Saniya Sood
As a recruiter, your goal is to find the best candidates for a position quickly and competently. LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for sourcing top talent, but did you know there's a more advanced way to search beyond the platform’s native search functions? LinkedIn X-Ray Search is a technique that allows recruiters to tap into the full potential of LinkedIn data by using Google search to find specific profiles, skills, and backgrounds.
In this article, we’ll guide you through LinkedIn X-Ray Search, showing you how to use it to supercharge your recruiting process, along with essential tips and techniques for mastering this powerful tool.
What is LinkedIn X-Ray Search?
LinkedIn X-Ray Search refers to using advanced Google search operators to locate LinkedIn profiles that are not necessarily visible through LinkedIn’s own search. This technique is often used by recruiters and talent sourcers to find profiles outside the LinkedIn platform’s regular search capabilities. By refining Google’s search queries with specific operators, you can filter for LinkedIn profiles with precise criteria like job titles, skills, or even specific companies or locations.
With LinkedIn X-Ray Search, you can bypass LinkedIn’s search limitations, such as restrictions on profile visibility or premium subscription features. It’s an advanced method that uses Google’s powerful search algorithms to help you find LinkedIn profiles that are publicly accessible and indexed by Google.
Now that you understand what LinkedIn X-Ray Search is, let's explore the benefits it offers to recruiters.
Benefits of Using LinkedIn X-Ray Search
LinkedIn X-Ray Search opens up new possibilities by allowing you to search more effectively across LinkedIn profiles using Google. Below are the key benefits that can help optimize your recruiting efforts and broaden your candidate search.
Access to a Wider Pool of Candidates
LinkedIn X-Ray Search allows you to discover profiles that may not appear in LinkedIn’s standard search results. This expands your talent pool and helps you find candidates who might be overlooked through LinkedIn's built-in search features.
Better Control Over Search Criteria
When you use Google to perform X-Ray searches, you can control and refine the search terms to be more specific. Whether you’re searching by skills, experience, or company, the ability to use search operators gives you greater control over the results.
Improved Candidate Screening
X-Ray Search lets you quickly access detailed public profiles that may provide more in-depth information than LinkedIn’s own search results. This can be invaluable when reviewing candidates, allowing you to better match them to the job requirements before even reaching out.
Bypass LinkedIn’s Privacy Restrictions
Not all LinkedIn profiles are visible depending on a user’s privacy settings. X-Ray Search lets you view more profiles that may otherwise be restricted within LinkedIn’s platform, making it easier to find and contact the right candidates.
Free to Use
Unlike LinkedIn’s premium tools and subscriptions, LinkedIn X-Ray Search is completely free. You don’t need to invest in LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator to tap into the full potential of LinkedIn search. All you need is Google and a bit of expertise.
Also read: How Can Personalization Be Maintained When Automating LinkedIn Outreach?
Next, let’s look into the essential search operators that are crucial for performing LinkedIn X-Ray searches.
Essential Search Operators for LinkedIn X-Ray Search
Mastering search operators is key to performing LinkedIn X-Ray searches. Below are the essential operators that will help you refine your search queries and find the perfect candidates.
site:linkedin.com
This is the most important operator for LinkedIn X-Ray searches. It tells Google to only return results from LinkedIn. You’ll use this to limit your search to LinkedIn profiles.
Example: site:linkedin.com “software engineer” “San Francisco”
intitle:
This operator searches for specific words in the title of a LinkedIn profile. It’s useful for targeting job titles or specific qualifications.
Example: site:linkedin.com intitle:"product manager" "marketing"
inurl:
Use this operator to search for specific words in the URL of LinkedIn profiles. This can help you focus on specific roles or groups within LinkedIn.
Example: site:linkedin.com inurl:"in/marketing"
"exact phrase"
This operator allows you to search for an exact phrase, which is great for targeting specific qualifications, skills, or certifications.
Example: site:linkedin.com "data scientist" "Python developer"
- (minus)
Use the minus operator to exclude certain words from your search results, helping you filter out irrelevant profiles.
Example: site:linkedin.com "software engineer" -intern
OR
The OR operator allows you to combine multiple search terms. This is helpful for broadening your search to include multiple job titles or qualifications.
Example: site:linkedin.com ("sales manager" OR "account manager") "New York"
( ) Parentheses
Using parentheses can help you group different terms together and create more complex searches with multiple operators.
Example: site:linkedin.com ("data analyst" OR "business analyst") AND "SQL"
Also read: AI-Powered Intent-Based Outreach on LinkedIn
Now that you’re familiar with the essential search operators, let's walk through a step-by-step guide on how to perform a LinkedIn X-Ray search.
Step-by-Step Guide to Performing LinkedIn X-Ray Searches
LinkedIn X-Ray Search might seem complex, but with the right approach, it can become an easy and powerful tool for sourcing candidates. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you perform effective LinkedIn X-Ray searches and maximize your results.
Define Your Search Criteria
Start by identifying what you’re looking for. This might include specific job titles, skills, experience, or locations. Be clear about what type of candidate you want to target.
Choose Your Search Operators
Depending on your criteria, select the relevant search operators from the list above. Combine them to create a precise search query. For example, if you’re searching for “Marketing Managers” in New York with a focus on SEO skills, your query might look like this:
site:linkedin.com "marketing manager" "SEO" "New York"
Enter Your Search into Google
Once you’ve crafted your search query, enter it into Google. Don’t forget to refine the query further by adding additional filters or excluding irrelevant terms.
Review the Results
Examine the profiles that appear in the search results. Review their LinkedIn summaries, experience, and skills to determine if they meet your hiring criteria. Many profiles are public, making them easy to reach out to directly.
Reach Out to Candidates
Once you’ve found promising candidates, you can contact them either through LinkedIn (if their profile allows it) or via email if you can find their contact information through their LinkedIn profile.
Let Valley streamline your LinkedIn networking efforts. Our AI-powered platform identifies the right moments for outreach and helps you craft personalized messages that resonate with your ideal connections. While you focus on building meaningful relationships, we ensure your connection requests are timely, relevant, and compelling.
Also read: LinkedIn Outreach 2.0: Cracking the Intent Data Code
Once you're comfortable with performing X-Ray searches, let’s look at the tools that can help your LinkedIn X-Ray search experience.
Tools to Optimize Your LinkedIn X-Ray Search
While Google is a powerful search engine, certain tools can further build your LinkedIn X-Ray search capabilities. Below are some recommended tools that can help you automate and improve the accuracy of your searches.
Valley
Valley automates your LinkedIn X-Ray search process with Targeted Prospecting, helping you zero in on high-intent prospects by tracking key buying signals and competitor post engagement. Our AI-powered platform analyzes these signals to ensure you’re reaching out to the right people at the right time. By focusing on behavior-driven outreach, Valley ensures that your messaging resonates and has the highest chance of converting, streamlining the entire lead generation process.
Sourcing.io
Sourcing.io is a paid tool designed for sourcing candidates from LinkedIn, GitHub, and other platforms. It uses X-Ray techniques to help you quickly find profiles based on your search criteria.
LinkedIn Recruiter
While LinkedIn Recruiter is a paid tool, it provides advanced search filters and X-Ray capabilities within the LinkedIn platform itself. If you’re regularly sourcing candidates, this tool is an excellent investment.
Also read: Mastering Intent-Based Outreach on LinkedIn: A Comprehensive Guide
With these tools in mind, let’s explore some effective techniques that will help recruiters maximize LinkedIn X-Ray Search.
Techniques for Recruiters Using LinkedIn X-Ray Search
LinkedIn X-Ray Search can be incredibly effective when used with the right techniques, allowing recruiters to find the best candidates faster. The following are some proven techniques that will make your X-Ray search process more productive.
Target Specific Job Titles
Use the intitle operator to search for exact job titles. This allows you to narrow down your search to profiles that include specific job roles like "UX Designer," "Data Scientist," or "Software Engineer." By refining the search with the intitle: operator, you make certain that the results directly align with your desired role, saving you time sifting through irrelevant profiles.
Use Boolean Search
Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT are powerful tools that help you refine your search results. For example, you can search for “site:linkedin.com (marketing OR sales) AND ‘California’” to gather profiles from both marketing and sales professionals in California. These operators allow you to combine terms creatively, enabling you to target a broader or more specific pool of candidates depending on your needs.
Search by Company
If you’re looking to source talent from particular companies, use the inurl operator to focus your search on LinkedIn profiles from specific organizations. For example, searching “site:linkedin.com inurl:"in/amazon"” will return profiles of individuals working at Amazon. This technique is highly effective for headhunting or finding candidates with experience from top companies in your industry.
Use Location Filters
Adding location keywords to your search helps you find candidates based in a specific city, region, or country. For instance, by including "New York" or "Germany" in your search, you narrow your results to only those who are located in the desired geographic area. This is especially beneficial when you're looking for local talent or planning to relocate candidates for specific roles.
Include Skills and Certifications
When you need candidates with specific skills or certifications, use the “exact phrase” operator to make sure that you target profiles with the exact expertise you’re looking for. For example, searching for "certified project manager" or "Java developer" verifies if you’re pinpointing professionals who meet the qualifications necessary for the role. This helps reduce the time spent reviewing candidates who don’t match your requirements.
Exclude Unwanted Profiles
The - (minus) operator is a great way to exclude certain words or profiles from your search. For instance, if you want to exclude interns or entry-level candidates, you can search for “site:linkedin.com ‘data analyst’ -intern” to eliminate profiles that contain the word "intern." This guarantees your search results focus only on the most relevant candidates.
Use Quotes for Exact Phrases
When searching for specific qualifications, job titles, or certifications, always use quotation marks to make sure that you're looking for an exact phrase. For example, searching for "senior software engineer" will only return results where that exact title appears, avoiding irrelevant profiles that may contain those words separately. This is particularly useful for finding niche skills or roles.
Find Candidates by Education
Use the 'intitle' or 'inurl' operator to search for candidates who have attended specific universities or possess certain educational qualifications. For example, searching for “site:linkedin.com inurl:“university-of-california”” will help you find profiles of candidates who studied at a particular institution. This is useful when you want to target alumni or candidates with certain academic backgrounds.
Search by Keywords in Profile Summaries
By combining the intext operator with specific job-related keywords, you can search for candidates whose profiles include certain keywords in their summary section. For instance, if you’re looking for candidates with experience in "digital marketing" or "machine learning," searching for “site:linkedin.com intext:“digital marketing”” will bring up profiles with these terms in their summary or experience section, giving you highly relevant results.
Target Industry-Specific Talent
If you're looking to hire candidates from a specific industry, you can use industry-related keywords along with operators like intitle or inurl to target profiles from a particular sector. For example, searching “site:linkedin.com ‘software development’ intitle:‘developer’” will help you find profiles of developers working in the software industry.
Also read: 5 Key Strategies for Effective Intent-Based Outreach on LinkedIn
By using these techniques, you’ll be able to optimize your LinkedIn X-Ray searches and find the best candidates for your roles.
Wrapping Up
LinkedIn X-Ray Search is an invaluable tool for recruiters looking to expand their talent pool and refine their search process. By using advanced search operators and techniques, you can unlock LinkedIn’s full potential, discovering candidates that may have been missed using standard search functions. With the right tools and techniques, you can master X-Ray search and take your recruiting efforts to the next level.
Valley’s AI-driven tools can help you automate personalized outreach, target high-intent prospects, and scale your LinkedIn efforts without increasing your headcount. By using Valley’s Targeted Prospecting, you can accelerate your recruiting process and achieve better engagement.
Schedule a call today to see how Valley can transform your recruiting strategy with high-impact outreach!
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