LinkedIn installs algorithm to push least active profiles to the top

With 2018 statistics stating that around 87% of recruiters will use LinkedIn to search for, vet, and get in contact with potential candidates for a job role or vacancy, which totals more than every other social media platform combined, it’s no wonder LinkedIn focuses on giving recruiters a streamlined experience.

Of course, in true social media fashion, the platforms run on algorithms to operate, but how does this technology work, and how can recruiters use it most effectively to find the best candidates for the roles they’re trying to fill?

The LinkedIn Algorithm

While the actual workings of the algorithm are unknown, the company does release small updates that give us an idea of how it works, and statistics that show it’s obviously working. Since 2017, the site has skyrocketed when it comes to content, with a massive increase of over 50% when it comes to viral content.

There have been over two million posts (including content, blog posts, status updates, and videos), and now there are over 645+ million members. That’s a lot of content and a lot of candidates and profiles that need organizing. So, why is the algorithm pushing not very active profiles to the top of the search listings?

Nowadays, social media tends to reward activity. The more frequently you post and the more active you are, the more engagement you have, and the more the platform will push your content, but this doesn’t seem to be the case with LinkedIn, but why?

The answer comes down to one word: relevancy.

“The LinkedIn algorithm is different from others because it wants to promote relevant content and profiles to search terms rather than recency. Go to Instagram and scroll down your feed. Go on the explore tab and look at the dates of the content here. It’s all recent, and will only be a few hours old, maybe a couple of days max if it’s a viral post, but even then, it will disappear quickly to make way for the next thing,” explains Ebon Ahmed, a data manager for 1Day2Write and Next Coursework.

With LinkedIn, however, the most relevant content is posted, so if a recruiter is searching for someone to fill a job role and make several search terms with filters, not the most recent and trending profiles will show, but rather the most relevant to the search itself.

This is why profiles that aren’t very active are coming up at the top of the search results page, and a reason why 87% of recruiters use the website. Remember, least active doesn’t mean not active. Even if someone accesses the website once a week, or even once a month, they are still a monthly active user.

What Does This Mean for Your Business/Website?

While a lot of companies and websites will try to replicate the common social media algorithm and approach of giving their readers and service users the most up to date content possible, it’s now being talked about that this might not be the best approach.

In the eyes of the recruitment industry, they’re able to find the real people that are perfect for what they’re looking for and make genuine connections that get results. Still, of course, this approach can be emulated to practically anything in any industry.

“Consider your website and business and what you offer. On your homepage, you probably have access to your latest social media posts and your latest content posts, but is this really what your users want? What about giving your users relevant content to what they’re looking for. This is definitely the case for most websites when you look at the recommended post section of a blog post or in the sidebar,” shares Nick Berry, a tech writer for Australia2Write and Brit Student.

This is, of course, not saying you can’t be relevant and creating trending topics, you do have to be, but the way your search bar works and the way your content management system is organized may need updating to reflect this growing trend.

Just because you have blog posts, products, or pages trending on your website with a ton more engagement than other pages, that doesn’t mean you should keep pushing it since it’s not going to be for everyone, and you should miss out on interest on other pages. It’s all about finding balance and giving specific people what they actually want.

Michael Dehoyos is a content marketer and business editor at PhD Kingdom and Academic Brits. He assists companies in their marketing strategy concepts, and contributes to numerous sites and publications. Also, he is a marketing consultant at Origin Writings.

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