If you’re a regular user of LinkedIn, for some time you’ll have seen many users posting links to external websites in the Comments of their post instead of the body.
This started because people who study these things reckoned the LinkedIn algorithm is reach-penalising posts with links in them which take users out of LinkedIn.
Which you can understand to a degree (though I feel it’s unrealistic to expect users to want to stay in the platform and not want to go elsewhere too.)
Until recently, I wasn’t aware of any actual data on whether there was evidence to back this belief and practice. Thanks to Richard van der Blom, there now is.
His most recent LinkedIn algorithm research report has some interesting findings. Access it here with a voluntary donation.
Effects of placement
- An outbound link in your post gets 40% less reach than one without, but converts post impressions best.
- Putting the outbound link the Comments results in better reach, but up to 75% less conversion (those who aren’t interested enough to find and click it).
- Posting without a link, but then editing the post to add it brings 25% less reach and 40% less conversion.
So, what should you do?
As with so much in professional communication, it depends what outcome you’re targeting.
What to do
If maximising conversion is your top objective, include it in the post.
If maximising reach – to get users’ attention but not necessarily have them follow the link – put it in the Comments.
If what you’re linking to is on LinkedIn, link to that item – because there’s no penalty because users are staying inside the platform.
Watch for link shorteners – if the link is something on LinkedIn, an external shortener will take the user out and then back in, incurring a reach penalty. But best conversion.
Richard’s conclusion? Don’t include links if you don’t have to.
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