Learning the LinkedIn Algorithm in 2023

Marketing professionals across the globe understand the importance of including LinkedIn in their marketing strategy. LinkedIn, like other social media platforms, allows users to build their brand, connect with other businesses in B2B communities, and promote relevant content. Understanding their algorithm will get you one step closer to optimizing your time on the platform.

What is the LinkedIn Algorithm?

LinkedIn’s algorithm is more complex than you may think. By using a combination of ranking indicators, categorization, and spam filtering, the platform determines which content is worthwhile to show to audiences. Let’s quickly break down each of these filters:

1. Ranking Indicators - The three indicators the algorithm uses are LinkedIn Connections, Relevance, and Probability of Engagement. These indicators are fundamental to deciding which category your post will fall under and, in turn, how frequently it will be promoted to users on the site. If your post is deemed to be relevant to peers in the industry, then the first and second indicators are satisfied. If your post manages to gain interactions quickly, then the third indicator will be triggered and LinkedIn will share your post further.

2. Categories - The three categories your post could fall under are as follows: spam, average, and standard. Posts marked as “spam” won’t be seen by the audience. “Average” posts will struggle to continue fostering engagement after they’ve been seen by your core audience (unless the engagement is relevant and consistent, then it may be promoted to “standard”). “Standard” posts will maximize engagement and have the chance to be shown to a larger audience, including those outside of your following.

3. Spam Filters - The final piece of the algorithm that’s working against you are spam filters. Frequent posts with incorrect grammar, crowded hashtags with keywords such as “like”, “comment”, or “follow”, and too much user-tagging will be flagged by the system and increase your bounce rate (the rate at which users scroll past your content without engaging).

Taking Advantage of the Algorithm

Understanding the mechanisms behind what LinkedIn promotes will allow your marketing team to better understand which content, posting schedule, and post rates will bring you the most success. Based on what we know about the algorithm, following these tips will help you optimize your presence on the platform:

• Avoid grammatical errors and excess links, hashtags, and mentions
• Don’t spam your followers with useless or irrelevant content
• Less is more: frequent posting hurts your chances of being shown to users
• Follow a consistent posting schedule and choose times when your followers are online
• Create organically engaging content that prompts interaction (likes, comments, shares) with the post

As digital marketers, it’s your responsibility to educate yourself on the platforms that will bring your clients success. Understanding the inner workings of LinkedIn (or any social media giant) will give you a clearer image of the content you need to create, leading to a more informed strategy overall.

If you want help ensure that your content is being seen by the right people on LinkedIn, contact Ranalli Marketing at info@ranallimarketing.com. We specialize in managing our clients’ LinkedIn presence and can help you take advantage of this powerful social media platform.