What? Is LinkedIn X-ray dead? Yes, it looks like it. Soon. LinkedIn is pushing recruiters, sourcers, and salespeople toward a paid model.
I saw a post from LinkedIn Profile Optimizer Expert Kevin D. Turner. He gave an example of the LinkedIn experience section behind LinkedIn's login screen. So, I did some research.
And this is going to shock your brain. 🧠
Research
I logged out entirely on LinkedIn. I used another browser. I cleaned the cookies. So that no old cookies could interfere with this research, I first searched for my name. Marcel van der Meer.
Okay, I am still there 😇.
Let's find my current Job Title. Sourcing Trainer.
And I am still there, also 😇. Another thing strikes me. Both anchor texts are recommendations. That is strange.
Okay, now the second part. Let's find three unique things on my profile. Sourcing, Kiqit, and Guruz. Those three words are in the experience section of my LinkedIn profile.
Nicol Tadema only appears as a result. Huh, that is strange. 😳 Guess what. Her experience section is still open. And mine is closed.
So, I assume LinkedIn is testing this or shutting it slowly down for everyone.
Okay, let's dive a bit deeper into this. Let's find Irina Shamaeva.
And the same anchor text with a recommendation is also here.
And let's try now with some things from Irina's experience section of her LinkedIn profile.
We found two results. But Irina disappeared.
I have checked multiple profiles. And LinkedIn closed a lot of us.
Can you check yours and DM me if yours is closed or still open?
Is your brain already blown?
The new Public Profile
What else is new to the new public profile, and what is LinkedIn pushing or losing?
The headline is entirely invisible on a public profile. 😱
The About section is diminished to only 88 characters. The rest cannot be found. If you click to see more, you have to log in again,
So what is gone now in the new public profile
❌ Headline
❌ About section
❌ Work Experience
What about Bing?
Microsoft owns Bing's search engine, and LinkedIn is also owned by Microsoft. I think we should try that.
It seems to find a bit more. However, it is still basic stuff. So, that route is also closed. And the indexed data below the profile is still old. Works for Klikwork. I changed that name a few months ago to Sourcing Training by Klikwork.
The X-Ray is entirely dead. Or it seems to be dead shortly. If LinkedIn is pushing this new public profile. Your profile is not SEO-optimized anymore. And think about all those recruiters, sourcers, and salespeople who depend entirely on X-ray searching. This is LinkedIn's answer to pushing everyone towards a paid version of LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, Recruiter Seat, or Sales Navigator.
Need help with Boolean?
I made two free ebooks for you to download for free. It comes with a free online Boolean builder and with a research sheet. Specifically for LinkedIn Basic/Premium, LinkedIn Recruiter, and Recruiter Lite.
English version 🇺🇸 : https://sourcingtraining.com/boolean/
Dutch version 🇳🇱 : https://klikwork.nl/boolean/
Update on Bing
Brian Fink mentioned that he could find more on Bing. And he is right. It is old data. My guestimate is that this is cached.
I found it already in my profile.
Klikwork was my old company name. I rebranded this about two months ago to Sourcing Training by Klikwork. Also, the title was changed. I have conducted additional research.
But this is temporary, and we will lose the other data eventually.
I X-rayed LinkedIn via Bing and searched for an altered profile last week.
I choose three employers from Nina's profile. And four results. But no, Nina.
So, if you want to X-Ray, try Bing instead of Google. You may get to find a bit of results. And never change your LinkedIn profile 😇.
