Become a LinkedIn master

April 15, 2009 | Posted by Carolyn Pikoulas
LinkedIn is the business-professional version of MySpace or Facebook. It allows industry professionals to connect with past colleagues, find new jobs and business opportunities, and to communicate with people within their own industry. Here are a few reasons to consider creating a profile:

1. Searchable. You should fill out your profile like a company bio--include past companies, education, and affiliations. When you have around 20-40 connections, it will increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they're searching for someone to hire. And people would much rather work with someone who their friends know and trust.

2. Improve your Google PageRank. LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index, and LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high ranking with Google. To do this, create a public profile and select "Full View." Also, instead of using the default URL, customize your public profile's URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this page in search engines, use this link in various places on the web. For example, when you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile in your signature.

3. Enhance your search engine results. Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites. There are a few pre-selected categories like "My Website," "My Company," etc. If you select "Other" you can modify the name of the link. If you're linking to your website, include descriptive terms in the link, and you'll have instant search-engine optimization for your site.

Want to learn more about becoming a LinkedIn master? Click on the video below:

LinkedIn: 22 Ways to Dominate from off madison ave on Vimeo.

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