LinkedIn’s New ‘Try Searching For’ Feature

LinkedIn’s Big Push into Search

LinkedIn is stepping up its search game in 2025 with a new feature called ‘Try Searching For’. This update aims to encourage more users to search for content directly on the platform by offering pre-populated search suggestions based on trending industry news and discussions.

Spotted by Lindsey Gamble on Threads, this move is part of LinkedIn’s broader strategy to become a go-to destination for industry insights and breaking news. Not just a professional networking site.

But what does this mean for marketers and brands? And why is social search becoming a critical part of digital marketing strategies?

Let’s break it down.

Why Social Search Is Taking Over in 2025

Social media platforms aren’t just social networks anymore—they’re search engines.

Sophie Miller from Pretty Little Marketer recently shared on LinkedIn that more people are using social platforms to search for answers, research products, and make purchasing decisions.

Take TikTok, for example:

📌 40% of Gen Z users now turn to TikTok before Google when searching for information.
📌 10% of Gen Z users rely on TikTok more than Google for product research.
📌 44% of Gen X TikTok users use the platform for discovering new things.

And it’s not just TikTok. Instagram, LinkedIn, and even X (formerly Twitter) are refining their search functions to compete with traditional search engines like Google.

How LinkedIn’s ‘Try Searching For’ Feature Works

When users open the LinkedIn search bar, they’ll now see pre-populated search suggestions based on:

🔎 Trending stories curated by LinkedIn editors
🔎 Popular discussions in your network
🔎 Industry-relevant content that LinkedIn’s algorithm thinks you’ll find useful

This shift mirrors TikTok’s success in social search and could position LinkedIn as an essential tool for industry research and professional discovery.

What This Means for Your LinkedIn Strategy

With social search becoming more important than ever, marketers need to start optimising their LinkedIn content for discoverability.

Here’s how you can leverage LinkedIn’s evolving search function.

1️⃣ Think Like Your Audience

What are your potential customers searching for? Consider common pain points, industry trends, and solutions they might be looking for on LinkedIn.

2️⃣ Use the Right Keywords

Conduct keyword research using:
✅ Google Keyword Planner (for high-ranking search terms)
✅ Google Trends (for trending topics)
✅ Answer the Public (for real-world search queries)

Then, integrate those keywords naturally into your LinkedIn posts, video captions, and article headlines.

3️⃣ Optimise Your Content for Search

To increase your LinkedIn reach, ensure your content includes:
📌 Keyword-friendly captions in your posts
📌 Text overlays in your videos
📌 Hashtags (strategically placed, not overused)
📌 Geo-tagging (especially if location is relevant to your business)

4️⃣ Stay Ahead of the Competition

Social search is evolving fast. Brands that optimise for LinkedIn’s new search features will have a huge advantage in 2025 and beyond.

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn’s new search feature is just the beginning of a bigger shift towards AI-powered social search.

For brands and marketers, this means adapting to social SEO strategies—because users are no longer just scrolling, they’re searching.

Will you be using LinkedIn’s ‘Try Searching For’ feature to boost your visibility in 2025? Let us know in the comments!