When I’m introduced to a new client or potential business contact the first thing I do is look at the person’s LinkedIn profile.

A person’s LinkedIn activities and the state of their profile say a lot about how that person feels about his or her career identity.

The Internet is filled with blog posts and articles suggesting the best uses of LinkedIn.  Today I’m giving one simple tip that many people overlook:

Personalize the URL for your LinkedIn profile.

When you first sign up for LinkedIn, your profile automatically is assigned a URL with your name and a bunch of numbers and letters. You can easily change this URL to just your name or to reflect your personal brand.

Customizing your LinkedIn URL helps your profile to show up higher when employers and business contacts search for your name on LinkedIn and elsewhere online. Your LinkedIn profile is likely one of the first things to show up when anyone does a Goggle search of your name. It also looks more professional and helps your profile to seem more polished.

To change your LinkedIn URL:

1. Log in to LinkedIn
2. On the top of the page, click “Profile” and go to “Edit Profile.”
3. Scroll down to the “Public Profile” line near the bottom of the big gray section of your profile. Click “Edit” next to your URL.
4. Fill in the last section of your URL exactly as you want the public to see it.

Do you have a common name? Choose a different URL that matches your personal brand.

• Add your credentials after your name (www.linkedin.com/in/janesmithmba)
• Use a word that described your career after your name (www.linkedin.com/in/janesmithaccountant)
• Add your business name (www.linkedin.com/in/janesmithmoneymatters)
• Put your last name first (www.linkedin.com/in/smithjane)
• Add your middle name or middle initial. NOTE: Don’t do this is you never use your middle name; people won’t know it’s you.

The point is to use your LinkedIn URL to help people find your profile more easily. Details like this can make the difference when you want to stand out and be noticed by potential employers.

More LinkedIn Tips:

• 13 Things You Never Knew You Could Do On LinkedIn (Business Insider)
• LinkedIn Networking 101: What Not to Do (Careerealism)
• The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastering LinkedIn (HubSpot Blog)
• Job Search Check Up: Get Connected Online