How many emails have you received from friends or colleagues inviting you to join LinkedIn? More than you can count? Join the club. If you haven't spent a lot of time learning about LinkedIn then it may just seem like another way to spend time you don't have, but SEO experts advise that LinkedIn can be an excellent tool for growing your business. Here are 5 reasons why LinkedIn can work for you.



1. It's a Great Business Development Tool.

What business owner doesn't love a warm lead? Much more pleasant than cold calls, warm leads allow you to contact people whom you already know are interested in your product or service. If you're interested in doing business with ABC Company, you can find their employees on LinkedIn. When you go to meet with the president of the company, you can use LinkedIn to find out about her background and her interests. You can also find out if you have any contacts in common.

In your search for employees of ABC Company, be sure to find former employees as well as current employees. Get information about the company that the company may not want you to know.

2. Off-Site Factors are Important for Your Business.

Google ranks your website based on the quality and popularity of the relevant websites that link to it. This is far more important for getting top rankings than a lot of what you include on your website. One of the easiest things you can do with your LinkedIn profile is to include your business website.

Another thing you can do is write articles and send them to online magazines, making sure to include a link to your website in your signature. This is all hard work, but it will definitely pay off in the end.

3. It Helps Increase Your Credibility

We live in a world where your potential customers can easily find a lot of information about business owners. A high-quality LinkedIn profile that includes recommendations and information about your background can be invaluable. You may even find that you receive calls from people who found you on LinkedIn and are interested in hearing more about your product or service.

4. It Showcases Your Website.

Once you've created a LinkedIn profile, log out again and then search for your LinkedIn profile. Copy the address in the browser bar and add it to your signature for sending out emails. You'd be surprised at the number of people who, just out of curiosity, click on the link. Even someone who may not have known she was interested in your website may find that she wants to know more about your product or service.

5. It Can Help In a Job Search

Whether you're looking for employment yourself or need to hire someone for your business, LinkedIn can perform for you. If you're looking for a job, include your LinkedIn profile address on your resume. If you have the right kinds of recommendations in your profile, it can benefit you a great deal. The best way to get good recommendations is to write good recommendations for other people first.

Social and business networking sites may initially seem fluffy and just another way to waste valuable time, but they can actually be a great business tool. Whether you're looking for a job, for employees, or simply looking to get connected with other people, LinkedIn can be a very valuable internet marketing tool. If you want more information on how LinkedIn can work for you, consult and SEO or internet marketing company. Professionals in the field can get you started in right direction, both by helping you design a quality website and by helping you create a LinkedIn profile that will get results fast.