What Does 'Found You Through LinkedIn Search' Mean?

LinkedIn does a great job when it comes to suggesting people for making connections and If you're a regular LinkedIn user, you must have visited your "Who's viewed your profile" section or when you see a connection request. sou must have seen this:

This is a very small significant notification that holds a lot of value than what you might initially think.

Professionals are increasingly relying on LinkedIn for networking, job hunting, and business development, So understanding how people discovers your profile provide valuable insights on how and where to approach.

What Exactly Does "Found You Through LinkedIn Search" Mean?

When you see "found you through LinkedIn search", it means exactly what it sounds like: someone discovered your profile on LinkedIn it can be by search or by network.

LinkedIn's powerful search algorithm allows users to find others by stating:

• Names
• Job titles
• Companies
• Industries
• Skills
• Schools
• Locations
• Keywords in your profile

David Galley, a LinkedIn product manager, noted in a LinkedIn Engineering blog post that "search is one of the most important tools our members use to derive value from LinkedIn." This underscores just how crucial search functionality is to the platform's ecosystem.

How LinkedIn Search Works: Behind the Scenes

To understand how "found you through LinkedIn search" works, first understand how LinkedIn's search function operates.

LinkedIn uses a sophisticated algorithm it considers multiple factors while displaying search results:

1. Relevance: How closely your profile matches the search terms, you must have seen 1st, 2nd, 3rd written after the profile name of someone
2. Profile completeness: If your profile is complete it will tend to rank higher than others
3. Activity level: Regular engagement on the platform can boost visibility
4. Premium status: Premium users get enhanced search capabilities

LinkedIn data scientist Zach Deane-Mayer mentioned, "Our search algorithms use machine learning to deliver the most relevant results to our members based on their individual activity patterns and professional attributes."

For example, if anyone searches for "marketing manager in Boston," LinkedIn will show profiles that have:

• "Marketing manager" in their job title or experience
• Are located in or near Boston
• Have marketing skills listed
• Show connections to the searcher's network

Who Can See That They "Found You Through LinkedIn Search"?

LinkedIn's privacy policy create different levels of profile visibility information. Here's what profile visitors might see when they check out your profile:

Basic (Free) LinkedIn Account:

If you have a free account, you'll see limited information about who viewed your profile. You might see:

• How many people viewed your profile in the past 90 days
• A partial list of viewers (usually the 5 most recent)
• Some viewers might be anonymized with blurred images(e.g., "Someone at Google" or "Someone in the Marketing industry")

Premium LinkedIn Account:

With Premium, you get more access:

• A full list of everyone who viewed your profile (unless they're browsing in private mode)
• Detailed information on how they found you
• Specific search terms people used to find you (in some cases)
• Analytics on viewer demographics and industries

What Information Can You Learn From "Found You Through LinkedIn Search"?

For Basic Users:

• Confirmation that your profile is being ranked and discovered through search
• Limited information about who's finding you
• Basic industry or company information of searchers

Using these information you can optimize your networking strategy on what industry to target? how your posts should be? who to reach out?

For Premium Users:

• Specific search terms used to find you (when available)
• More detailed viewer analytics
• Trends in searches that lead to your profile
• Industries and companies most interested in your profile

This enhanced data that LinkedIn provides to premium users can give you a competitive edge over others however tools like OutXAI’s Social Listening serves as a game changer for those who can’t afford LinkedIn premium

Why People Might Search for You on LinkedIn

Finding out why people are searching for you is very necessary, why because maybe your skills align with their company or they are looking to hire, or you can be a potential client for their business.

Below are few of the reasons why people might be interested in searching for you:

1. Recruitment and Hiring

Recruiters and hiring managers regularly look for candidates with certain specific skills or experience. LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends reports that, 77% of talent professionals considers LinkedIn as their top source for quality hiring.

"LinkedIn search is our primary sourcing tool," says Jennifer Ramos, Senior Technical Recruiter at Microsoft. "We use specific keyword combinations to identify candidates with precise skill sets."

2. Business Development and Sales

Sales professionals often search for decision-makers or potential clients in target companies.

3. Networking

Professionals looking to expand their network search for people in their industry or with similar interests.

4. Research and Verification

People might search for you to verify your credentials or learn more about you before a meeting or interview.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 84% of employers use social media to screen candidates, with LinkedIn being the most common platform.

5. Former Colleagues or Classmates

People from your past might search for you to reconnect or see what you're doing now.

How to Use "Found You Through LinkedIn Search" Insights to Your Advantage

Here's how to leverage this information to boost your professional presence on LinkedIn:

1. Optimize Your Profile for Relevant Keywords

If you notice that people are finding you on LinkedIn search, it means your profile contains keywords that matches what people are looking for, so try analysing what industry you are getting targeted by and start posting content

Brenda Bernstein, the author of "How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile," suggests including industry-specific keywords throughout your profile. Pay special attention to your headline, summary, and experience sections. Think about the terms potential employers or contacts might use to search for someone with your skills.

For example, if you are a digital marketer, use terms like "SEO," "content marketing," "social media strategy," "PPC advertising," or "email marketing" throughout your profile.

2. Analyze Who's Finding You

Look for the patterns in who's searching for you:

• Are they from specific industries?
• What particular positions do they hold?
• Are they from companies you'd like to work with or previously engaged with?

Using these insights help you tailor your content and engagement strategy on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn data shows that members who regularly updated themselves with the response from profile viewers receives up to 40% more InMail responses.

3. Enhance Your Visibility

If you're being found but want to increase visibility:

• Post relevant content regularly
• Engage with posts in your or the one you want to be in industry
• Use industry-specific hashtags
• Join and participate relevant communities

According to LinkedIn's own research, members who post weekly on the platform see a 2x increase in engagement with their profile.

The Difference Between Various "Found You" Notifications

LinkedIn provides several different "found you" notifications in the "Who viewed your profile" section. Understanding the differences can provide additional insights:

"Found you through LinkedIn search"

As we've covered, this means someone used LinkedIn's search function to discover your profile using keywords, name, title, etc.

"Found you from homepage"

This indicates someone saw your profile highlighted on their LinkedIn homepage, possibly because:

• You appeared in "People you may know"
• You were mentioned in a post they saw
• Your activity (comment, post, etc.) was featured in their feed

"Found you from mutual connections"

This person discovered you by browsing through the connections of someone you both know.

"Found you from Company Page"

They found you by browsing employees at your current or former company.

"Found you from a post"

They saw a post or comment you made and clicked through to your profile.

"Understanding these different pathways can help you identify which of your LinkedIn activities are generating the most profile views," explains Wayne Breitbarth, author of "The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success."

Privacy Considerations: Controlling Your Visibility

While being found through LinkedIn search can be beneficial, you might also want to control your visibility in certain situations:

Viewing Other Profiles:

LinkedIn offers three visibility options when you view someone else's profile:

1. Full visibility: Your name, headline, and other details are visible
2. Semi-private: Only your industry and title are shown
3. Private mode: Appears completely anonymous

According to LinkedIn, about 20% of users browse in private mode at least occasionally.

Managing Who Sees You Viewed Their Profile:

To adjust this setting:

1. Click your profile picture

2. Select "Settings & Privacy"

3. Click "Visibility"

4. Select "Profile viewing options"

5. Choose your preferred option

Remember that if you choose semi-private or private browsing, you'll also have limited access to who's viewed your profile.

Tips for Improving Your LinkedIn Search Visibility

If you want more to be found more below are the tips that professionals use in their everyday lives to increase visibility

1. Create a Keyword-Rich Headline

Your headline appears in search results and is heavily weighted by LinkedIn's algorithm because its literally the first contact anyone will have with your profile that’s where you’ll be judged, so Instead of just your job title, use a formula like:

"[Job Title] | [Key Skill] | [Achievement/Specialty]"

Example: "Marketing Director | Digital Strategy Expert | Driving 30%+ Growth for B2B Tech Companies"

2. Craft a Comprehensive Summary/About Section

Use this space to incorporate important keywords naturally feels you are telling your tale of professional story, people generally undermine story telling but its a very powerful tool.

Also don’t write things like “once upon a time….” while making your profile about section in a story format.

3. Complete All Profile Sections

LinkedIn's algorithm favors complete profiles in search results.

According to LinkedIn, profiles with complete information receive up to 40 times more opportunities.

4. Get Skill Endorsements

Endorsements can boost your profile in searches related to those skills.

Focus on getting endorsements for your top skills from credible connections.

5. Request and Give Recommendations

Quality recommendations containing relevant keywords can improve search visibility.

Aim for recommendations that highlight specific skills and achievements rather than generic praise.

6. Use LinkedIn's Content Features

Regularly post articles or updates with industry-relevant keywords this can improve your searchability.

LinkedIn's algorithm gives preference to active users in search results.

Conclusion

You can see how your professional brand is found on the largest professional network in the world by clicking on the "found you through LinkedIn search" notification.

So, by understanding how “found you through LinkedIn” works can give you the insights to strategise your LinkedIn presence and attract the right opportunities.

Whether you're actively looking for a job or trying to building a client base, Ensure that your profile should be the first one to be shown when searched for certain keywords where you want to rank.

Try optimizing your profile with appropriate keywords, which helps in staying active on the platform, regularly analyze who's searching for you and you can harness the power of LinkedIn's search functionality like no one else.

Remember that LinkedIn always try to change its search algorithms and features, so staying informed about platform and its updates is very necessary having a constant companion like OutXAI that always listen’s for social signals can aid you in further refining your profile to ensure that you maintain and improve your visibility to the professionals who matter most for you and your career.

Next Steps for Maximizing Your LinkedIn Presence

• Review your profile through the lens of a searcher: what keywords would you want to be found for?
• Check your "Who viewed your profile" section weekly to identify trends
• Set a regular schedule for posting relevant content in your industry
• Connect with new viewers who found you through search if they're relevant to your network
• Consider whether LinkedIn Premium might provide valuable insights for your professional goals

By actively managing how you're found on LinkedIn, you're taking control of your professional brand and opening doors to new opportunities in your career journey.