{"id":15589,"date":"2023-02-01T06:00:01","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/?p=15589"},"modified":"2025-09-11T04:38:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T08:38:58","slug":"keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/","title":{"rendered":"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\" alt=\"keywords in job search\" class=\"wp-image-15590 lazyload\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\" alt=\"keywords in job search\" class=\"wp-image-15590 lazyload\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg 640w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve written many times here about keywords in job search, and how and why they&#8217;re so important. In this article, let&#8217;s take a deeper dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are keywords?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Keywords are the words and phrases that people will search online to find people like you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In particular, recruiters and hiring managers routinely search various phrases to identify and then assess potential hires for their client companies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Keywords are important for job search in these 3 ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To help you get found online through your LinkedIn Profile and other online content by and about you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To help your resume get through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by recruiters and employers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To help people assessing you understand and differentiate the value you offer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO), keywords and your job search<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/seo-3245626_640.jpg\" alt=\"SEO in job search\" class=\"wp-image-14890 lazyload\" width=\"838\" height=\"838\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/seo-3245626_640.jpg\" alt=\"SEO in job search\" class=\"wp-image-14890 lazyload\" width=\"838\" height=\"838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/seo-3245626_640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/seo-3245626_640-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/seo-3245626_640-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/seo-3245626_640-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Keywords play an <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/how-search-engine-optimization-seo-impacts-executive-job-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">important role in your personal SEO<\/a>. That is, the keywords and phrases you will use in your personal marketing materials (LinkedIn profile, resume, online presence, etc.) to help people find you online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how it works: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google and other search engines strive to deliver the most relevant, helpful search results, when you enter words and phrases in a browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the many factors they use to prioritize search results is on-topic content with substance, that includes the words and phrases being searched (that is, relevant keywords).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When people look online to find people to meet their various needs, they search certain words and see what comes up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know this, if you\u2019ve ever searched online for a professional to help you with home repairs, or other services, or if you\u2019re researching various topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You search for, say, \u201cheating contractor, city, state\u201d and begin the process of assessment and selection, based on what you find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It works pretty much the same way in job search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recruiters and hiring managers search on keywords relevant to the kinds of candidates they\u2019re seeking, such as \u201cInformation Technology Executive, Enterprise Business Systems\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working from this understanding, you need to determine which are the right keywords for your particular job search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then you need to place those keywords in the right places in any job search-related content you create, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/does-my-linkedin-profile-really-need-a-photo\/\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"892\">LinkedIn and other social media profiles<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LinkedIn and other social media posts and articles, including updates, comments, LinkedIn Groups participation, LinkedIn Pulse articles, etc. And don&#8217;t forget to <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/linkedin-hashtags-a-new-personal-brand-building-tactic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">add hashtags to the relevant keywords<\/a>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any content you publish online to support your subject matter expertise and thought leadership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A few words about keywords, SEO and your LinkedIn profile<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/linkedin-911794_640.jpg\" alt=\"LinkedIn and keywords\" class=\"wp-image-10713 lazyload\" width=\"837\" height=\"591\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/linkedin-911794_640.jpg\" alt=\"LinkedIn and keywords\" class=\"wp-image-10713 lazyload\" width=\"837\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/linkedin-911794_640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/linkedin-911794_640-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/linkedin-911794_640-150x106.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 837px) 100vw, 837px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want executive recruiters and your target employers to find you on LinkedIn, you need to draw them to your profile through the <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/5-reasons-your-linkedin-profile-isnt-working\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relevant keywords and phrases<\/a> they search to source candidates like you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strategically placed, the right keywords <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/15-savvy-tips-to-boost-linkedin-profile-views\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">elevate your search rankings in LinkedIn\u2019s search engine<\/a>, increasing your profile\u2019s SEO and significantly boosting the likelihood you\u2019ll be found and considered by them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The content in certain sections \u2013 typically those that sit higher on the web page containing your profile \u2013 rank highest with LinkedIn\u2019s search algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure these top-of-the-page profile sections are load with the right keywords \u2013 profile headline, your name (where you can add certifications to your last name), Featured section, job titles, and the About section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But also strive to use plenty of your relevant keywords throughout your profile. And pay special attention to the <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/help-linkedin-skills-endorsements-mess\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Skills section<\/a>, which is entirely about your relevant keywords and phrases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An important caveat about keyword density (how many times a particular keyword or phrase appears on a web page, compared to the total number of words). Always be mindful that human beings are also reading your profile, so make sure that your profile content is not too tightly packed with keywords, and that it&#8217;s an interesting read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, search engines typically don&#8217;t like keyword stuffing (too many of the same keywords on a web page), and may downgrade your profile&#8217;s search ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Executive resume writer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.briefcasecoach.com\/appear-in-linkedin-search-results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sarah Johnston<\/a> suggests your identified keyword or phrases should appear 9-10 times in your LinkedIn profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;When creating LinkedIn profiles, I strive to have the keyword or phrase used across the ENTIRE profile at least 9 times:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 In the header<br>\u2013 2-3x in the About section<br>\u2013 3-5x as one of the 5 highlighted skills in your job section<br>\u2013 1-2x in the featured section<br>\u2013 1x in the skills section at the bottom<br>\u2013 Perhaps 1x in the volunteer section&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2.  Keywords and Resume Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/rainbow-882859_640.jpg\" alt=\"executive resume black hole\" class=\"wp-image-7349 lazyload\" width=\"839\" height=\"629\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/rainbow-882859_640.jpg\" alt=\"executive resume black hole\" class=\"wp-image-7349 lazyload\" width=\"839\" height=\"629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/rainbow-882859_640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/rainbow-882859_640-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/rainbow-882859_640-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 839px) 100vw, 839px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You also need the right keywords in your ATS-friendly resume. That&#8217;s the document you will send to recruiters and online job postings to go into their Applicant Tracking Systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially true for submitting your resume to online postings, either on job boards or the employers&#8217; own websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many recruiters actually read every resume that comes their way, and don&#8217;t rely as heavily on ATS to qualify candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Talent recruiter Peggie Arvidson commented on a recent LinkedIn update of mine about ATS: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;I look at every resume that comes in for every job. The ATS doesn&#8217;t parse them out &#8211; EVEN if they don&#8217;t have any keywords to be honest. That&#8217;s why I read resumes everyday of people who have no experience in, say, affiliate marketing but they&#8217;ve applied to the job. not once does affiliate marketing show up in the resume &#8211; but &#8220;magically&#8221; they &#8220;beat&#8221; the dreaded ATS.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But that&#8217;s not to say that keywords don&#8217;t matter in resume versions that won&#8217;t go into ATS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Much of your job search will revolve around networking you way into the <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/how-to-network-into-the-goldmine-of-hidden-executive-jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">goldmine of hidden jobs<\/a> that are never advertised. You&#8217;ll be sending (or giving) these people copies of your nicely formatted resume (maybe including color and various enhancements) because human eyes will be reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since this version of your resume is not the stripped down version designed to make it through ATS, it&#8217;s okay to spruce it up. You&#8217;ll only use this one for networking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you still want the right keywords in it (even though there won&#8217;t be ATS parsing for them) because, as I noted above, keywords typically represent your hard skills and areas of expertise. And, of course, those things need to be in all your job search materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.  Keywords help people understand who you are<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, search engines and ATS are not the only &#8220;eyes&#8221; that will be on you and your supporting job search materials when you&#8217;re job hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Humans will be reading the same information you put online about yourself, plus perhaps other information you provide them, to help them understand what makes you a good fit for the employers you&#8217;re targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do you find the right keywords for you?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/target-companies.jpg\" alt=\"keywords and targeting\" class=\"wp-image-14888 lazyload\" width=\"842\" height=\"632\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/target-companies.jpg\" alt=\"keywords and targeting\" class=\"wp-image-14888 lazyload\" width=\"842\" height=\"632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/target-companies.jpg 640w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/target-companies-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/target-companies-150x113.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If your initial job search prep didn&#8217;t include <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/7-tips-to-build-your-executive-job-search-target-companies-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">targeting specific companies or organizations<\/a> that will be a mutual good fit, you&#8217;ll need take a step back and do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/best-ways-and-places-to-research-your-target-employers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">research these companies<\/a> to find out what, specifically, makes you a good fit and how your expertise will help them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay attention to the skills and areas of expertise that consistently come up in your research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are the best relevant keywords for your job search, if they apply to you and your promise of value to your target employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, keywords for a Chief Information Security Officer (along with that job title itself) may be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cybersecurity | Business Optimization | Cloud Operations | Strategic Planning | Change Management | Program\/Project Management | Vendor Management | Process Engineering | RFI\/RFP | Client Retention<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re working from job descriptions, your relevant keywords are the words or phrases usually found after the words &#8220;responsible for&#8221;, and listed under the required hard qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Your full name is a relevant keyword phrase, too<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The keywords and phrases important for your job search are not just the things that represent your skill sets and qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your name itself is something that will be Googled and searched on LinkedIn and other search engines, once people have identified you as a potential candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And people who already know you (or know of you) will be searching &#8220;your name&#8221; to find out all they need to know about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be consistent with the way you state your name across all social channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other things to consider about your name and SEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2000px-Hello_my_name_is_sticker.svg_-1-1024x732.png\" alt=\"your name and SEO\" class=\"wp-image-5728 lazyload\" width=\"766\" height=\"547\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2000px-Hello_my_name_is_sticker.svg_-1-1024x732.png\" alt=\"your name and SEO\" class=\"wp-image-5728 lazyload\" width=\"766\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2000px-Hello_my_name_is_sticker.svg_-1-1024x732.png 1024w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2000px-Hello_my_name_is_sticker.svg_-1-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2000px-Hello_my_name_is_sticker.svg_-1-768x549.png 768w, https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/2000px-Hello_my_name_is_sticker.svg_-1.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 766px) 100vw, 766px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Be grateful if you have an unusual name. It may help you stand out online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If, on the other hand, you have a <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/personal-seo-in-executive-job-search-whats-in-a-name\/\">common name<\/a>, things can be a little more challenging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When people Google &#8220;your name&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Will they have a hard time distinguishing you from others with the same name?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will they have to scroll through several pages of search results before they find anything about you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will they mistake you for someone with the same name who is nasty and has a less than stellar online presence?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you answered &#8220;yes&#8221; to any of the above, it&#8217;s wise to make some adjustments, if possible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add your middle initial \u2013 John G. Smith<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add a professional acronym or short job title \u2013 John Smith, MBA \u2013 OR \u2013 John Smith, CFO<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add either or both of the above to a new email address \u2013 johngsmithmba@gmail.com.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create some <a href=\"https:\/\/xi117.isrefer.com\/go\/jobsearch\/ecbrand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">personal branding videos<\/a>, put them on YouTube, and get them into circulation. Since very few job seekers use videos, your videos will help you stand out from the others. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What to do if variat<\/strong>i<strong>ons of your name appear online<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Name change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve recently changed your last name, include both the new and old name at least for a time, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Susan (Walters) Steinberg<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to also do this in the name field, at the top of your LinkedIn profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Nicknames<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are known by both your nickname and given name, include both, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Frederick (Fred) Walters<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again, be sure to also do this in the name field, at the top of your LinkedIn profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Misspellings or alternate spellings of your name<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This may seem counterintuitive, but it\u2019s a good idea to list at the bottom of your LinkedIn profile About section common misspellings or alternate spellings of your name. A short entry like this should do the trick:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Alternate\/misspellings of my name \u2013 Susie Steinberg, Susan Stineberg, Suzie Steinberg, Suzie Steinburg<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines will \u201csee\u201d the various spellings of your name and call up your LinkedIn profile, even if someone has Googled one of these misspellings or alternate spellings of your name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a case in point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A colleague of mine posed a question to me about LinkedIn recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was working with a job seeker whose LinkedIn profile was not showing up in <a href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/linkedin-dos-and-donts-for-executive-job-search\/\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"844\">LinkedIn search results<\/a> for his full name, but he landed in the #1 search result spot when his nickname was searched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He had a common name, so let&#8217;s say his name was &#8220;Robert J. Smith&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He had customized his LinkedIn URL to read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">linkedin.com\/in\/robertjsmith\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the name he placed in his profile name field was &#8220;Bob Smith&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My colleague wanted to get his profile to land at the top of search results for his full name because lots of people would be using that, instead of his nickname.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why did this matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People looking for more info about him (and especially wanted to see his LinkedIn profile) would only find him if they knew he went by his nickname.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they couldn&#8217;t find him on LinkedIn, they&#8217;d probably wonder why he didn&#8217;t have a presence there, which would not reflect well on him AND they wouldn&#8217;t find enough of the kind of useful information one puts in their LinkedIn profile. That could make them pass him right by as a job candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My suggestion was to change his profile name field to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Robert (Bob) J. Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This would mean that people searching variations on his name would still find his profile in search results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve written many times here about keywords in job search, and how and why they&#8217;re so important. In this article, let&#8217;s take a deeper dive. What are keywords? Keywords are the words and phrases that people will search online to find people like you. In particular, recruiters and hiring managers routinely search various phrases to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15589","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-linkedin","7":"category-online-presence-online-reputation-management","8":"entry","9":"has-post-thumbnail"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They? - Executive Career Brand\u2122<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you&#039;re not paying attention to keywords in job search, you may be doomed to have a hard time landing a job you covet and deserve.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They? - Executive Career Brand\u2122\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you&#039;re not paying attention to keywords in job search, you may be doomed to have a hard time landing a job you covet and deserve.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Executive Career Brand\u2122\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/megguiseppi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-01T11:00:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-11T08:38:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"427\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meg Guiseppi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@megguiseppi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@megguiseppi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Meg Guiseppi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Meg Guiseppi\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8f77ad4251f6cc47790139bc14483711\"},\"headline\":\"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-01T11:00:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-11T08:38:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\"},\"wordCount\":2001,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"LinkedIn\",\"Online Presence &amp; Online Reputation Management\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\",\"name\":\"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They? - Executive Career Brand\u2122\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-01T11:00:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-11T08:38:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"If you're not paying attention to keywords in job search, you may be doomed to have a hard time landing a job you covet and deserve.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":427},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/\",\"name\":\"Executive Career Brand\u2122\",\"description\":\"Executive Job Search - Personal Branding, Executive Resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, Biographies, etc.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Executive Career Brand\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/02e273b.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/02e273b.png\",\"width\":100,\"height\":50,\"caption\":\"Executive Career Brand\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/megguiseppi\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/megguiseppi\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/megguiseppi\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8f77ad4251f6cc47790139bc14483711\",\"name\":\"Meg Guiseppi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9efda092ffdeacce0bbf2552a50ec956f2b0bc2efa2f7d6eb7b821f0efbb913?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9efda092ffdeacce0bbf2552a50ec956f2b0bc2efa2f7d6eb7b821f0efbb913?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Meg Guiseppi\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They? - Executive Career Brand\u2122","description":"If you're not paying attention to keywords in job search, you may be doomed to have a hard time landing a job you covet and deserve.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They? - Executive Career Brand\u2122","og_description":"If you're not paying attention to keywords in job search, you may be doomed to have a hard time landing a job you covet and deserve.","og_url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/","og_site_name":"Executive Career Brand\u2122","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/megguiseppi","article_published_time":"2023-02-01T11:00:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-11T08:38:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":427,"url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Meg Guiseppi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@megguiseppi","twitter_site":"@megguiseppi","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Meg Guiseppi","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/"},"author":{"name":"Meg Guiseppi","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8f77ad4251f6cc47790139bc14483711"},"headline":"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They?","datePublished":"2023-02-01T11:00:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-11T08:38:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/"},"wordCount":2001,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg","articleSection":["LinkedIn","Online Presence &amp; Online Reputation Management"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/","url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/","name":"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They? - Executive Career Brand\u2122","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg","datePublished":"2023-02-01T11:00:01+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-11T08:38:58+00:00","description":"If you're not paying attention to keywords in job search, you may be doomed to have a hard time landing a job you covet and deserve.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/keywords.jpg","width":640,"height":427},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/keywords-in-job-search-how-important-are-they\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Keywords in Job Search: How Important Are They?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/","name":"Executive Career Brand\u2122","description":"Executive Job Search - Personal Branding, Executive Resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, Biographies, etc.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#organization","name":"Executive Career Brand","url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/02e273b.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/02e273b.png","width":100,"height":50,"caption":"Executive Career Brand"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/megguiseppi","https:\/\/x.com\/megguiseppi","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/megguiseppi"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8f77ad4251f6cc47790139bc14483711","name":"Meg Guiseppi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9efda092ffdeacce0bbf2552a50ec956f2b0bc2efa2f7d6eb7b821f0efbb913?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d9efda092ffdeacce0bbf2552a50ec956f2b0bc2efa2f7d6eb7b821f0efbb913?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Meg Guiseppi"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15589"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21098,"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589\/revisions\/21098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/executivecareerbrand.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}