#3: Use Appropriate Keywords in Your Profile
Ensure that your profile contains all the appropriate keywords a LinkedIn member could use to search for someone like you. To start, make a list of keywords that relate to your experience, education, certifications, profession, and industry. Every industry has its buzzwords, and you need to include these if they’re terms a recruiter or potential client would search for. As an example, an IT professional might include keywords such as “Java,” “Oracle,” “SAP,” or “AJAX.” A project manager might select “PMP,” “PMI,” “UML,” “SDLC,” or “Six Sigma.” A public relations professional, on the other hand, could choose “PRSA,” “APR,” or “social media.” If you’re not sure what keywords to use, review the profiles of others in your field. You might discover some good keywords you haven’t thought of.
Although you don’t want to overuse keywords in your profile, you do need to include your most important keywords multiple times, such as in your professional headline, position fields, summary, specialties, and so forth. After inserting keywords, review your profile again to ensure that it still reads naturally.