A client recently asked, “Does LinkedIn deprioritize posts with external links, or does it just prioritize native content?” It’s a sharp question that speaks to a common challenge in B2B marketing: how to balance content designed to drive website traffic with content that builds authority and engagement on LinkedIn.
For marketing leaders looking to optimize LinkedIn strategies, the distinction between native content and external links is critical. In this blog, we’ll break down how each approach works, the impact of LinkedIn’s algorithm, and actionable recommendations tailored to your strategic goals.
Native Content vs. External Links: Understanding the Differences
External Links: Bringing Users to Your Website
An external link strategy focuses on content hosted off-platform, typically on your company’s blog or resource hub. You create high-value content—such as blog posts, whitepapers, or case studies—on your website and then use LinkedIn to direct traffic to that destination.
External links can take the form of:
- Company Page Posts: A corporate update sharing the link to a blog or downloadable resource.
- Thought Leader Posts: Key executives or employees posting links to the content, often with personalized commentary to engage their networks.
- Promoted Posts: Paid amplification of these updates for broader visibility.
The goal here is clear: move users from LinkedIn to your website, where they can engage further and potentially convert into leads or customers. However, the trade-off is reduced visibility within LinkedIn, as the platform deprioritizes posts that lead users away.
External links are invaluable for driving traffic to your website, but their success depends on aligning them with broader content objectives.
Native Content: Engaging Directly on LinkedIn
Native content is purpose-built for LinkedIn and lives entirely within the platform. This content doesn’t require users to click away but instead encourages interaction right there in the feed.
Examples of native content include:
- LinkedIn Articles: Long-form posts hosted on LinkedIn that resemble blog entries, ideal for showcasing thought leadership.
- Video Content: Videos uploaded directly to LinkedIn, such as product explainers or leadership insights, which generate high engagement.
- Carousel Posts: A series of images or slides that tell a story or summarize key points.
- Polls and Surveys: Quick, interactive posts that drive conversation and boost engagement.
By keeping the audience on LinkedIn, native content aligns with the platform’s algorithm, resulting in greater reach and visibility.
Native content is a powerful tool for building relationships and engagement directly on LinkedIn—especially when thought leadership is your goal.
The Algorithm in Action
LinkedIn’s algorithm isn’t necessarily penalizing external links; rather, it’s prioritizing content that keeps users on the platform longer. Here’s how that dynamic plays out:
- External Links: Posts with URLs see reduced visibility—typically 25–40% less reach compared to native content—because LinkedIn wants to retain users.
- Native Content: Posts without links can achieve six times more reach than those with external URLs, making them the algorithm’s clear favorite.
This doesn’t mean external links should be abandoned. Instead, they should be used strategically, particularly when driving traffic to your website is essential to your broader goals.
Recommendations Based on Business Goals
For Brand Awareness and Thought Leadership
Focus on native content that builds credibility and engagement. Publish LinkedIn Articles to position your organization as a thought leader, and leverage videos or carousel posts to tell compelling stories.
For Traffic Generation
Use external links selectively to drive users to high-value content on your website. Complement this with techniques like including the link in the comments or writing a native post summarizing the key insights, encouraging readers to explore further on your site.
For Maximizing Reach and Engagement
Prioritize formats that naturally perform well on LinkedIn, such as video, images, and interactive posts. These formats not only align with LinkedIn’s algorithm but also tend to spark higher engagement rates.
Bonus: Promoting Content on LinkedIn
For B2B marketers targeting a larger audience or specific segments, LinkedIn’s advertising tools offer significant opportunities to amplify content.
Best Ad Formats for LinkedIn Promotion
- Sponsored Content: Promote blog posts, thought leadership, or product-focused updates directly in the LinkedIn feed. Use single-image or carousel ads to capture attention and drive clicks.
- Video Ads: Highly engaging and versatile, video ads are excellent for storytelling and driving awareness. Pair these with key takeaways from a thought leadership piece or use them to support consideration-stage content.
- Message Ads: Deliver personalized messages straight to your audience’s inbox. These are great for promoting gated content or high-value offers like webinars and reports.
- Thought Leadership Ads: A powerful format that positions executives or subject matter experts as authoritative voices in your industry. These ads perform exceptionally well at driving awareness and consideration and can generate clicks from highly targeted audiences.
- Boosted Posts: For organic posts that already perform well, use LinkedIn’s boost feature to expand their reach. This is particularly effective for native content like LinkedIn Articles or videos.
Striking the Perfect Balance
For C-level leaders and marketing decision-makers, the choice between native content and external links isn’t an either/or proposition—it’s about balance. Use native content to build relationships and establish authority directly on LinkedIn. At the same time, deploy external links strategically to drive high-intent traffic to your website.
Layer in paid promotions to ensure your content reaches the right audiences at the right time, and you’ll have a LinkedIn strategy that supports both short-term performance and long-term brand growth.
How will you refine your LinkedIn approach to align with your business objectives? Let’s explore the possibilities together.
Blog Post Sources
Here are several authoritative sources to support the insights discussed in this blog post:
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog: “Understanding the LinkedIn Algorithm: A Guide to Optimizing Your Content”
- This article provides an in-depth analysis of LinkedIn’s algorithm, emphasizing the platform’s preference for native content to enhance user engagement.
- Content Marketing Institute: “How to Navigate LinkedIn’s Algorithm for Maximum Reach”
- This resource offers strategies for optimizing content on LinkedIn, including the effects of external links on post visibility.
- HubSpot: “The LinkedIn Algorithm Explained: How to Optimize Your Content for Maximum Exposure”
- HubSpot’s comprehensive guide explores recent changes to LinkedIn’s algorithm, highlighting the impact of external links on post visibility.
- Social Media Examiner: “Leveraging the LinkedIn Algorithm for Maximum Exposure”
- This resource offers strategies for optimizing content on LinkedIn, including the effects of external links on reach and engagement.
- Hootsuite: “How Does the LinkedIn Algorithm Work? [2024 Changes Explained]”
- Hootsuite’s comprehensive guide explores recent changes to LinkedIn’s algorithm, highlighting the impact of external links on post visibility.