When creating a LinkedIn profile, one of the most important decisions is choosing the right URL for your public profile page. Your LinkedIn URL acts as your digital identity and business card, making it crucial to get it right. Here are some tips on how to create the best LinkedIn URL for your personal brand.
Use Your Real Name
The default LinkedIn URL contains your first and last name, like linkedin.com/in/john-smith. This is the best option for most professionals to use their real name in the URL. Your name is your brand, so your LinkedIn URL should reflect that. Using your real name makes it easy for others to find you and verify your identity.
It also looks more professional to use your name rather than a nickname or company name. Unless you have a strong personal brand under a stage name, use your given name in the LinkedIn URL.
Customize with Keywords
You can customize your LinkedIn URL by adding keywords after your name. This can help optimize your LinkedIn profile for search by including important terms related to your industry or occupation.
For example, a marketing professional could use:
linkedin.com/in/john-smith-marketing
An IT consultant could use:
linkedin.com/in/john-smith-it-consultant
Only add keywords that are directly relevant to your profile and professional brand. Avoid stuffing too many extraneous terms in your URL.
Get a Unique LinkedIn Handle
One way to further customize your LinkedIn URL is to choose a unique handle to act as your personalized link. This appears after the “/in/” portion of the URL like:
linkedin.com/in/johnuniquehandle
The handle allows you to brand yourself in a more memorable way. However, get creative only within the scope of maintaining a professional brand.
What to Avoid in Your LinkedIn URL
When customizing your LinkedIn URL, there are some things you should avoid:
– Nicknames or informal names
– Offensive or unprofessional terms
– Overly self-promotional language like “guru” or “ninja”
– Excessive keywords stuffed together
– Random numbers or letters
– Hyphens or special characters
Stick to some variation of your real name and relevant keywords. This looks cleanest and most professional.
Tips for Changing Your LinkedIn URL
If you want to change your LinkedIn URL, go to your profile edit page and select the “Edit public profile & URL” option. Here you can customize the URL based on availability.
Some tips for changing your URL:
– Make changes gradually – Redirecting an established URL too abruptly could negatively impact your SEO and brand recognition.
– Use LinkedIn’s URL suggestions – These give you options based on your name and keywords.
– Check availability – Enter your desired URL and LinkedIn will let you know if it’s available.
– Use a consistent variation of your name – Don’t change your name completely or else it will be confusing.
– Update social media & websites – Once you change your URL, update any links directing to your old LinkedIn URL.
Benefits of a Custom LinkedIn URL
Using your name in your LinkedIn URL comes with many advantages:
Branding & Name Recognition
Including your real name in your LinkedIn URL is an opportunity to reinforce your personal brand. Whenever someone types your URL, sees it referenced in an email signature, or clicks on it in an online bio, your name will be front and center. This repetition helps boost recognition of your name.
Professionalism
LinkedIn is for professional networking and job seeking. As such, your profile and URL should reflect that professional purpose. Using your real name comes across as more professional on a resume or business card than a nickname or slogan.
Memorability
A customized LinkedIn URL with your name and industry keywords is much easier to remember than the default string of random numbers and letters. You want your URL to be memorable so that professional contacts can quickly locate your profile.
SEO Optimization
Including keywords like your job title, industry, location, or areas of expertise can help your LinkedIn profile rank higher in search results. This allows recruiters, colleagues, and potential clients to more easily discover your profile.
Custom Branding
While your name is an essential part of branding, a customized LinkedIn handle also lets you reinforce your brand. For example, a handle like linkedin.com/in/john-thoughtleader demonstrates your position as a thought leader.
Best Practices for Your LinkedIn URL
To create the best LinkedIn URL, keep these best practices in mind:
Be Consistent
Be consistent in how you format your name and handle across all your professional profiles and websites. Consistency boosts your personal brand recognition.
Make it Simple
Brevity and simplicity make your URL clean and professional. Avoid overly long or complex URLs.
Use it Everywhere
Include your customized LinkedIn URL anywhere you reference your LinkedIn profile, such as email signatures, resumes, and online bios.
Choose Accurate Keywords
Only include keywords directly related to your professional capabilities, rather than aspirational or exaggerated terms.
Don’t Change it Too Often
Frequently changing your URL looks indecisive and causes broken links. Make changes gradually over time.
Common LinkedIn URL Mistakes
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when customizing your LinkedIn URL:
| Mistake | Why Avoid It |
|---|---|
| Using a nickname | Looks less professional |
| Using company name or job title | Too tied to current role; will become outdated |
| Using a slogan or tagline | Too informal and promotional |
| Stuffing too many keywords | Looks spammy |
| Using unrelated keywords | Seems deceptive |
| Random numbers and letters | Hard to remember |
| Excessive hyphenation | Looks messy |
The best practice is to use some variation of your real name plus 1-2 relevant keywords max. This balances professionalism with personalization in your URL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about LinkedIn URLs:
Does a custom LinkedIn URL affect SEO?
Yes, adding keywords like your industry and occupation can improve your LinkedIn profile’s search engine optimization. This helps you get discovered more easily by target audiences.
Can you change your LinkedIn URL?
Yes, you can change your LinkedIn URL at any time by editing your profile. However, you should aim to be consistent and avoid changing it too frequently.
Does your LinkedIn URL have to match your display name?
No, your display name and URL don’t have to match exactly. You can use a formal name in your display name while using a shortened version in the URL.
What’s the character limit for a LinkedIn URL?
LinkedIn URLs can contain up to 100 characters, but a length of under 50 characters is recommended for brevity.
Can you remove the number at the end of a default LinkedIn URL?
Yes, when you customize your URL, you can remove the long number that LinkedIn assigns by default. Replace it with your name and keywords instead.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn URL serves an important purpose – directing people to your professional profile and enhancing your personal brand. Crafting the right customized URL can optimize your LinkedIn presence for networking and career opportunities. Use your real name and emphasize keywords that communicate your professional identity. With a little strategic thought, you can create the perfect LinkedIn URL.
