You might be able to get around not having a photo, but as studies show in having photos in Google search results, those with photos might expect a significant increase in CTR (click-through rate) after people find you in LinkedIn search results.

You need to include information in your Professional Headline that will draw your potential visitor into wanting to find out more about you.  Be explicit as to how you can help people – but do it in a professional and well-branded manner. 

Once you’re invested in LinkedIn as part of your professional infrastructure, you’ll probably want to include your LinkedIn URL in your email signature or even print it on your business card.  Wouldn’t you rather have a professional looking – and easy to input

If your Professional Headline served the role of luring visitors to your profile from people search results, your Professional Summary must expand upon that branding further while also supporting what you say in your headline as well as potentially ending with a good call-to-action.

Do a search for keywords for which you would like to appear in LinkedIn search results. Look at the profiles of those that appear in the top few results. Examine the location and frequency for which they’ve placed those keywords. Now take that knowledge and apply it to your own profile.

With all of the quid pro quo asking for LinkedIn recommendations you see out there, many ask if LinkedIn recommendations are for real. Yes, they very much are in the context that they help you establish credibility if someone viewing your profile doesn’t know you.

If you haven’t been active in groups before, you might be surprised as to the business opportunities that exist within LinkedIn Groups!  Even if you don’t have time to be active, displaying those group logos on your profile increases your contactability.

LinkedIn gives you the ability to include your contact details, such as up to three websites and a Twitter handle, for anyone to see.  There is also a “Advice for Contacting [Name]” section where you could include your email address and/or phone number. Don’t make it 

hard for those who want to get in touch with you to contact you: If they can’t easily contact you, they might just move on to the next person!