LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for researching and connecting with professionals. With over 690 million users worldwide, LinkedIn offers access to a massive database of resumes, work histories, skills, recommendations, and other details. Learning how to effectively search and leverage LinkedIn can provide critical insights for recruiting, sales prospecting, competitive intelligence, and more.
Why Use LinkedIn for Research?
There are several key reasons why LinkedIn can be useful for professional research and intelligence gathering:
- Detailed profiles – LinkedIn profiles often contain more detailed work histories, skills, education, and background information than traditional resumes.
- Verification – Since profiles are self-reported, the information is generally more accurate and up-to-date than what you may find in outdated directories.
- Professional networks – You can identify key connections, possible referrals, and relationships between companies and individuals.
- Company pages – Follow company pages to gather intel on new hires, promotions, awards, partnerships, and more.
- Group participation – By being a member of industry/role specific groups you can benchmark activity.
- Published insights – Users often share content which provides additional context beyond just their work background.
In summary, LinkedIn provides access to a wealth of contextual data and connections that simply aren’t available through other channels.
LinkedIn Search Tips
Mastering LinkedIn search is key to conducting effective research. Here are some tips:
1. Use Boolean operators
AND, OR, and NOT allow you to combine keywords to target search results:
- project manager AND PMP finds profiles with both keywords
- engineer OR developer finds profiles with either keyword
- accountant NOT CPA excludes the CPA keyword
2. Limit by location
Adding a location term like “San Francisco” or “London” focuses results on a geographic area.
3. Search within groups
To only see results within a specific LinkedIn group, add “group:” before the group name.
4. Use quotation marks for exact match
Enclosing a term in quotes only returns results containing that exact phrase or keywords.
5. Filter and sort
Use the filters on the left side to narrow results by location, relationship, industry, etc. Click the top of any column to sort alphabetically.
LinkedIn Profile Research
Digging into individual LinkedIn profiles can provide a wealth of insight. Here’s what to look for:
Summary tab
- Headline and current position
- Summary text highlighting experience and skills
- Media attachments like videos and presentations
Experience tab
- Roles, responsibilities, promotions
- Company names, industries, locations
- Dates and durations at each position
- Coworkers and reporting chain
Education tab
- Degrees, certifications, and other academic credentials
- Names of schools, subjects studied, and graduation dates
- Awards, honors, activities, and other achievements
Skills and endorsements
- Skills listed by the member as areas of expertise
- Endorsements from connections validating those skills
Recommendations
- Positive feedback from previous managers and coworkers
- Specific examples of work done and value provided
Interests
- Personal interests and hobbies outside of work
- Potential common ground for building rapport
Connections
- Number of connections
- Names of mutual connections
Researching Companies on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Company Pages showcase useful information about organizations:
Overview tab
- Industry, company size, location(s)
- Website links and social media accounts
- Key products, services, and company description
Life tab
- Founders, leadership team, and organizational structure
- Funding rounds, acquisitions, and timeline of key milestones
People tab
- Browse current employees by role, seniority, location, school, etc.
- Filter by those who joined recently to identify new hires
Jobs tab
- Open positions and key hiring needs
- Skills and experience required for different roles
Recommendations and insights
- Recommendations from partners, vendors, and former employees
- Published posts highlighting company news, initiatives, and thought leadership
Advanced LinkedIn Search
LinkedIn Recruiter and Sales Navigator accounts unlock more advanced search functionality such as:
Boolean search
Construct more complex keyword queries using AND, OR, NOT, and parenthesis.
Profile attributes
Search by job title, company, skills, education, location, and other specific profile fields.
Keywords
Surface results containing related keywords that you may not have thought of.
Search alerts
Get notified whenever new profiles matching your customized search are added.
Saved search
Save a search query to re-run it and track changes over time.
TeamLink
Extend search access to clients and colleagues for collaboration.
Exporting LinkedIn Data
To work with LinkedIn data in other applications, you can export search results in a few ways:
LinkedIn Recruiter exports
- Export up to 2000 profiles to a CSV file
- Include visible profile fields and search criteria matching
Browser extensions
Plugins like LinkedIn Exporter and Save LinkedIn let you export profiles data and search results to CSV or Excel.
LinkedIn API
For large datasets, use the LinkedIn API. You can export profile fields, connections, group memberships, shares, etc.
Third-party tools
Services like Linked Helper and Kompyte can scrape and analyze LinkedIn data and provide useful analytics.
LinkedIn Recruiter vs. Premium
| LinkedIn Recruiter | Premium Career | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $8,640/year | $359.88/year |
| Team accounts | Available | Not available |
| Search filters | All filters available | Limited filters |
| InMail messages | 75-150 messages/month | 5 InMail messages/month |
| Save search alerts | Up to 25 | Up to 3 |
| Search customization | Advanced Boolean search | Basic keywords |
| Export profiles data | Export up to 2000 profiles | No exporting |
LinkedIn Tips to Optimize Your Profile
Having a complete, optimized LinkedIn profile is crucial for personal branding and discoverability. Here are some key tips:
Craft an appealing headline
Summarize your value proposition professionally yet creatively to grab attention.
Upload a professional photo
A photo makes your profile 11x more likely to be viewed. Maintain a consistent brand image.
Showcase relevant skills
Listing key skills makes you more findable by recruiters and hiring managers searching those terms.
Customize your profile URL
Change your public profile link to LinkedIn.com/yourname for a personalized touch.
Add multimedia
Videos, slide decks, portfolios, and other media act as proof for capabilities listed.
Get recommendations
Recommendations from colleagues validate your skills and experience described.
Follow influencers and companies
Stay up to date on news and build connections through likes, shares, and comments.
Conclusion
There are countless ways to tap into the powerful data available through LinkedIn. Following these best practices for searching profiles, company pages, groups, and jobs can uncover actionable insights. Investing in a Recruiter account unlocks more advanced functionality to take research to the next level.
Remember to keep your personal profile robust and optimized. LinkedIn is becoming the top professional resume database – make sure you stand out in searches, get discovered, and showcase your capabilities to maximize new opportunities.