How LinkedIn’s algorithm works & what you need to know

LinkedIn is the titan of B2B marketing, with 91% of B2B marketers sharing content and 80% of social media-generated leads originating from the platform.

Despite its one billion-strong user base and 310 million monthly active users, there’s often a disconnect between what B2B marketers expect from the platform and how LinkedIn’s algorithm actually works.

While companies post frequently and invest heavily in content, average engagement rates still hover at just 1.1% per post.

Why? Because LinkedIn no longer rewards superficial reach. Instead, it prioritises relevance, expertise, and relationship-building over vanity metrics.

This article breaks down how the algorithm functions in 2025 and offers practical tips to align your content with LinkedIn’s values of professional growth and knowledge sharing.

What B2B marketers need to know about the LinkedIn algorithm right now

Like Google, LinkedIn keeps its algorithmic secrets close. But savvy marketers and researchers have tested patterns, revealing key insights:

LinkedIn is a recommendation engine

Your feed isn’t chronological — it’s tailored. LinkedIn’s algorithm surfaces posts it believes you’re likely to interact with, based on:

Your interests
Your previous behaviour
Who and what you engage with

Every post is sorted into one of three categories:

Great content: Relevant, valuable, high-dwell-time posts that spark conversation. These are promoted more widely — especially when comments exceed 15 words.
Low-quality content: Vague, overly self-promotional, or too broad to connect with specific audiences.
Spam: Violations of LinkedIn’s community guidelines — including overt sales, emoji spam, connection farming, or engagement pods.

The “Golden Hour” test

When you post, LinkedIn shows your content to a small test group for 60 minutes. If engagement is strong, your reach increases. If not, the post fades.

⚠️ Tactic to avoid: Artificially boosting engagement (e.g. asking colleagues to like/comment immediately). LinkedIn now penalises engagement pods and suspicious behaviour.

Tips for adapting B2B marketing strategies for LinkedIn

Short-form video is king

Native LinkedIn videos drive 5x more engagement and 20x more shares than external links.

💡 Neil Patel recommends:

Short videos (40–46 seconds) with 1–2 sentence captions and a strong hook
Educational long-form videos (3–4 mins) with captions under 291 characters

LinkedIn now uses semantic search to show relevant content — hashtags matter less than intent.

Optimise for long-tail keywords, but focus more on industry terminology and educational value
High-quality posts can remain discoverable for months through suggested post feeds

Foster authentic engagement

LinkedIn values meaningful interactions, not surface-level clicks. Encourage engagement by:

Leaving thoughtful comments on relevant content
Asking open-ended questions in your posts
Joining groups and connecting with peers in your niche

Avoid one-word replies. Instead, reply with context, insights, or follow-up questions to extend the conversation.

Time your posts to maximise the Golden Hour

Use LinkedIn Analytics or third-party tools (like Hootsuite or Sprout Social) to discover when your audience is most active.

📅 Best UK times to post (according to Sprout Social):
Tuesday to Thursday, 10am–12pm — but test your own audience for accuracy.

CopyHouse: Delivering multichannel thought leadership content to boost your online profile

LinkedIn is transforming how professionals consume and share content. For B2B brands, that means shifting from pushing product messages to delivering value through insight-led content.

At CopyHouse, we help you cut through the noise with thought leadership strategies that build trust and drive meaningful engagement.

CopyHouse provides strategic content marketing to tech-led B2B clients, both domestically and internationally. Find out more about how we can help optimise your use of LinkedIn and align it with your campaigns and content activity — contact us today.