Having your LinkedIn profile show up prominently in Google search results can be concerning for some users who want to maintain a separation between their professional and personal online presence. Here are some tips on how to minimize your LinkedIn presence in Google search results.
Make Your Profile Less Public
By default, LinkedIn makes your profile visible to the public. This means anyone can find and access your profile through search engines like Google. To make your profile less public:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile settings
- Under “Profile visibility,” select “Private mode”
- This will remove your profile from being indexed by search engines
With a private profile, you will have complete control over who can view your information. Your profile will no longer appear in Google results for your name or other profile details. Note that some information like your photo, name, and connections may still appear in search.
Adjust Public Profile Settings
If you don’t want to make your entire LinkedIn profile private, you can still customize public profile settings to control what appears in search results:
- Go to your profile settings and select “Customize your public profile”
- Uncheck boxes for any sections you want to remove from your public profile, like education, skills, about etc.
- Search engines will no longer index these sections of your profile
With selective visibility, you get more granular control over what professional details are publicly accessible. You can keep certain sections like your work experience public while hiding other personal details.
Opt-Out of Google Search
LinkedIn gives you the option to opt-out from having your public profile appear in search engine results:
- Go to your account settings and select “Profile”
- Under “Profile visibility off LinkedIn,” uncheck the box for “Allow search engines outside of LinkedIn to link to your profile”
This prevents your profile from being crawled or indexed by Google and other search engines. However, any public information and posts you share on LinkedIn may still be discoverable through search.
Use a Different Name on LinkedIn
If you want to maintain complete anonymity, use a slightly different name on your LinkedIn profile. For example:
- Use a middle name or initial instead of your first name
- Use a maiden name if you took your spouse’s last name
- Switch the order of your first and last names
This makes it harder for people to find your profile when searching for you online. Just be sure to keep your name consistent across all sections of your profile.
Remove Past LinkedIn URLs from Google
If you previously had a public LinkedIn profile that is now indexed in Google search results, you can request to have those old URLs and pages removed:
- Locate the outdated LinkedIn URLs in Google search results
- Click the downward arrow next to each result and select “Remove result”
- Choose “This page shouldn’t be here” and submit your removal request
It may take some time for Google to process the request. But this can help delete your past LinkedIn presence from search results.
Use Google Alerts to Monitor Mentions
Setting up Google Alerts for your name or LinkedIn profile details can help you stay on top of any unwanted mentions:
- Go to Google Alerts and enter search terms like your name, company, school, etc.
- Choose email or web alerts for any new search results containing those terms
- Review alerts regularly and use Google removal tools for any unwanted results
Google Alerts make it easy to monitor new instances where your profile may be visible against your wishes. You can then take steps to get that content removed.
Use a Personal SEO Strategy
Proactively managing your personal online presence can minimize unwanted exposure. Useful personal SEO tactics include:
- Creating positive social media profiles you want indexed by Google
- Maintaining an updated personal website or online portfolio
- Frequently publishing professional content with your preferred name
- Engaging actively on sites like LinkedIn to bump down outdated results
The more quality content you have out there under your preferred name, the lower outdated LinkedIn listings will appear in search results.
Conclusion
Here is a summary of the key steps covered to remove your LinkedIn profile from Google search results:
| Method | Overview |
|---|---|
| Make Profile Private | Hide your profile from search engines entirely with private mode |
| Adjust Public Settings | Customize visibility of specific profile sections |
| Opt-Out of Search | Prevent indexing in external search engines |
| Use Different Name | Make it harder to find your exact profile |
| Remove Old Links | Request Google delete outdated URLs |
| Monitor with Alerts | Get notified of any unwanted mentions |
| Personal SEO Strategy | Proactively shape your online presence |
Balancing professional visibility with personal privacy is crucial on networking platforms like LinkedIn. With the right settings and ongoing maintenance, you can minimize unwanted exposure in Google search results. Pay attention to your digital footprint across the web and take action to keep your LinkedIn profile contained as needed.
