How to Use LinkedIn to Find Hidden ATS Keywords for Any Job

Most job seekers treat LinkedIn as a networking platform and ATS optimization as a separate, technical exercise. In reality, LinkedIn is one of the most powerful keyword research tools available — and it is completely free. The platform aggregates language from millions of job descriptions, candidate profiles, and industry conversations, giving you a rich source of the exact terminology your target employers use and value.

Mining Job Postings for Keyword Patterns

Start by searching for ten to fifteen job postings that match your target role and level. Do not just read them — analyze them. Open each in a separate tab and look for the terms that appear consistently across multiple postings. These repeating terms are the highest-priority keywords because they reflect industry consensus about what the role requires, not idiosyncratic preferences of one hiring manager.

Pay particular attention to the "Required Skills" and "Preferred Qualifications" sections. These are often the most literal representations of what the ATS is configured to filter for. Copy the most frequently repeated phrases verbatim, since exact matching still matters for technical terms and certifications.

Studying Profiles of People in Your Target Role

Search LinkedIn for people currently holding the role you want at companies you are targeting. Study their profiles — particularly their headline, summary, and skills sections. Note the specific language they use to describe their work. This gives you a real-world view of how successful professionals in your target role describe their skills, which closely mirrors what ATS systems and hiring managers look for in applicants.

Leveraging LinkedIn's Skills Feature

LinkedIn's Skills section on both job postings and candidate profiles is a curated, structured keyword source. When you view a job posting on LinkedIn, scroll to the "Skills" section to see the explicit skill tags associated with the role. These tags are among the most direct signals of ATS filter criteria. Ensure the same skills appear in your resume where you genuinely have them:

• Add exact skill names from LinkedIn job postings to your resume's skills section.
• Use the same capitalization and punctuation style (e.g., "Google Analytics 4" not just "analytics").
• Include both the full term and the common acronym where both appear in postings.
• Prioritize skills that appear across multiple companies' postings for the same role.

Monitoring Industry Conversations for Emerging Keywords

LinkedIn's feed, groups, and articles surface emerging skills and terminology before they dominate job descriptions. Following thought leaders and company pages in your target industry helps you identify rising keywords — tools, methodologies, and frameworks — that signal forward-thinking candidates. Incorporating a relevant emerging term positions you as current and engaged with where the field is heading.

ApplyGlide integrates directly with job description analysis to identify and apply the right keywords automatically. Pair our AI with your own LinkedIn research for the most comprehensive ATS optimization strategy available.