Home/Linkedin Strategy

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

LinkedIn Strategy

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:

What LinkedIn users want to see

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.

How LinkedIn identifies posts that share knowledge and advice

You must be speaking to a specific audience

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.

Write about your core subject area

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.

Encourage meaningful comments

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!

Share your perspective

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.

You May also be interested in

Why LinkedIn Content Now Shows Up in ChatGPT And What It Means for Employee Advocacy

Google traffic is down. AI citations are up. And LinkedIn is suddenly one of the most trusted sources for AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.For B2B marketers running employee advocacy programmes, this changes everything.The Shift from Search to AINew data from the Reuters Institute shows that Google search traffic to publishers declined by a third globally in the year to November 2025. Google Discover referrals dropped 21% year on year. Since May 2023, overall external referrals to publisher websites have fallen by 24%.The reason? AI is changing how people find information.Instead of clicking through search results, more people are asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI tools directly. These tools summarise content from across the web and provide answers in a conversational format. For many queries, users never visit the original source at all.According to Press Gazette, publishers expect traffic from search engines to decline by more than 40% over the next three years. This is not a temporary dip. It is a structural shift in how information is discovered and consumed.LinkedIn Is Now a Top Source for AI ToolsHere is where it gets interesting for B2B brands.Research from SEMRush, based on a study of 230,000 prompts across ChatGPT, Google AI, and Perplexity, found that LinkedIn is now the second most cited source in AI chatbot responses, trailing only Reddit.A separate study from Spotlight showed that AI tools are citing LinkedIn sources up to five times more often than before. ChatGPT cites LinkedIn 4.2 times more frequently, and Perplexity cites it 5.7 times more frequently.Of the 19,202 LinkedIn sources cited in the Spotlight analysis, over 15,000 came from LinkedIn Pulse articles specifically.As Social Media Today reported, AI chatbots are putting more trust in LinkedIn, and in LinkedIn articles in particular. This points to a new opportunity for brands and individuals who want to show up in AI-powered search results.What This Means for Employee AdvocacyIf your employees are posting regularly on LinkedIn, they are not just building brand awareness. They are building citable authority.When someone asks an AI tool a question about your industry, the answer may come from content your team published on LinkedIn. That is a level of discoverability that traditional SEO cannot match.This changes the value proposition of employee advocacy. It is no longer just about reach and engagement. It is about becoming a trusted source that AI tools reference when answering questions.For B2B companies, this is significant. Your buyers are already using AI tools for research. If your employees are visible, publishing valuable content, and building authority on LinkedIn, your brand is more likely to appear in those AI-generated answers.How to Optimise LinkedIn Content for AI CitationNot all LinkedIn content is created equal. If you want your posts and articles to be cited by AI tools, there are a few things to keep in mind.Publish LinkedIn articles, not just posts. The Spotlight data showed that the vast majority of LinkedIn citations came from Pulse articles. Long-form content is more likely to be indexed and referenced by AI systems.Answer specific questions. AI tools are looking for clear, authoritative answers to user queries. Structure your content around the questions your audience is asking. Use the question as your headline where possible.Verify your profile. LinkedIn profile verification is a trust signal. AI systems may use this as an indicator of authority when deciding which sources to cite.Keep your career history current. An up-to-date profile with a clear professional history reinforces credibility. AI tools are looking for signals that a source is legitimate and knowledgeable.Write factual, substantive content. AI tools favour content that is informative, well-structured, and easy to extract key points from. Avoid fluff. Get to the point and provide real value.Publish consistently. Topical authority builds over time. Regular publishing signals to AI systems that you are an active, engaged voice in your field.The Opportunity for B2B BrandsThis shift creates a real opportunity for companies investing in employee advocacy.While competitors focus on traditional SEO and paid advertising, you can build a library of LinkedIn content that AI tools trust and cite. Every article your team publishes is a potential answer to a question your buyers are asking.The companies that act now will have a head start. AI citation is not yet a crowded space. The brands that establish authority early will be harder to displace as these systems mature.Employee advocacy has always been about trust. People trust people more than they trust brands. Now AI tools are following the same pattern, favouring content from verified individuals over faceless corporate sources.What Vulse Customers Should Do NextIf you are already running an employee advocacy programme with Vulse, you are well positioned to take advantage of this shift. Here is how to maximise the opportunity:Encourage long-form content. In addition to regular posts, prompt your team to publish LinkedIn articles on topics where your company has expertise. These are more likely to be cited by AI tools.Focus on buyer questions. Create content that answers the questions your prospects are asking. Think about what someone might type into ChatGPT when researching your industry or evaluating solutions like yours.Build topical authority. Concentrate your team's content around specific themes. Consistent publishing on a focused topic signals expertise to AI systems.Track what is working. Use Vulse's analytics to identify which content is generating the most engagement. High-performing posts are likely candidates for expansion into full articles.The rules of discoverability are changing. Google traffic is declining. AI tools are rising. And LinkedIn content is becoming one of the most trusted sources for AI-generated answers.For B2B companies, this is not a threat. It is an opportunity. The brands that invest in employee advocacy now will be the ones AI tools cite tomorrow.

Learn More

How To Use LinkedIn Articles And Newsletters To Scale Employee Thought Leadership

In this exclusive guide, we'll show you how B2B marketing and HR teams can use LinkedIn long-form content, specifically Articles and Newsletters, to build scalable employee thought leadership that drives trust, discoverability, and pipeline signals.Purpose: Practical steps to launch and scale employee-written LinkedIn Articles and Newsletters.Outcome: Increased discoverability, shareable assets, and repeatable workflows for employee advocates.Who this helps: Marketing managers, internal comms, and HR teams running employee advocacy programs.Why long-form content matters for employee personal brandsShort posts amplify reach, but Articles and Newsletters create lasting assets.They index on LinkedIn and search engines, demonstrate expertise, and give employees a reusable content hub for speaking, sales enablement, and recruiting.LinkedIn’s own guidance on newsletters and articles shows they help authors build a subscriber base and extend reach beyond a single post. See LinkedIn’s help center for how LinkedIn newsletters work.Three reasons to include Articles and Newsletters in your employee advocacy playbookSearchable credibility: Articles live on the author’s profile and can be found via Google and LinkedIn search.Subscriber momentum: Newsletters create an opt-in audience that notifies subscribers when new issues publish.Repurposable assets: Long-form pieces feed shorter posts, videos, and sales enablement collateral.How to run a low-risk pilot for employee Articles and NewslettersStart small with a 6-week pilot that focuses on coaching, templates, and measurement.Week 0: Select authors and set goalsChoose 4 to 8 employees across sales, product, and customer success.Set simple goals: subscribers, article views, and lead signals from comments or messages.Week 1-2: Train and templateRun a two-hour workshop on topic selection and storytelling. Use practical templates: intro hook, 3 insight sections, and action items.Provide a headline swipe file and SEO tips for LinkedIn Articles.Week 3-6: Publish and amplifyPublish one article per author and convert it into a weekly or biweekly newsletter issue if traction appears.Amplify through employee networks with a simple share kit: suggested post copy, hero image, and tagging guidelines.Editorial and governance rules that keep the program scalableLong form introduces brand and compliance risk if unmanaged.Put straightforward governance in place:Lightweight editorial review for claims and sensitive content.Ownership rules: authors own voice, company reviews for legal or customer references.Republishing policy: who can repurpose company blog content and how to credit sources.Measurement: metrics that matterMeasure both direct and downstream impact.Direct: article views, read time, newsletter subscribers, and engagement rate.Downstream: inbound messages, demo requests mentioning content, and link clicks to gated assets.Track a small set of KPIs and add qualitative win stories from sales and recruiting.Repurposing playbook: get more from each long form pieceExtract 3–5 short posts promoting key quotes or stats.Create a 60–90 second video summarizing the article for LinkedIn native video.Convert article sections into a downloadable slide or checklist for lead capture.Tools such as an employee advocacy platform can automate content distribution and track amplification across the team.Best practices and examplesEncourage authenticity and useful takeaways. HubSpot’s guide to LinkedIn Articles is a practical resource for structure and optimization.Also, review industry thought leadership research to understand what audiences value in long-form content.Tip: Start with customer problems, lessons learned, or unique frameworks rather than promotional pieces. Readers subscribe for insights, not pitches.Questions AnswersQ: Who should own editorial coaching for employee newsletters?A: A cross-functional content lead or communications manager should coach authors, supported by subject matter reviewers.Q: How often should employees publish newsletters?A: Start with biweekly or monthly cadence. Frequency should match the author's bandwidth and the audience response rate.Q: Can company content be republished as employee articles?A: Yes, with clear attribution and small edits to reflect the author voice. Include a republishing clause in your governance doc.

Learn More

LinkedIn Simplifies Thought Leader Ads For Easier Discovery

LinkedIn has made it simpler for brands to discover and sponsor user-generated content (UGC) with a new, streamlined discovery feature in Campaign Manager.This update helps marketers find relevant posts that mention their brand or event across 1st, 2nd and 3rd+ degree connections - then request permission to promote them as Thought Leader Ads.What’s new in Campaign ManagerEasier content discovery: A built-in search and highlight function surfaces posts, articles and newsletter pieces that mention your brand or event.Wider reach: You can now discover content from beyond your immediate network (including 3rd+ degree connections).Partnerships tab: Sponsored content opportunities are shown in a dedicated “Partnerships” area, and you can filter by content type to streamline outreach.Why brands should careThought Leader Ads let companies amplify authentic voices, not just company posts, by sponsoring organic content created by others.LinkedIn reports these ads see about 2x higher click-through rates than comparable single-image ads, making them an attractive option for boosting engagement and credibility.Key benefits:Authenticity: Boosting real users’ posts can feel more trustworthy than brand-only messaging.Efficiency: Built-in discovery reduces time spent hunting for promotable content.Scale: Access to 3rd+ degree posts expands potential sponsorship candidates.How to use LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads (step-by-step)1) Find relevant contentUse the new discovery tools in Campaign Manager’s Partnerships tab to surface posts, LinkedIn articles or newsletters that mention your brand or event.2) Get permissionBefore promoting anything, request sponsorship permission from the content creator. LinkedIn’s workflow in Campaign Manager makes it easier to send and track those requests.3) Launch a campaignOnce approved, you can convert the organic post into a Thought Leader Ad and run it with your chosen targeting and budget.Creator monetization: a possible next stepWhile the current process focuses on sponsorship permission, the improved discovery flow could lay groundwork for future monetization for creators.If LinkedIn decides to share ad revenue with creators whose posts are sponsored, it could create a new incentive for posting brand-positive content.That said, brands and platforms should balance monetization with authentic dialogue; paid incentives can unintentionally skew commentary.Coverage and context on LinkedIn’s broader creator efforts:Best practices for brandsPrioritize relevancy: Sponsor posts that genuinely align with your messaging and values.Be transparent: Clearly communicate sponsorship terms with creators.Measure performance: Compare Thought Leader Ads’ CTR and engagement to other ad types to understand ROI.Respect authenticity: Avoid pressuring creators into overly promotional content; authentic endorsements perform best.LinkedIn’s updated discovery tools make Thought Leader Ads easier to find and activate, opening up new opportunities to amplify user voices and boost campaign performance.As this feature rolls out to more countries, it’s worth testing Thought Leader Ads alongside existing ad formats to see how UGC-driven promotions perform for your brand.

Learn More