content from the author, and the ideas are rewarded by the algorithm.

✅ Content that includes original thoughts, and includes quality information generates comments and is more likely to go viral.

4 Tips To Work With the LinkedIn Algorithm

To get your articles seen by as many people as possible and for your content to go viral, you have to know how the algorithm works and some tricks on how to beat it. 

Your content has to be relevant and high-quality 

Because LinkedIn takes into account posts that get a lot of interactions in their first hours after going live, you have to make sure that the content is relevant to users. You don’t want something totally irrelevant to go viral quickly. 

With quality content that is interesting to your audience, you will make more of an impact with your LinkedIn contacts, thus you will get more interactions and therefore more visibility. 

In addition, for your content to be high quality, you should scrutinize everything in the publication closely: 

➡️ The copy must be explanatory and attract the public. A good hook at the beginning. For example, ask your audience a question like the example above. Emojis also attract a lot of attention and are increasingly used. 

➡️ The images have to be the right size. If the content looks blurry or lacks quality, it won’t attract anyone’s attention. Check out our full image size guide.

➡️ Must include a CTA or a Link.

Publish content regularly

Publishing content constantly but without spamming will have more impact. Your followers will show interest if they see you post often. With this strategy it is more likely that you will have more interactions and therefore your content will go viral more often.

Plan your content at strategic times, for example, a post that is sent at 2 am won’t be seen by the same number of people as a post at 12 noon. With Metricool you can utilize our Best Time to Post Feature. To learn more, click the button below:

Avoid outbound links

Outbound links prompt users to leave the app, so it is no surprise that the LinkedIn algorithm does not like these. The app wants you to stay on the app instead of getting information elsewhere.

Analyze your LinkedIn content

You can check how your past posts performed, and whether they worked well or not. Knowing this you can discard images that haven’t been successful or repeat those articles that have worked well. You can see these types of metrics with our LinkedIn Analytics and with Metricool. To learn more click the button below:

With Metricool you can manage and analyze your LinkedIn account by:

• Following the evolution of your metrics and analyze the impact of your publications.
• Save time planning content, months in advance.
• View and reply to messages and comments that you have received.
• Generate reports in PDF or PPT.

LinkedIn Algorithm Changes 2023

As of very recently, there have been two main updates to the LinkedIn Algorithm. These 2 main changes have to do with:

• Showcasing more knowledgeable or advice-driven content
• Increasing and strengthening connections between users who already know one another

Both of these updates were made due to listening to lots of user feedback. The explanation for these updates is simple. Your content has a much higher likelihood of being seen and engaged with by people you already know. With this new update, your followers are supposed to see your content even more now. Sharing knowledgable advice or insights with your audience will be important for the new LinkedIn algorithm because this is the type of content it favors.

Easily manage your LinkedIn page and all the social channels you want with Metricool. 

You will be able to perform many actions for free to beat the LinkedIn algorithm and achieve a better scope in your content. It is important to note that our Linkedin connection feature is only for premium plans!

Hopefully, now you know the inner workings of the LinkedIn algorithm to allow you to take advantage and achieve more engagement and more visibility of your content. For more information on how you can grow your LinkedIn account effectively, click the button below:

Sara Martín , 21 November 2023