You will be Googled: Setting up your LinkedIn company page to boost SEO

You likely know all about LinkedIn profiles and perhaps the pesky “Please add me to your LinkedIn network” email notifications from strangers, but LinkedIn usage from brands big and small remains an often-overlooked piece of social media strategy.

Given the cost of entry ($0), the setup time involved (very little) and the digital footprint benefit, a LinkedIn company page is worthwhile.

Why your business should be on LinkedIn

From 2013 to 2014, company page usage on LinkedIn jumped from 24 percent to 57 percent, according to Forbes and LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth. Those numbers prove the word is out about the LinkedIn benefits for businesses, especially small and medium-size companies.

Not only will jobseekers and customers click through to your company page from within LinkedIn, but your company page can become an important vehicle for potential customers and employees searching for information about your business on Google.

How the principles of SEO improve your LinkedIn page

Going without any representation on this social media platform can carry unintended consequences.

Take, for instance, a Google search of your business name from a prospective customer or potential employee. You want to control as many of these search results as you can, and building a strong LinkedIn company page gives you ownership of an additional search result rather than allowing a highly positioned result to go toward something you can’t control like a review site.

Google will automatically crawl your LinkedIn company page and the search engine generally looks favorably on company pages in its results, returning it on the first one or two pages.

To truly capitalize on the search engine friendliness of these pages, focus on a few basic principles of search engine optimization:

• Write powerful, keyword-rich sentences in your company description. Google’s search previews up to 156 characters so consider leading your description with relevant search keywords while also ensuring you clearly communicate your business. Also keep in mind that LinkedIn truncates the description at line three.
• Link to your LinkedIn page from your website. Encourage employees to add your page to their current work experience. These links will boost your LinkedIn company page search ranking.
• In the specialties field, select words that will help users find you within LinkedIn.

How people will discover your LinkedIn company page and what they want to see

Now that you’ve optimized the ability of customers and employees to reach your page, think about the ways they’ll land there. It could be clicking from a current or past employee’s profile, a LinkedIn search, a Jobs You May Be Interested In recommendation or the aforementioned Google search.

Speak to these users’ intents — and the intents of your LinkedIn followers — with the content updates you’re sharing on your page. Post job openings, share blog posts and provide insights into your company’s culture.

TL;DR

The entry barrier for a LinkedIn company page is so low that it’s a no-brainer to make sure your business is represented. When creating your page, focus on the company page description and think about adding search keywords and phrases in the first 150 characters. Flush out your page with an attractive header photo and content updates that appeal to your target audience.

If you’re ever stumped on how to optimize your company’s page, a little research and imitation might help. You can check out Gravitate’s page.