Are You Using the Top Keywords for Your LinkedIn in 2023?

Where and How to Integrate Keywords

Now that you know what to include, here are the best places to naturally integrate these top keywords in your LinkedIn.

1) Headline 

Your headline is the first thing a recruiter will see when they look at your profile. Why waste that valuable space with just your current position title and company? A great LinkedIn headline includes dynamic, relevant keywords to catch the recruiter’s eye and make them want to see more of your profile.

Here are some good examples of how to do this:

2) About section

Your About section is the cornerstone of your LinkedIn profile. It’s also an easy place to include keywords.

When filling out this section with your professional philosophy and examples of your biggest accomplishments, specify how you did all of them. This is where you can mention those skills and certifications that we discussed above.

If you have the room, we even recommend getting bold and listing a whole category of 6-8 keywords under a section labeled Core Competencies or Key Skills.

(Plus, if you’re not currently employed, you can even list your desired position titles as a list like this to include targeted keywords for all of them!)

Again, keep the content relevant – don’t go crazy and keyword stuff here. This section still has to be readable.

3) Experience section

Too many LinkedIn users neglect filling out their Experience section as they would on a resume. In fact, this section should be even more full than on your resume!

There’s no limit to how many experiences you can include here, so feel free to go back to older positions if you’ll be able to include strong keywords in them.

You can fit in some great keywords here by optimizing your position titles. While you should not change or doctor your official job titles (i.e., calling yourself a “marketing director” when you were an “account manager”), you can add the main areas you were in charge of if they’re keywords.

For example, those aiming for marketing keywords for their LinkedIn could do this:

Additionally, optimize your bullet points for these jobs with skills and certifications. Make sure to include the locations, too, especially if you’re applying in the same city. Don’t forget the Career Break feature too – this can allow you to include keywords for skills you used or obtained during times you were between jobs.

One more Pro-Tip (courtesy of Robert Hellman at Forbes): If you’re unemployed, make sure you add some kind of current job title, even if it’s just “Seeking New Opportunities as [Position Title],” “Volunteer at ____” or “Continuing Education.” Recruiters often search using the “Current Job Title” field, and if you don’t have one, you won’t appear at all.

4) Skills section

This one is too easy. You have a whopping 50 slots that you can fill out in this section. There’s no downside to packing it out – load it up with every skill you can lay a claim to. But don’t stretch the truth – only list a skill if in an interview you’d be able to provide an example of how you’ve used it.

Be targeted here. Prioritize the skills you’ve been finding in job descriptions, and get rid of any irrelevant skills from an older industry if you have them (at least while you’re job hunting!)

Focus on hard skills first. Recruiters aren’t going to be searching for “Attention to Detail.

Finally, since you have so much room, be sure to include synonyms here as well. For example, if you’re trying to optimize your LinkedIn for HR keywords, don’t just settle for one skill that says “Training.” Expand that skill area in “employee development,” “onboarding,” “leadership development,” “employee retention,” and so on.

Now you have all you need to integrate the top keywords for LinkedIn into your profile. Get ready to see more engagement from recruiters!

To maximize your LinkedIn job search potential, check out these blogs on:

—Contacting Recruiters for Job Leads

—Making Your Profile Discoverable

—Optimizing Every Section of Your Profile

—Growing Your Network