Job Search is hard work. You have heard me say that a million times.
But you shouldn’t be alone in this process. Your job search tools need to work as hard as you are - YES, I am talking about your LinkedIn.
And it starts with your Headline. It is the prime real estate for SEO on LinkedIn. An optimized, well-written headline can be the difference between whether you show up in recruiter results or not.
In today’s newsletter, I am breaking down exactly how to write a keyword rich LinkedIn headline that will put you on the top of recruiter search results and get you consistent opportunities in your inbox!
Let’s first understand how recruiters search for candidates on LinkedIn. Many recruiters start with a list of qualifications, skills, or keywords that they are looking for. They may have a specific job title in mind, and candidates matching that title will show up higher in their search results.
For example, a recruiter may search for:
Technical Program Manager
Director of Strategy
Machine Learning
Experienced recruiters may also use Boolean search (AND, OR, NOT) to further narrow down their search to find candidates with the required skill set, educational background, location, and job title.
For example, a Boolean search can look like:
“Product manager” AND “Renewable Energy”
“Programmer” NOT “Manager”
“Sourcing Manager” OR “Procurement Manager”
Your LinkedIn headline is the first thing someone sees when they land on your profile. In fact, when ever you comment on anyone’s post, LinkedIn shows the first few words of your headline, along with your name and headshot.
A keyword-rich headline will help you show up in top search results for the keywords in your industry. But just because you show up in the results does not mean someone will read through your profile. That’s where a well-written headline becomes so important. It’s like an invitation to scroll through your full profile. It says, “come see the value I have to offer”.
Here’s my three-step formula to write an optimized LinkedIn profile.
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Keywords: Helps you get found in top search results
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Value proposition: Tells the visitor clearly why they should care
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Social proof: Tells the visitor that you are the real deal
Let’s look at my headline as an example (see above):
Industry Relevant Keywords (YELLOW): These are the keywords my prospective clients type on LinkedIn to find the help they are looking for.
Value Proposition (GREEN): Follows the format (1) who I help, (2) how I help, (3) results I get.
Social Proof (PURPLE): Tells the world that I have real-world experience working with 2 largest F500 companies.
Steal this winning formula to refresh your headline on LinkedIn.
Value Proposition (who you help, how, qualitative/quantitative results) | Industry Relevant Keywords | Social Proof
For inspiration, here are two more examples from the corporate world:
Example 1: Supply Chain executive helping organizations drive up profitability | Strategic sourcing | Inventory management | ARIBA | ex-Apple | ex-Sysco
Example 2: Converting data into business insights using data science and machine learning | Sustainability enthusiast | Data visualization | SQL | Python | PhD CalTech
