The LinkedIn Algorithm in 2023

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn is being used more and more for influencer marketing and especially B2B marketing, according to industry experts.
• In 2022, LinkedIn updated its algorithm, which still favors engagement but also looks more at posting time or quality of posts.
• Posts are divided into three categories that determine the success of your content: Spam, Average, Standard.

Influencers and content creators are increasingly found on the LinkedIn social network, with a tendency to increase in 2023. LinkedIn offers many advantages that other platforms do not necessarily have. These include, for example, collaborative formats such as webinars, lives, and audio and video events, and the generally high level of expertise of its users. Thus, LinkedIn could become a must-have for professionals, as the Kolsquare Trends Report 2022 shows. In addition to expertise, however, lifestyle topics are increasingly being shared.

Despite the advantages of LinkedIn, there are still problems in implementing influencer marketing. Above all, there is a lack of analysis tools, which is why experts can hardly measure the performance of influencers’ services and thus hardly analyze them. As Kolsquare CEO Quentin Bordage explains in the aforementioned Kolsquare Trends Report: “LinkedIn blocks all access to data. Influencer marketing can’t catch on until we can industrialize it.”

The Changes of the LinkedIn Algorithm in 2022

In May 2022, then, LinkedIn updated the platform’s algorithm. While the basic functioning of the algorithm was not changed, the platform introduced limitations and, most importantly, took into account more explicit variables that can have a significant impact on the visibility of posts. The updates are primarily aimed at user experience, which is why the platform also gives users back more individual control over their newsfeed. By means of certain “filters”, they can specify more precisely what they want to see and what they do not want to see.

Users had long complained about the omnipresence of polls in the newsfeed. These artificially increase visibility, as polls could generally generate thousands of views without effort, which the algorithm generally favored. However, this resulted in meaningless polls like “Would you rather drink tea or coffee?” flooding users.

Also on LinkedIn, as on other social networks, political content is shared, which in its polarity unnecessarily fuels the fragmentation of society. Previously, it had not been necessary to ban or censor certain content on LinkedIn, but now this is possible in the United States, according to the website “into the minds”. What’s also new is that the algorithm takes into account this explicit feedback on undesirable content (and authors, too).

Furthermore, the algorithm on LinkedIn learns to integrate the feedback of “I’ve seen too many posts on this topic.” For example, each post is analyzed with an NLP algorithm to “tag” it, i.e., to link similar content together. However, given the brevity of the posts, which average less than 39 words, this is an unpromising endeavor.

How Will the LinkedIn Algorithm Work in 2023?

The platform’s algorithm faces two major challenges as a result of these updates: Getting users to use the filters and, at the same time, avoiding the formation of a filter bubble, which in turn then reduces the newsfeed if necessary.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the engagement rate will remain important for the algorithm on LinkedIn in 2023. But how can you boost it now?

A classic CTA on LinkedIn is “Leave a comment if you’d like to receive xy for free.” This kind of Likes or comment fishing is now not something the algorithm likes to see. LinkedIn itself explains: “We’ve seen several posts that expressly ask or encourage the community to engage with content via likes or reactions – posted to boost reach on the platform. We’ve heard this type of content can be misleading and frustrating for some. We won’t be promoting this type of content, and we encourage everyone in the community to focus on delivering reliable, credible, and authentic content.”

So you shouldn’t always use the same wording for your posts on LinkedIn (just like on other social networks). After all, this not only annoys the algorithm but also leaves your followers annoyed. Change the word order or come up with something better right away – but keep in mind that surveys are now also rather unpopular on LinkedIn.

Therefore, you should also create content with added value on LinkedIn. Make your followers want to engage with what you’re saying and give users back some control and advocate real exchange in the comments.

Furthermore, content on LinkedIn will be filtered into three categories from now on, though experts continue to wonder how the algorithm will collect this data.

• Spam: Your post will be immediately deleted or no longer displayed. So make sure your wording is grammatically correct, avoid too many links, tag a maximum of five users, post with at least three hours in between, and avoid hashtags like “follow,” “comment,” or “like.”
• Average: Your post will be shown to your followers, but success will only be seen in the long run. So tag only those who will actually respond. In general, stick to the rule of thumb of three hashtags per post, going from general to specific.
• Standard: your post will certainly be successful in the long run. So use relevant keywords, but in moderation! External links also positively influence a post’s performance, but they don’t belong in the post. Comment on them in the comments instead.

Time also plays a role for the algorithm on LinkedIn. The faster users respond, the better. Overall, LinkedIn writes the categorization of posts would be a simple flow chart: the transition from average to standard would be smooth. The more you interact on a daily basis, the more people will engage as well.