Many professionals wonder if they can use their LinkedIn profile as their personal website. The short answer is yes, you can use LinkedIn as your website if you optimize your profile and enhance it with additional features.
While LinkedIn is primarily a professional networking platform, your profile page offers many website-like capabilities. With some strategic upgrades, you can transform your LinkedIn presence into a professional website to showcase your background, skills, experience, recommendations, projects, publications, and more.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to effectively use LinkedIn as your website, the benefits and drawbacks, tips for optimizing your profile, suggested enhancements, and examples of great LinkedIn profile websites.
Benefits of Using LinkedIn as Your Website
Here are some of the main advantages of using LinkedIn as your personal website:
Large Built-in Audience
LinkedIn has over 800 million members, providing you instant access to a massive global audience. Your profile will appear in search results across LinkedIn. You can connect and engage with new professional contacts.
Credibility & Trust
The LinkedIn brand carries significant credibility and trust in the professional world. Associating yourself with LinkedIn can boost your own personal brand’s trust and authority.
Convenience & Speed
Creating a full website requires registering a domain, getting hosting, installing software like WordPress, customizing the design, writing content, and more. With LinkedIn, you can quickly publish a professional online presence.
SEO Benefits
LinkedIn profiles tend to rank well in Google search results, especially for your own name. This organic search visibility can drive traffic to your profile.
Cost Effective
A basic LinkedIn account is free. Premium paid plans start at just $30 per month. Overall, LinkedIn provides an affordable website alternative compared to developing a custom site.
Profile Verification
LinkedIn includes profile verification options to confirm your identity and credentials, adding an extra layer of credibility.
Get Recommendations
The recommendation feature allows you to build social proof with written endorsements from colleagues, clients, partners, and more.
Showcase Rich Media
You can include photos, videos, presentations, PDFs, and other multimedia in your profile to showcase your work.
Drawbacks of LinkedIn as Your Website
While using LinkedIn as your website has many upsides, there are also some potential downsides to consider:
Limited Customization
You have to work within LinkedIn’s profile template and structure. There are fewer options for customizing the design and layout compared to a self-hosted website.
Third-Party Branding
Your profile will always have LinkedIn’s color scheme and branding. This can make it harder to establish your unique personal brand identity.
Ad Clutter
LinkedIn displays native ads which could potentially distract visitors from your content. But these are minimal compared to most social networks.
Formatting Limitations
Lists, images, videos, and other formatting options are more restricted versus HTML websites that support CSS, JavaScript, etc.
Less Control
LinkedIn ultimately controls the platform and can make changes that impact your user experience. On your own site, you have full control and ownership.
Tips for Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile as Your Website
To use LinkedIn effectively as your website, optimize your profile with these best practices:
Craft an Eye-catching Headline
Your profile headline appears right below your name in search results. Summarize your value proposition and areas of expertise to capture attention.
Upload a Professional Profile Photo
Your headshot will be displayed prominently. Convey your brand with a high-quality, friendly photo. Look at the camera with a smile.
Write a Compelling About Section
This overview is essentially your homepage content. Share your background, skills, experience, goals, and what makes you unique.
Showcase Skills & Accomplishments
Highlight specific skills, certifications, awards, patents, courses, languages, volunteer work, and other achievements.
Feature Your Best Work
Add examples of your work like content you’ve written, design projects, apps you’ve built, companies you’ve founded, etc.
Include Rich Media
Incorporate relevant photos, videos, presentations, and documents to bring your profile to life.
Customize Your Public Profile URL
Claim a custom URL like Linkedin.com/yourname to improve branding and shareability.
Follow Company Pages
Following companies and organizations you work with adds further credibility to your network.
| Section | Optimizations |
|---|---|
| Headline | Summarize your value proposition |
| Photo | Add a professional headshot |
| About | Share your background, skills, experience |
| Featured | Showcase your best projects and content |
| Media | Incorporate relevant photos, videos, PDFs |
| URL | Customize your public profile link |
| Follows | Follow companies and organizations |
Website-like Features to Add
To further enhance your LinkedIn profile, incorporate these additional website-like features:
Detailed Experience Sections
Expand each job entry with an overview, key accomplishments, and descriptions of your responsibilities. This shows in-depth career highlights.
Featured Projects Section
Add a featured projects section to highlight important initiatives you led or participated in. Include overview, process, and outcome details.
Featured Publications Section
Showcase key articles, papers, presentations, and other documents you’ve authored. Provide summaries and links.
Speaker Profile
If you speak professionally, activate your speaker profile which supports adding presentations, client logos, testimonials, and more.
Services Offered
List any services you provide, detailed descriptions, pricing packages, methods, and benefits. Allows prospective clients to learn about working with you.
Portfolio Showcase
Add a portfolio section with screenshots, videos, and examples demonstrating work delivered for clients. Illustrates your capabilities.
Professional Learning Section
List conferences attended, online courses completed from LinkedIn Learning and other platforms, and educational certifications achieved. Demonstrates continuous learning.
Recommendations
Proactively request quality recommendations from managers, colleagues, clients to build social proof.
Voicemail
Record a custom LinkedIn voicemail greeting for your profile to humanize your brand.
Contact Info
Provide additional contact details to drive traffic like email, contact form, Calendly scheduling link, social media profiles, etc.
Examples of LinkedIn Profiles Used as Websites
Here are some real examples of people effectively leveraging LinkedIn as their professional website:
Phil Simon
Phil is a speaker and author. His LinkedIn profile highlights his books, speaking presentations, testimonials, downloadable resources, and personal branding.
Dave Kerpen
Dave is the founder and CEO of Likeable Media. His LinkedIn profile incorporates his books, videos, media appearances, downloadable guides, and contact options.
David Meerman Scott
David is a marketing speaker, author, and strategist. His profile displays his books, speaking engagements, webinars, blog, and ways to work with him.
Jordan Harbinger
Jordan is co-founder of a popular podcast The Jordan Harbinger Show. He uses LinkedIn to showcase the podcast, articles, media, and speaking.
Marie Forleo
Marie is an entrepreneur and author. Her LinkedIn profile highlights her books, podcast, online courses, media mentions, and contact information.
Rand Fishkin
Rand is a renowned SEO expert and speaker. His profile features his articles, videos, slides, podcasts, books, and speaking credentials.
Evan Kimbrell
Evan is an executive coach and speaker. He promotes his coaching services, talk topics, downloadable resources, articles, and contact options.
Pam Moore
Pam is a social selling strategist, speaker, and author. She showcases her books, advisory services, media mentions, content offers, and contact forms.
Darren Rowse
Darren is a photographer and founder of Problogger. His profile highlights his keynotes, training programs, books, podcast, and opt-in offers.
Conclusion
In summary, you can absolutely leverage LinkedIn as your professional website with some optimization and enhancement. Focus on standing out and conveying your unique value proposition. Incorporate rich media examples demonstrating your capabilities and work. Treat your profile like a dynamic content hub with calls-to-action to contact you. With over 800 million users, take advantage of LinkedIn’s massive reach to establish your personal brand online.
