Understanding LinkedIn's Algorithm: Key Updates and Changes For July 2023

You may have heard that LinkedIn recently made some changes to its algorithm and changed the way that people see content.

Here is all you need to know about the update:

The majority of LinkedIn users want to feel like they see more relevant and informative posts that help them develop professionally. They also want to see more content from people that they are actually interested in. This prompted the platform to show more content from people and companies that a user follows. This way, users can see more of their preferred content.

Another major update to note is that LinkedIn is prioritising posts that it sees as sharing “knowledge and advice”. This will be the best way to reach people who don’t follow you and expand your audience. So how does the platform identify posts that share knowledge and advice? The system will evaluate whether you are helping other users improve their productivity or giving them useful information. You must be seen to be “building a community around content”, said LinkedIn’s Editor in chief, Dan Roth.

The main questions to ask yourself are ‘Who am I trying to reach?’ or ‘Who will this benefit?’ The LinkedIn platform asks a similar question when determining who to show your content to. Alice Xiong, the lead of LinkedIn’s Search and Discovery Products, advised creators to “think about what kind of knowledge you have to offer to help people”. This will show that you are focused on a specific area of expertise, which will help in the next stage. 

As well as the content you post, the platform is also analysing whether you really know what you’re talking about. This means that speaking about developments in marketing today and then sharing expert knowledge about biomedical science tomorrow will have a negative impact on your posts. LinkedIn will look at your content and skill history and determine whether the content you’re sharing is of high quality. It is important to maintain consistency and relevance to your industry. 

You can’t really control the type of comments people leave on your posts. LinkedIn used to push posts that got a lot of comments. This brought about “engagement groups” where people would come together to react and comment on each other’s posts to help boost engagement. A few “this is amazing” and “I love this” comments here and there went a long way- not so much any more. Now, LinkedIn will be looking to see that the comments are in response to the content you have posted or that they are adding value to your post, especially if they are also from your industry of expertise. Also, don’t forget to engage with these comments. Keep the conversations flowing!

Some people may not know, but LinkedIn uses artificial intelligence to separate posts into certain categories, including opinions and advice. Don’t simply share information that a user can see in multiple other places. LinkedIn wants you to speak from your perspective and give insight into what you are posting. This will allow more people to resonate with your content and, naturally, your post will grow. Plus, nobody likes a robot. Show some personality in your content.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for building a brand and even generating leads for your business. It is important to remember that you can’t reach every single user on the platform but it is important, as Roth and Xiong said, that you “focus on reaching the right people”. With these updates and the help of Vulse, you can do just that. 

Learn more about how Vulse helps you stay ahead of the game with live trending news.