Decoding LinkedIn's Algorithm

My Read on What They Really Want in 2025

So, LinkedIn.

Their big line is they want to connect you with "people you know, talking about things you care about." Fair enough. And while they guard the exact recipe for their algorithm like it’s the crown jewels, enough smart folks and studies have peered behind the curtain. They're leaning hard into meaningful engagement, expert knowledge, and making sure stuff is actually relevant. Apparently, just racking up likes isn't the grand prize anymore. They want a "valuable and professionally enriching user experience." Okay, then.

Here’s the drill for your posts, as I see it:

First, it hits an initial quality filter. Basically, is it spam, "low-quality" (their nice term for dross), or "high-quality"? No prizes for guessing which pile they prefer.

If it’s not immediately tossed in the trash, your post gets a little test run with a small slice of your audience. And that first hour, maybe 90 minutes – the "golden hour" as some call it – is apparently pretty darn important. If you get some actual, strong engagement quickly (think real comments, shares with insight), then your post might just get invited to the main party and see wider distribution. If it’s tumbleweeds? Well, don't expect miracles.

What Else Are They Looking For? (The Not-So-Secret Signals):

• Is It Relevant to Someone? The feed is heavily personalized. What you see depends on your connections, what you’ve clicked on before, your profile stuff (skills, industry), and what you claim to be interested in. Makes you wonder who's personalizing for whom, eh?
• "Knowledge and Advice" – The New Buzzwords: LinkedIn is actively trying to push up content that offers real insights, actual expertise, and some useful professional guidance. So, if you’ve got something smart to say, they might just listen.
• Friends First: Content from your direct, first-degree connections generally gets a better seat in your feed. Loyalty, I guess.
• Real Talk Trumps Quick Clicks: Those thoughtful, longer comments – some say 15 words or more hit the sweet spot – and shares where someone adds their own two cents? Worth a heck of a lot more than a simple 'like'. And those little groups trying to game the system with fake enthusiasm ("pods")? LinkedIn says it's trying to devalue that. Good.
• Are People Actually Reading/Watching? (Dwell Time): How long someone hangs around on your post is a big one. If they’re there, reading or watching, the algorithm figures it must be worth something.
• Quality and Originality (Imagine That!): Well-made, original content that actually gives some value is, surprise surprise, favored. And AI-generated stuff? If it’s just bland mush without a unique human thought or perspective, don’t expect it to set the world on fire. They seem to like it when humans provide... human insight.
• Keeping Folks on Their Turf (Native Content): Stuff that keeps users on LinkedIn (text posts, their own videos, carousels, polls) tends to do better than posts that immediately try to send people off to some other corner of the internet. If you must use an external link, tossing it in the first comment was the old go-to, but word is, that’s not the magic bullet it used to be.
• Hashtags (A Few Good Ones, Not a Hoard): Using 3 to 5 relevant hashtags helps them sort your content. Don't just throw spaghetti at the wall. Don't abandon it yet either.

What's the Latest Gossip? (Trends):

• Free Eyeballs? Getting Tougher: Many of the big brains watching this stuff say that "organic reach" in general is shrinking. So, you gotta be smarter or better to get noticed.
• Be "Credible" (Whatever That Means This Minute): The platform wants to elevate credible experts. How they decide who gets the halo isn't entirely clear, but that's the aim.
• Stop Begging for Likes: Posts that scream "Like this if you like puppies!" without any real substance? They're actively getting pushed down. About time.

So, What's the Big Secret for 2025?

No big secret, really. Just consistently share high-value, relevant stuff that makes people think and talk – genuinely. Spark real conversations, engage like a human. Imagine that.