Overview
LinkedIn’s advanced search allows you to exclude specific keywords from your results. This can be useful for filtering out irrelevant or unwanted content from your searches. Here are a few quick ways to exclude words on LinkedIn:
– Use the – symbol. Put a minus sign directly in front of a word to omit results containing that word. For example, “project manager -construction” will return profiles with “project manager” but exclude those with “construction”.
– Use double quotes. Put the word you want to exclude in double quotes. LinkedIn will omit results that match that exact phrase. For example, “construction manager” will exclude profiles with the exact words “construction manager”.
– Use parentheses. Put the word you want to exclude in parentheses with NOT in front. For example, “(NOT construction)” will omit results with “construction”.
Excluding keywords can help narrow your LinkedIn search results to find more targeted profiles and content. Just be careful not to exclude too many words or you may filter out helpful results. Test different keyword variations to optimize your search.
Using the Minus Symbol to Exclude Words
One of the easiest ways to exclude a word from your LinkedIn search is by using the minus or hyphen symbol (-) directly in front of the word you want to leave out.
For example, let’s say you are searching for social media managers but want to exclude profiles that contain the word “construction”. Here is how you would structure that search:
“social media manager -construction”
By putting the minus sign before construction, LinkedIn will look for profiles with “social media manager” but omit any results that also contain “construction”.
You can string together multiple excluded words in your search this way:
“project manager -construction -software”
This will return project manager profiles minus any that also have construction or software.
The minus sign works for excluding individual words or multi-word phrases. Just don’t put any space between the minus symbol and the word you want to exclude.
Some key tips for using the minus symbol effectively:
– Order matters – put the minus sign with the excluded word after your main keywords. LinkedIn parses searches left to right.
– You can use minus signs for both job titles and skills. For example: “social media -graphic design” or “project manager -CPA”
– Be specific – a common word like “manager” or “engineer” may eliminate too many helpful profiles. Use targeted phrases.
– Test variations – try searches with and without your excluded words to compare the effect.
Excluding words with the minus symbol is an easy option for fine tuning your LinkedIn search results. Just be careful not to over-exclude words and miss out on relevant profiles.
Example Searches Using Minus Symbol
Here are some example LinkedIn searches using the minus symbol to exclude words:
Marketing manager -automotive
(Marketing profiles minus automotive industry)
Construction project manager -Canada
(Project managers excluding Canada location)
Social media -influencer
(Social media profiles minus influencers)
Nurse practitioner -oncology
(Nurse practitioners excluding oncology specialty)
Software engineer -Java
(Software engineers excluding Java language)
Product manager -gaming
(Product managers excluding gaming industry)
Using Double Quotes to Exclude an Exact Phrase
In addition to the minus symbol, you can also exclude an exact word or phrase from your LinkedIn search by putting it in double quotes.
LinkedIn will interpret anything inside double quotes as an exact match string to omit from results. This can be useful for eliminating specific job titles or other standardized phrases.
For example:
“Project Manager” software engineer
This will return software engineer profiles minus any that have the exact job title Project Manager. The double quotes indicate you only want to exclude Project Manager specifically, and not profiles with related titles like Senior Project Manager.
Some tips for excluding phrases in quotes:
– Use exact job titles or skills – LinkedIn will exclude precise matches only.
– Check spelling – misspellings inside quotes won’t exclude anything.
– Try variations – “construction manager” vs “site manager” vs “project manager” etc.
– Use in combination with minus sign – you can mix double quotes and minus symbols together for complex searches.
Here are some examples of searches using quotes to exclude LinkedIn profiles with specific job titles or skills:
“Social Media Manager” director of marketing
Software engineer -“Senior Java Developer”
Accountant NOT “Certified Public Accountant”
Nurse -“Oncology Nurse”
Product manager -“Consumer goods”
You can test searches with and without the phrases in quotes to compare how precisely targeting certain titles or skills impacts your results.
Example Searches Using Double Quotes
Marketing manager -“automotive marketing”
(Excludes exactly “automotive marketing”)
“Construction Manager” project coordinator
(Omits “Construction Manager” title specifically)
Social media manager -“Top Influencer”
(Omits profiles with exact “Top Influencer” skill)
“Oncology Nurse” healthcare
(Excludes profiles with title “Oncology Nurse”)
Software engineer -“Gaming Division”
(Omits software engineers in “Gaming Division” specifically)
Product manager -“CPG Brand Manager”
(Excludes “CPG Brand Manager” title only)
Using Parentheses and NOT to Exclude Words
The last option for excluding words on LinkedIn is to put the keyword you want to leave out in parentheses next to the word NOT.
For example:
product manager NOT (gaming)
This search looks for product managers while excluding any profiles that mention gaming in parentheses.
The NOT keyword tells LinkedIn to omit results containing the word in parentheses. You can also use this structure:
(NOT gaming) product manager
Some tips for using NOT and parentheses to exclude words:
– Put your main keywords outside the parentheses for best results.
– You can use this to exclude long phrases and more complex criteria.
– NOT only works inside parentheses on LinkedIn – don’t use NOT on its own.
– Add parentheses around plurals and variations of words you want to exclude.
Here are some examples of searches using NOT and parentheses:
marketing manager NOT (automotive)
(NOT San Francisco) software engineer
(NOT “Certified Public Accountant”) accountant
(NOT oncology) nurse
product manager NOT (telecommunications)
You can combine this technique with minus signs and quotes to make sophisticated searches that exclude multiple words and phrases at once.
Example Searches Using NOT and Parentheses
marketing manager NOT (“automotive industry”)
(Omits profiles mentioning “automotive industry”)
software engineer NOT (Canada)
(Excludes software engineers located in Canada)
(NOT “Clinical Nurse”) healthcare
(Leaves out profiles with exact title “Clinical Nurse”)
accountant NOT (“Big 4” firm)
(Omits accountants at “Big 4” firms specifically)
product manager NOT (gaming OR “social media”)
(Excludes product managers in gaming or “social media”)
This level of keyword exclusivity takes some trial and error but can be necessary for narrowing results significantly. Always test variations to optimize your search.
Best Practices for Excluding Words on LinkedIn
Excluding unneeded keywords can refine your LinkedIn searches but should be done carefully to avoid eliminating helpful profiles. Here are some best practices:
– Start broad – run an initial search without exclusions to see the landscape.
– Relevance test – only exclude words that meaningfully improve your results. Don’t over-filter.
– Vary exclusions – try different words, combinations, and query structures.
– Analyze results – compare searches with and without your exclusions.
– Check connections – you may already be connected to some excluded profiles.
– Leverage filters – use LinkedIn’s location, company, school, etc filters to narrow results.
– Save searches – bookmark complicated searches to reuse.
– Adjust over time – the ideal excluded words will shift as you refine your criteria.
– Beyond keywords – optimize your entire profile and network to attract your target audience.
With the ability to filter out irrelevant or unhelpful keywords, LinkedIn’s search functionality is powerful. But precision excludes require diligence. Master useful exclusionary tactics, but remain open to new ways of discovering your ideal connections.
Excluding Words Checklist
❏ Start with broad keyword searches
❏ Only exclude words that meaningfully improve results
❏ Try minus signs, quotes, NOT and parentheses for exclusions
❏ Analyze results with and without excluded words
❏ Check if you’re already connected to excluded profiles
❏ Leverage other LinkedIn search filters
❏ Save and reuse effective searches
❏ Keep adjusting exclusions as criteria evolve
❏ Consider overall optimization beyond keywords
Filtering Additional Elements Beyond Keywords
While excluding keywords is a key part of refining LinkedIn searches, there are additional filters you can leverage:
Location – Search by country, state, city, or postal code.
Company – Filter by specific companies people have worked for.
School – Search by university or educational institution attended.
Title – Narrow to specific job titles like “Marketing Manager”.
Group – Find profiles who are part of professional group communities.
2nd-Degree Connections – Search connections of your connections.
Language – Filter profiles by language(s) spoken.
Industry – Focus search by industries like healthcare, finance, etc.
Seniority Level – Filter by job seniority e.g. entry-level, manager, director.
Past Companies Worked For – Search by companies a person previously worked at.
Profile Language – Find profiles written in a specific language.
Gender – Limit search by gender identity.
Nonprofit Interest – Find people interested in nonprofits.
Military Service – Search veterans and service members.
Remote Work Interest – Find people open to or looking for remote work.
Volunteer Experience – Filter profiles with volunteer work listed.
Possess Licenses Certifications – Require specific certifications or licenses.
These additional filters can be combined with keyword exclusionary tactics to zero in on your target LinkedIn audience. Test different options tailored to your specific search goals.
LinkedIn Search Filters Beyond Keywords
❏ Location
❏ Company
❏ School
❏ Job Title
❏ Groups
❏ 2nd Connections
❏ Language
❏ Industry
❏ Seniority
❏ Past Companies
❏ Profile Language
❏ Gender
❏ Nonprofit Interest
❏ Military Service
❏ Remote Work Interest
❏ Volunteer Experience
❏ Licenses & Certifications
Saving and Reusing Effective Keyword Exclusion Searches
Crafting the ideal LinkedIn search query with keyword exclusions can take iteration and refinement. As you land on combinations that generate your target results, it is smart to save these optimized searches to easily rerun them.
Here are some ways to save and reuse effective searches on LinkedIn:
– Bookmark in your browser – Most browsers allow bookmarking search strings to quickly access later.
– Use LinkedIn Saved Searches – In the LinkedIn Recruiter plan you can officially save up to 25 searches.
– Save the search URL – For complex searches, copy and paste the search URL to reuse in the future.
– Document search strings – Keep a file with effective keywords to combine and tweak as needed.
– Create LinkedIn tags – You can tag LinkedIn connections for easy searching later.
– Tag in CRM – If using a CRM, tag LinkedIn records for future searching.
– Automate searches – Some tools can automated optimized searches so you re-run them periodically.
Saving well-constructed searches reduces repetition and makes the most of your previous optimization efforts.
Tips for Saving LinkedIn Searches
❏ Use browser bookmarks for quick access
❏ Leverage LinkedIn Saved Searches feature
❏ Copy and paste successful search URLs
❏ Document keyword strings in a file
❏ Tag LinkedIn connections for recall
❏ Tag LinkedIn records in CRM systems
❏ Automate repeating optimized searches where possible
Continuously Refining Your Keyword Exclusions Over Time
The keywords you need to exclude from your LinkedIn searches will likely change and evolve over time. As your career stage, industry focus, and professional connections shift, the right exclusionary tactics will as well.
Here are some tips for iteratively optimizing your keyword exclusions:
– Review past unhelpful results – Look at previous excluded profiles and job titles to guide your updated thinking.
– Note emerging irrelevant content – As certain keywords consistently yield unhelpful results, add them to your exclusion list.
– Watch for over-filtering – Be cautious about over-excluding as your goals expand. Cast a wider initial net.
– Re-evaluate saved searches – Revisit bookmarked searches that are no longer yielding relevant profiles and update.
– Explore suggest results – LinkedIn surfaces “People also viewed” suggestions that may reveal new exclusions.
– Leverage recruiter insights – Talent recruiters can provide perspective on optimizing boolean search logic.
– Talk to hiring managers – Understand from the employer side which backgrounds they are targeting or avoiding.
– Stay on top of industry trends – Follow your field’s terminology and focus areas to inform effective searches.
– Balance excluding noise vs. hidden gems – Be careful not to over-index on titles and miss out on adjacent good fits.
Continual search optimization is key in both identifying profiles of interest and demonstrating your adaptability in how you connect.
Refining Exclusions Checklist
❏ Review past unhelpful results to guide updated approach
❏ Note new keywords consistently yielding irrelevant profiles
❏ Be careful not to over-exclude as goals expand
❏ Revisit old saved searches and update as needed
❏ Check LinkedIn suggestions for potential new exclusions
❏ Talk to recruiters about optimizing boolean search logic
❏ Understand what hiring managers are targeting vs. avoiding
❏ Follow industry trends and terminology shifts
❏ Find balance between removing noise and overly limiting results
Conclusion
Excluding irrelevant or unhelpful keywords is a key technique for refining LinkedIn searches. Strategic use of minus symbols, double quotes, NOT and parentheses allows tailoring results to your professional needs. Combine exclusionary tactics with LinkedIn’s extensive search filter options for maximum precision. Continuously refine your keyword exclusions over time as your career stage and goals evolve. With practice, you can become an expert at leveraging LinkedIn’s robust search capabilities to build the connections that will take your career ambitions to the next level.
