In the digital age, the art of finding the right information is a skill that is invaluable to every profession. Among these, recruiters stand to gain immensely from mastering online search techniques. Enter Boolean search – a method that can dramatically improve the effectiveness of LinkedIn profile searches. This article will guide you through the intricacies of Boolean search and how to leverage it to optimize LinkedIn profile searches.
Understanding Boolean Search: The Basics
Boolean search is a type of search methodology that allows users to combine keywords with specific operators such as AND, NOT, and OR. This method can help produce more precise and relevant results. The Boolean search technique is named after the 19th-century mathematician, George Boole, who introduced a system of logic that has become integral to modern digital computation.
The AND Operator
When you are searching for results that must include two (or more) criteria, you can use the AND operator. For instance, if you are looking for a LinkedIn profile of a person who is a developer and also has expertise in Android, you can use the search string ‘developer AND android’. This will yield results that include both these keywords.
The OR Operator
The OR operator is used to expand the search results. It is particularly useful when different words can be used to describe the same thing. For example, you could use ‘bank OR finance OR financial’ to fetch profiles associated with any of these related keywords.
The NOT Operator
The NOT operator is used to exclude specific terms from your search. You can use either ‘NOT’ or the minus symbol followed by the term you want to exclude without any space. For example, ‘NOT recruiter’ or ‘-recruiter’ will exclude the term ‘recruiter’ from your search results.
Advanced Boolean Operators
While the AND, OR, and NOT operators form the core of Boolean search, there are more specific operators that can be used to refine your LinkedIn profile search.
Parentheses ()
Parentheses are used to group search strings and set priorities. They are particularly handy when the search is complex and combines different keywords. For instance, ‘(developer OR designer) AND Java’ means that Java knowledge is a must-have for both developers and designers.
Quotation marks ” “
To make Google treat a phrase as a complete unit, it should be enclosed within quotation marks. For instance, if ‘customer service’ is typed without quotation marks, Google will return pages that contain both ‘customer’ and ‘service’, but not necessarily together. However, typing “customer service” will yield more relevant results.
Boolean Search for LinkedIn Profiles on Google
Google’s indexing includes LinkedIn profiles, making them searchable. This means that you can use Boolean search to find LinkedIn profiles on Google. Here’s how you can do it.
Finding LinkedIn Profiles URL on Google
To direct Google to search for LinkedIn URLs, use the ‘site’ operator. Typing “site:linkedin.com/in/” in the search bar will return only LinkedIn profiles in your search results. These results will include the profile URL, the full name, and either the job title or the company name. To increase the chances of the job title appearing in the search results, you can use the ‘intitle’ Google operator.
Boolean Search on Google for LinkedIn Profiles
Boolean search can also be used on Google to search for LinkedIn profiles. With Boolean search, you can look for several keywords (AND), at least one keyword in a list (OR), exclude keywords (NOT), look for an exact expression of several words (Quotes), and combine several Boolean operators (Parentheses).
For instance, if you are looking for the Head of Sales and Head of Marketing in the Software industry, you could use either of the following Boolean search strings:
- “Head of Sales” OR “Head of Marketing” AND Software
- Head AND (Sales OR Marketing) AND Software
This will yield LinkedIn profiles with the job titles of Head of Sales, Head of Marketing, and Head of Marketing and Sales, and where the keyword “software” appears in the profile.
Extracting Google Search Results
After using Boolean search to find LinkedIn profiles on Google, you might want to extract these URLs into a CSV file, especially if you are a marketer or salesperson looking to generate leads. This can be done using tools like Scaleserp, where you can define the number of pages and results per page that you want to extract.
Limitations of Searching LinkedIn Profiles on Google
While Boolean search on Google can be a powerful tool for finding LinkedIn profiles, it does have its limitations. Google search does not allow you to filter on specific criteria such as company size, industry, years of experience, and more. For a more refined search, LinkedIn Sales Navigator offers more advanced search filters.
Conclusion
Boolean search is a powerful tool for finding LinkedIn profiles on Google. It allows you to bypass LinkedIn search limits and quickly build qualified lead lists. However, if you need a more precise search, consider using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. With the right understanding and application of Boolean search operators, you can significantly improve your LinkedIn profile search results.