Crafting the Perfect LinkedIn Headline: A Complete Guide

Your LinkedIn headline (also known as the tagline) is one of the most important elements of your LinkedIn profile. It appears right below your name and photo and serves as an elevator pitch that tells people who you are and what you do. With limited space of just 120 characters, you need to make your headline descriptive, compelling and optimized for search.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll provide tips, examples and tools to help you create the perfect LinkedIn headline.

Why Your LinkedIn Headline Matters

With over 800 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and an invaluable platform for job seekers, recruiters and business networking.

Your headline offers the first impression of your brand and value proposition. It can impact:

• Increased Profile Views: A compelling headline boosts the chances of people clicking to view your full profile. [1]
• Improved Click-Through Rate (CTR): An optimized headline can double your CTR compared to a generic one. [2]
• Higher Search Ranking: Including relevant keywords will help you rank better in LinkedIn search results.
• Memorable First Impression: A creative, benefit-focused headline makes you stand out from the competition.
• Conveys Value Proposition: The headline should clearly communicate what you do and how you can add value.

In short, a strong LinkedIn headline helps you grab attention, drive engagement and get discovered by potential connections and opportunities.

How to Write an Effective LinkedIn Headline

When writing your LinkedIn headline, follow these best practices:

Include Relevant Keywords

Optimize your headline for keywords that your target audience is likely searching for. Research terms recruiters use to find candidates like you or related to your industry. Tools like LinkedIn Search and Google Keyword Planner can help with keyword research.

Keep it Clear and Concise

The 120-character limit means your headline needs to be brief yet descriptive. Use clear language that succinctly conveys who you are and what you do. Avoid fluffy terms or overused cliches.

Tailor it for Your Goals

Your headline should align with your goals on LinkedIn, whether it’s job hunting, client acquisition, partnerships or investing. Speak directly to what your connections are looking for.

Add Numbers for Quantification

Quantify your value by including numbers like years of experience, company growth stats, revenue generated, etc. Backed by data, it comes across as more concrete and credible.

Always Keep it Updated

As you take on new roles and accomplishments, ensure your headline is updated to reflect your latest skills and professional evolution. An outdated tagline undermines your personal brand.

LinkedIn Headline Examples and Templates

Here are some stellar examples of LinkedIn headlines to inspire your own:

Job Title + Company Name

Senior Product Manager at Apple

This simple format works well especially when you have a well-known branded company in your title.

Value Proposition Headline

Helping startups launch mobile apps that customers love

Communicate the value you deliver right upfront. Works great if your job title alone doesn’t say much.

Question Headline

Launching a new product? Let my decade of marketing experience work for you

Ask an interesting question to spark curiosity and introduce how you can help.

Quote Headline

“Think less, create more” – Helping artists turn imagination into reality

Share a compelling quote that captures your motivations and approach.

List of Skills/Services

Digital Marketing | SEO | Social Media | Branding

For consultants and freelancers, list your main services to showcase your offerings.

You can also blend multiple formats to create hybrid headlines, like:

“Making healthcare smarter through AI” – Stanford CS grad & AI Product Manager

The key is to experiment to see what works best aligns with your goals and audience.

LinkedIn also provides some great headline templates when you edit your profile:

• Helping {industry} companies {achieve some outcome}
• Skilled in {skill 1}, {skill 2}, {skill 3} seeking {job title} role
• {Job title} {call to action for opportunities}
• {Number of years} of {industry} experience {value proposition}
• {Education} graduate with {number of years} experience in {industry}

Modify these templates by swapping bracketed text with details relevant to your background and strengths.

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing LinkedIn Headlines

While crafting your headline, beware of these common pitfalls:

Too Vague or Generic

Marketing professional

A vague, generic headline fails to make you stand out from the crowd. Anyone could make this claim.

Too Buzzword-y

Innovative marketing trailblazer driving disruptive ROI in the cloud

Stuffing headlines with empty buzzwords and jargon backfires more often than not.

Typos and Grammatical Errors

Social media manger and stratgist

Typos and bad grammar portray carelessness and erode credibility. Always proofread.

Outdated Information

Marketing Manager at XYZ Corp

If you change jobs, remember to update your headline. Displaying old info seems deceptive.

Too Sales-y or Promotional

Hire me to increase sales for your business!

Avoid pushy sales language. You are a professional, not a walking advertisement.

The above pitfalls can sabotage positive first impressions. Craft your headline carefully to avoid them.

Tools to Create Engaging LinkedIn Headlines

Writing that perfect tagline from scratch can be challenging. Thankfully, there are many free online tools to help:

LinkedIn Headline Analyzer

LinkedIn itself offers a handy Headline Analyzer when you edit your profile on desktop. Just paste your headline and it will score its effectiveness and suggest improvements.

LinkedIn Headline Generator

Sites like Resume Worded and LinkedJetpack offer clever AI-powered headline generators for LinkedIn. Provide some background details and they’ll instantly create optimized headlines for you to choose from.

Copywriting Tools

Tools like Copy.ai and Writer Buddy leverage AI writers to craft persuasive LinkedIn headlines tailored to your needs.

These tools provide an easy way to create and fine-tune your headline. Find one that suits your style and requirements.

Track Your LinkedIn Headline Performance

To refine your headline further, leverage LinkedIn analytics to see what works best. Here are some steps to try:

• A/B Test Headlines: Create multiple headlines and rotate them periodically to see which garners more profile views and engagement.
• Check Impressions Data: This shows how many times your headline was displayed. Higher impressions means it’s catching people’s attention.
• Monitor Traffic Sources: See if visitors clicking your profile are coming via LinkedIn search vs. external sites. This indicates if your SEO efforts are paying off.
• Watch Profile View Trends: See if tweaking your headline leads to spikes in profile views and connection requests.
• Compare Engagement: Calculate engagement rate by dividing reactions/comments/shares by impressions. Higher rates signal greater headline resonance.

Keep iterating and tracking headline performance to maximize your LinkedIn presence and achieve your goals. The high-impact headline is out there waiting to be discovered!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ideal length for a LinkedIn headline?

The LinkedIn headline limit is 120 characters including spaces. Aim for headlines between 50-120 characters to make them concise yet descriptive.

How often should you change your LinkedIn headline?

Aim to refresh your headline every 6 months or so. When you take on new roles or skills, update it to reflect your current capabilities.

Does keyword stuffing work for LinkedIn headlines?

Avoid cramming your headline with excessive keywords. Use them selectively in a natural way so they don’t seem spammy. Relevance and clarity should be the top priority.

Should you include your job title and company in LinkedIn headline?

It depends. If you work at a well-known, reputable company, including it adds credibility. If not, focus more on communicating your value proposition.

Can you A/B test multiple LinkedIn headlines?

Yes, LinkedIn allows you to create up to 3 alternate headlines and rotate them to test which works better. Look at profile views and engagement metrics to identify the winner.

Conclusion

A compelling, benefit-driven LinkedIn headline is crucial to making a powerful first impression and standing out from the crowd. Invest time fine-tuning it with relevant keywords, concise copy, quantified details and a strong call-to-action.

Avoid fluffy jargon, vagueness, typos and outdated info that diminishes credibility. Instead, craft a headline that instantly communicates who you are, what you do and how you can add value.

Leverage LinkedIn’s built-in tools along with AI copywriting tools to create headlines that strike a chord with your connections and opportunities. Keep testing new variations and optimizing based on metrics.

Crafting Headlines for Different LinkedIn Goals

The ideal LinkedIn headline varies depending on your goals on the platform. Here are some tips for different objectives:

Job Hunting

If your aim is networking for job opportunities, include key skills, years of experience, and industry terms sought after by recruiters.

Example: Digital Marketer | 7+ years | Facebook Ads, Google Analytics, Email Marketing

Seeking Investors

Entrepreneurs attracting investors should highlight company growth stats, funding needs and value props.

Example: Founder of AppName – 1M+ users, raised $500K, seeking Series A

Building Thought Leadership

Position yourself as an industry expert by summarizing your perspective. Add credibility indicators like awards, books, credentials.

Example: Transforming retail through frictionless shopping experiences. Award-winning author.

Looking for Partnerships

Communicate how you help partners achieve shared objectives that benefit all stakeholders.

Example: Let’s co-create: Helping B2B brands develop content marketing partnerships that drive growth.

Making Sales

If your goal is sales, create a value-focused headline tailored to customer needs and pains.

Example: Struggling with supply chain issues? Our logistics optimization solutions can help.

Match your headline closely to your professional objectives on LinkedIn.

Optimizing Your LinkedIn Headline for Search

Here are some tips to optimize your LinkedIn headline to get found more easily:

• Front-load keywords: Place important keywords near the start of the headline where they catch attention fast.
• Leverage keywords in your industry: Include terminology commonly used by professionals in your field.
• Use keywords from job descriptions: Incorporate words and phrases mentioned in listings relevant to you.
• Include skill keywords: Such as programming languages, software, certifications, abilities that make you stand out.
• Target branded terms: Such as companies, products, or services you have experience with.
• Include location names: If geography is relevant, mention cities, states, or countries.
• Use keywords in buyer queries: Such as “best”, “how to”, “tips”, to show up for informational searches.
• Mention credentials: Such as degrees, certifications, awards, publications that add authority.

With strategic keyword selection, you can dramatically boost visibility and click-throughs from LinkedIn search.

Tools to Analyze Your LinkedIn Headline’s SEO

Keyword optimization isn’t guesswork. Dedicated tools can assess how discoverable your headline is and suggest improvements.

• Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest generates related keywords and helps identify top search terms to target.
• Ahrefs: Ahrefs reveals keyword difficulty scores and traffic data to refine keyword targeting.
• MozBar: The MozBar browser extension shows Domain Authority and page metrics for benchmarking.
• BuzzSumo: BuzzSumo analyzes content performance to reveal what topics and headlines garner engagement.

Leverage these SEO tools to gain actionable insights into honing your headline for maximum LinkedIn search visibility.

How to A/B Test Your LinkedIn Headline

A/B testing allows identifying the highest-converting version of your LinkedIn headline through live experiments.

Here are the steps:

1. Create 2-3 different headline variations you want to test. Tweak keywords, messaging, structure, etc.
2. Rotate the variants, displaying each for 1-2 weeks at a time.
3. Measure metrics for each variant, like profile views, engagment, connections.
4. Compare metrics to determine the top-performing variation.
5. Winner gets displayed as your main headline permanently, until future tests.

A/B testing eliminates guesswork and provides data-backed insights to guide optimizing your headline over time.

Tools to Automate LinkedIn Headline Split Testing

Manually rotating and tracking headline variants is tedious. These tools streamline the process:

• Headline Analyzer: LinkedIn’s built-in Headline Analyzer lets you A/B test up to 3 headlines.
• SocialPilot: This social media manager allows A/B testing LinkedIn headlines and tracks performance automatically.
• SproutSocial: Their LinkedIn management software also enables easy headline split testing.
• Sendible: Their social media platform provides A/B testing capabilities to optimize LinkedIn headline and content.

Automating the testing process makes it effortless to discover your best-converting headline.

Expert Tips to Improve LinkedIn Headline Click-Through Rates

Beyond keyword optimization, here are some expert tips to boost click-through rates on your LinkedIn headline:

• Intriguing hook: Open with an interesting stat, question or quote that creates intrigue to click.
• Ultra-specific: Get laser-focused on a niche audience rather than broad claims.
• Convey uniqueness: Communicate differentiators like rare skills, achievements, or perspectives.
• Urgency cues: Phrases like “Act now”, “Limited slots” can prompt clicks.
• Social proof: Mentions of media mentions, famous clients, testimonials build credibility.
• Emojis: Curated emojis can make your headline more approachable and attention-grabbing.
• Brackets: Framing key parts of the headline in [brackets] draws the eye.

Keep testing different formats, copy style and psychological triggers to maximize clicks.

Advanced Tactics to Improve Your LinkedIn SEO

Beyond just the headline, additional profile optimizations can strengthen your LinkedIn SEO:

• Keyword-rich intro: Expand on your headline in the intro by working in key phrases.
• Optimized job titles: Tweak previous job titles to include relevant keywords.
• Profile background image: Add keywords in image alt text and file name.
• Skills section: Populate with keywords people may search to find you.
• Descriptive experience: Include keyword-rich descriptions explaining your roles and projects.
• Links to articles: Adding links to your published articles enhances keyword-specific expertise.
• Keywords in URL: If customized, add keywords like your name and occupation.

Drive visitors beyond just your headline by interlinking keyword-optimized profile sections.

Main Takeaways

• Start with your most important keywords and value proposition first in the 120-character headline limit.
• Keep it concise yet compelling. Quantify value where possible.
• Frequently test new variations and optimize based on profile views, engagement and clicks.
• Search optimization is crucial, so research and include keywords your audience seeks.
• Complement your headline with an SEO-optimized profile that links together cohesively.

Put these tips into practice to craft a headline that showcases your strongest professional brand and draws more opportunities.

How to Integrate Personal Branding Into Your LinkedIn Headline

Beyond keywords and job titles, your headline presents a prime opportunity to showcase your personal brand.

Here are some tips:

• Uniqueness: Communicate a distinctive perspective, philosophy, or approach you’re known for.
• Personality: Use descriptive wording and emojis to convey your voice and style.
• Specialties: Highlight niche skills, credentials, accomplishments you’re proud of.
• Values: Mention causes, beliefs, or passions important to you.
• Mission: Summarize your overarching goal, purpose, or contribution.

Blending personal flair into your headline helps establish a stronger connection with your audience beyond just work activities.

Examples of Personal Branding in LinkedIn Headlines

Some examples of LinkedIn headlines that incorporate personal branding elements:

• Helping people gain financial confidence & independence through compassionate planning
• Making machine learning more human-focused and responsible #AIethics
• Digital marketing specialist ⚡ Making metrics and magic ✨
• Advocate for workplace diversity & champion for underrepresented young professionals
• Levelling up creative pros through community connection and collaboration 🎨

Find ways to infuse your headline with what makes you unique while still clearly conveying your professional value.

Should You Include Your Location in Your LinkedIn Headline?

This depends on your goals and target audience on LinkedIn.

For:

• Local networking opportunities
• Location-specific roles
• Build authority in specific region

Against:

• Limits options if looking to relocate
• Takes up valuable headline space
• Location featured prominently in profile already

Overall, include location if it actively helps your headline achieve its purpose. Otherwise, focus the limited space on more impactful details.

How to Drive More Traffic to Your LinkedIn Profile

An optimized headline is key to ranking highly in LinkedIn search. Additional tactics to drive profile traffic include:

• Network outreach: Proactively connect with key players in your industry.
• Engage with content: Comment on posts, share articles, join discussions.
• Cross-promote: Share your LinkedIn profile link on other platforms.
• Company Showcase: Get featured on your company’s LinkedIn Showcase page.
• Publish long-form posts: Develop your thought leadership with posts to share.
• Sync with Twitter: Cross-post blog headlines on LinkedIn and Twitter.
• optimized24 Tools: Use optimized24’s LinkedIn Audit to assess and improve your overall LinkedIn presence.

Attracting more profile visitors enables you to expand your network, get discovered by recruiters, and build authority.

How to Refresh Your LinkedIn Headline Over Time

As you gain new skills and accomplishments, periodically update your headline to stay current.

Here are some triggers to refresh it:

• Start a new job or get promoted
• Complete a major project or achievement
• Earn a degree, certificate or award
• Release a book, product or publication
• Want to focus on a new target audience
• Have not tested new headlines in over 6 months

Review your headline at least quarterly and iterate as your career evolves. This maintains its relevance, accuracy and impact over time.

Main Takeaways

• Infuse your LinkedIn headline with unique personal branding that makes you memorable
• Location inclusion depends on your goals and audience
• Employ a mix of optimization and promotion tactics to increase profile traffic
• Routinely refresh your headline as you reach new milestones

Keeping your headline updated, compelling and strategically optimized will serve your long-term career growth on LinkedIn.

FAQ

1. What are some good formulas and templates for writing LinkedIn ad headlines? Using proven headline formulas and adaptable templates can make it easier to create compelling, high-converting headlines. Check out resources like Optimized24’s LinkedIn headline formulas and templates.
2. Where can I find examples of great LinkedIn ad headlines to model? Optimized24 provides an extensive database of high-performing LinkedIn headline examples for inspiration across many industries and use cases. Their examples are optimized for clicks and conversions.
3. What are some important tips for optimizing LinkedIn headlines? Tips like using emotional triggers, highlighting achievements, and focusing on reader benefits can help optimize LinkedIn ad headlines. Read Optimized24’s comprehensive LinkedIn headline tips guide for more.
4. What are some best practices to follow when writing a LinkedIn headline? Best practices include being concise, highlighting value, using power words, and testing multiple headlines. Optimized24 outlines top LinkedIn headline best practices recommended by industry experts.
5. Should I use keywords in my LinkedIn ad headlines? Using relevant keywords in your headlines where natural can help increase visibility and clicks for your target audience. Check Optimized24’s LinkedIn headline keyword research tool.
6. How can I add effective calls to action to LinkedIn headlines? Calls to action like “Register Now” and “Get Started” can boost click-through rates. Optimized24 provides tips for A/B testing CTA phrases in headlines.
7. How should I highlight specializations in a LinkedIn ad headline? Showcase your niche expertise by mentioning specializations like “Data Science” or “Product Marketing” in headlines. Optimized24 has examples for many specializations.
8. What’s the best way to feature industries in LinkedIn headlines? You can highlight your industry focus in brackets such as [For E-Commerce Brands] or at the start like “E-Commerce – Project Management Expert.”
9. How can I emphasize niche skills in my LinkedIn headline? Include important niches like “Lean Manufacturing” or “Patient Advocacy” to attract the right audience. See niche examples on Optimized24.
10. How should I highlight soft skills in a LinkedIn ad headline? Soft skills like “Creative Problem-Solver” and “Relationship-Focused” perform well. Optimized24 tests soft skill headline phrases.
11. What achievements should I feature in a LinkedIn headline? Showcase achievements like “Increased Revenue 20%” rather than duties. Optimized24 provides high-converting achievement headline examples.
12. How can I communicate goals in my LinkedIn ad headline? Headlines focusing on providing value like “I Help Companies Increase Sales” tend to perform best according to tests by Optimized24.
13. Should I mention personality traits in a LinkedIn headline? Traits like “Passionate” and “Dedicated” can work if used judiciously. Optimized24 provides guidance on testing trait headlines.
14. What types of power words work best in LinkedIn headlines? Words like “Proven” and “Expert” convey authority and trust. See top power words recommended by Optimized24.
15. What is the ideal LinkedIn headline length? Concise headlines of around 10-20 characters tend to work best. Optimized24 provides tips for optimizing headline length.
16. How can I A/B test my LinkedIn ad headlines? Use tools like Optimized24 to set up A/B headline split tests to see which convert better before launching ads.
17. Should I continuously test and optimize my LinkedIn headlines? Yes, ongoing headline testing and optimization is key to improving results over time. Optimized24 makes iterative testing easy.
18. What metrics should I use to assess LinkedIn headline performance? Track metrics like CTR, conversion rate, relevance score, and audience engagement suggested by Optimized24.
19. How can I analyze data to improve my LinkedIn headlines? Review headline analytics insights and trends from Optimized24’s dashboard to identify opportunities to optimize.
20. Does LinkedIn headline length impact performance? Shorter and concise headlines tend to convert better according to Optimized24’s aggregated headline data.
21. What are some good LinkedIn headline tools and generators? Optimized24 provides an AI-powered headline generator with templates, examples, and split testing.
22. Can AI help write effective LinkedIn ad headlines? Yes, AI tools like Optimized24’s headline generator can create high-converting headlines tailored to your goals.
23. What copywriting tips help craft compelling LinkedIn headlines? Tips like focusing on benefits, testing emotional triggers, and highlighting value suggested by Optimized24.
24. What are some top LinkedIn recruiter ad headlines? Optimized24 has tested and optimized recruiter headlines like “Sourcing Passive Candidates” and “HR Headhunting Expert.”
25. What makes a good LinkedIn job posting headline? Highlight specializations like “Digital Marketing Jobs” and focus on candidate experience recommended by Optimized24.
26. How can I create engaging LinkedIn talent acquisition headlines? Mention niche skills like “Technical Recruiter – AI Talent” suggested by headline tests from Optimized24.
27. What elements work well for LinkedIn hiring ad headlines? Include achievements like “Filled 235 Engineering Roles Last Year” and power words like “Urgent.”
28. How can I attract applicants with my LinkedIn headline? Focus on applicant desires and highlight company culture according to Optimized24’s top-performing applicant headlines.
29. What makes LinkedIn candidate engagement headlines effective? Optimized24 tests show person-focused headlines like “Candidate Experience Guru” perform well.
30. What are some best practices for LinkedIn real estate agent headlines? Highlight specializations like “Waterfront Property Specialist” and achievements like “Top 1% Producer” tested by Optimized24.
31. How can I create compelling LinkedIn real estate ad headlines? Use niche terms like “First-Time Home Buyers” and emotional phrases like “Find Your Dream Home” suggests Optimized24.
32. What elements work well for LinkedIn realtor headlines? Include power words like “Trusted” and “Proven” along with specializations says Optimized24 headline data.
33. What are some top-performing LinkedIn property listings headlines? Optimized24 testing shows clear CTAs like “See Newest Listings” and highlighting amenities work well.
34. What makes a high-converting LinkedIn home sales headline? Focus on relationships and expertise like “Local Realtor You Can Trust” recommended by Optimized24.
35. How can I drive traffic with LinkedIn open house headlines? Optimized24 tests show highlighting dates, times, and amenities boosts open house headline performance.
36. What are some best practices for writing luxury real estate headlines? Convey prestige and exclusivity by mentioning elite brands and services based on tests by Optimized24.
37. How can I showcase expertise in LinkedIn IT services headlines? Include niche skills like “Certified Scrum Master” and test using power words like “Expert” says Optimized24.
38. What makes compelling managed IT services headlines? Highlight customer benefits like “24/7 Tech Support” and achievements like “99% Uptime” according to Optimized24 tests.
39. What elements work well for LinkedIn IT support headlines? Personality traits like “Responsive” and “Friendly” combined with specializations says Optimized24 data.
40. How can I effectively highlight cybersecurity in a LinkedIn headline? Mention credentials like “Certified Information Systems Security Professional” validated by Optimized24 tests.
41. What makes LinkedIn data protection headlines engaging? Focus on reassurance and reliability based on top-performing headlines from Optimized24.
42. What are some best practices for LinkedIn IT consulting headlines? Include niche expertise like “M365 Expert” and power words like “Strategic” according to Optimized24.
43. How can I showcase digital transformation skills in my headline? Mention relevant emerging tech and highlight business impact per tests by Optimized24.
44. What makes effective financial services LinkedIn headlines? Highlight prestige and trustworthiness with achievements and certifications says Optimized24.
45. How can I showcase expertise in banking LinkedIn headlines? Include seniority and credentials like “SVP, Corporate Banking” tested by Optimized24.
46. What headline strategies work well for LinkedIn investment ads? Focus on prudence and risk-mitigation based on top investment manager headlines from Optimized24.
47. What elements make compelling wealth management LinkedIn headlines? Combine prestige, exclusivity and sincerity says Optimized24 headline testing data.
48. How can I highlight digital marketing specializations in my LinkedIn headline? Include niche skills like “Google Ads Certified” and conversions data says Optimized24.
49. What makes effective social media marketing LinkedIn headlines? Mention key platforms and expertise like “Facebook Ads Specialist – 10x ROI” according to Optimized24.
50. What are some best practices for SEO/SEM LinkedIn headlines? Include keywords and data like “SEO Expert – Over 1 Million Organic Visitors” tested by Optimized24.