It often makes sense for you to add credentials to your name on LinkedIn.
If you believe they will achieve either of the following benefits, then go for it:
- Make you rank higher in LinkedIn search results because a given credential is also a keyword.
- Make recruiters more likely to click on your profile.
What LinkedIn Allows in Your Name Fields
Regardless of what you might read to the contrary, LinkedIn allows you to use suffixes and certifications in your profile’s Last Name field. Click the link to see exactly what LinkedIn says about names and credentials.
Which Credentials?
After you’re convinced it’s OK to use credentials after your name, then you need to choose which ones to use. It’s smart for you to show credentials relevant to your current career.
When you do, you get 2 benefits:
- A LinkedIn SEO boost.
- You make an immediate, credible impression.
(Note: It’s a good idea to match the credentials you feature on your LinkedIn profile to those you feature on your resume.)
How to Use Your Last Name Field for Credentials
How to place your credentials after your last name:
- Enter your last name in the last name field.
- Followed by a comma and a space.
- Followed by your credentials separated with a comma.
As on your resume, I recommend limiting yourself to 2 credentials after your name. Beyond my counsel, LinkedIn recently limited the number of characters you can use in your last name field, so it’s hard to go too wild.
More Places to Share Credentials on Your LinkedIn Profile
You can also use the About, Education, Licenses & Certifications, and Skills sections of your profile to showcase your credentials.
Overall, don’t try too hard. Many people overshare. As noted above, limit yourself to credentials that are relevant to your current aspirations. If you think you might be going too far, ask a respected colleague or 2 for their reactions.
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Updated January 2022
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Donna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, authors all of AvidCareerist’s posts.
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Comments 3
My question is… does it dilute any SEO value for your name? If my name is John Smith and I put in the field John Smith MBA CPA, wouldn’t it dilute the value of the shorter term John Smith. I’d like to see some actual before/after examples of users putting in other terms and NOT losing the strength of just their name.
It’s extremely powerful for someone’s LinkedIn Profile to appear within the top 5 positions on Google for search of their name. I’m worried they will lose that visibility/search rankings by adding more words to their name field.
Hi Larry, Great question. My experience has been that adding info helps with LinkedIn SEO. I have not experimented with Google SEO. I think it’s important for people to experiment with the sites they want SEO from and then, because SEO algorithms change, re-experiment periodically. I would love to hear what others have to say on this topic. Donna
Was searching to solve a problem this morning and this article nailed it… Thanks
JD
John,
You’re welcome. :)
Donna