Is LinkedIn Showing Old Posts? Algorithm Update

By Cap Puckhaber, Reno, Nevada

If you feel like your LinkedIn feed has become a time capsule, you aren’t imagining things. I’ve personally seen posts from two or three weeks ago suddenly reappear at the top of my feed with zero new engagement to justify the comeback. This is a result of LinkedIn’s 2025 shift from a “recency-based” algorithm to a “relevance-based” one, where the platform prioritizes professional value over how many minutes ago you hit publish.

Beyond the strange timing, the “Link Tax” has never been more real for small business owners. Whenever I post a direct link to my site, BlackDiamondMarketingSolutions.com, the reach is throttled almost instantly compared to my text-only updates. LinkedIn’s current goal is to maximize “dwell time,” and since outbound links encourage users to leave the platform, the algorithm essentially buries them to keep eyes on their own real estate.

Finally, the user interface itself is forcing a new kind of consumption through the “Post Slider” and persistent comment-heavy threads. You’ve likely noticed that mini-carousel at the top of your feed—this is LinkedIn’s attempt to surface “continuing valuable conversations” that you might have missed. If a post is sparking a deep back-and-forth in the comments, the algorithm will keep it pinned in that slider for days, proving that a high-quality debate is now worth more than a thousand “congrats” likes.

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So What’s LinkedIn Doing and Why?

From my deep dives into LinkedIn’s Engineering Blog and recent updates from their product teams, it’s clear they are chasing “meaningful engagement” to fight off the rise of low-value AI spam. The algorithm is no longer just looking for a click; it is measuring the consumption rate, which is the technical term for how much of your post someone actually consumes before scrolling. They want to ensure that every time a user opens the app, they see something that actually helps their career rather than just another viral meme.

This change is heavily influenced by the “Expertise” pillar of E-E-A-T. LinkedIn has explicitly stated that they are now prioritizing content from users who show a consistent history of posting about a specific niche. If you are a lawyer who suddenly posts about crypto, your reach will likely tank because the algorithm doesn’t recognize you as an authority in that space. They are essentially rewarding “Domain Authority,” much like Google does with search results, to ensure the feed remains a professional resource.

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The Algorithm Isn’t Broken; It’s Just Playing a Different Game

LinkedIn is successfully emulating the engagement-first design models of platforms like TikTok and Reddit. While TikTok uses “watch time” to determine what goes viral, LinkedIn is using dwell time—the seconds or minutes you spend reading a long-form post—as the primary signal of quality. By shifting away from “The Golden Hour” (where you had to get likes immediately or the post died), they have created a “Longer Tail” for content that allows high-value posts to circulate for weeks.

This strategic move toward “stickiness” explains the rollout of new UI features like the post slider and the renewed focus on PDF carousels. According to recent industry reports, carousels (uploaded as PDFs) are still generating significantly more dwell time because they require the user to stay on the post and interact multiple times. LinkedIn’s move is a clear signal: if you want to be seen, you have to create content that is worth sitting with, not just scrolling past.

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What’s Working for Me and My Clients Right Now

After months of testing these shifts at Black Diamond Marketing Solutions, I’ve found that the “Post-and-Ghost” era is officially over. We’ve had to pivot our strategy for service-based clients to focus on “Zero-Click Content”—posts that provide all the value right there in the feed without requiring a single click to an outside site. The results have been undeniable, with reach and profile views increasing even as the general “viral” reach on the platform seems to be dipping.

1. Post Text-Only Updates with Strong Hooks

Plain text posts are currently the “quiet giants” of the algorithm because they force the reader to focus entirely on the quality of your writing. I’ve found that a bold, two-sentence opening—a “hook”—is the single most important factor in whether a post succeeds or fails in 2025. By starting with a counter-intuitive opinion or a specific result, you trigger the “See More” button, which is a massive signal to LinkedIn that your content is engaging enough to be read in full.

2. Move the Link to the Comments

To bypass the “Link Tax,” we now strictly place all external URLs in the first comment of the post. This allows the main post to be categorized as “Native Content” by the algorithm, which usually results in 3x to 4x the initial reach compared to posts with links in the body. Once you’ve written your post, simply end with a call to action like, “I’ve dropped the full case study in the first comment below,” to guide your readers to the destination without alerting the algorithm’s filters.

3. Reply to Every Comment Promptly

Engagement is a two-way street, and the algorithm now weighs the “depth of conversation” much higher than the total number of comments. When you reply to a comment with a question or a 15+ word thoughtful response, it signals to LinkedIn that your post is a hub of active professional networking. This “reciprocal engagement” not only boosts the post’s visibility but also builds the Trustworthiness part of your E-E-A-T profile by showing you are a real, responsive human.

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What This Means for Small Business Owners

If you are running a business, you don’t need to be an “influencer” to win on LinkedIn; you just need to be a Subject Matter Expert. The algorithm is actually working in your favor now because it’s looking for niche authority over broad popularity. By focusing on narrow, high-value topics related to your specific industry, you can reach the exact people who need your services, even if your total “like” count stays relatively low.

1. Consistency Beats Frequency

In the current landscape, posting five times a week with “thin” content will actually hurt your overall reach. I recommend my clients focus on two or three high-density posts per week that offer genuine insight or a unique perspective on their industry. This prevents “follower fatigue” and ensures that when your name does pop up in the feed, your audience knows it’s going to be something worth their time to read.

2. Engage Before and After You Post

The “Golden Hour” has shifted from receiving engagement to giving engagement. I’ve found that spending 10 minutes commenting on 5-10 other posts in your niche right before you publish your own acts like a “warm-up” for your profile’s visibility. This activity signals to the algorithm that you are an active member of the community, which often results in a significant boost to your post’s initial distribution window.

3. Share Real Stories, Not Just Tips

Raw, experience-based content is the best way to satisfy the Experience requirement of E-E-A-T. Instead of sharing generic “Tips for Better SEO,” try sharing “How I Fixed a 40% Traffic Drop for a Local Plumber.” People connect with the struggle and the solution of a real-world scenario, and this type of storytelling naturally leads to longer dwell times and more saved posts, both of which are high-value signals to the algorithm.

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Final Thoughts from the Trenches

The “chaotic” feeling of the current LinkedIn feed is actually a massive opportunity for those willing to provide real value. We are moving away from a world where you can “hack” your way to the top with pods or engagement bait and into a world where true expertise is the only currency that matters. It’s a messy transition, but it’s one that ultimately benefits the people who have something real to say.

If your views are down, don’t take it personally—take it as a challenge to go deeper with your content. You don’t need a massive marketing team or a 24/7 content schedule; you just need to be consistent and helpful. This is exactly what we specialize in at Black Diamond Marketing Solutions, helping you navigate these algorithmic shifts so you can focus on running your business while we handle the visibility.

Frequently Asked Questions About the LinkedIn Algorithm

Why am I seeing posts that are two or three weeks old at the top of my feed?

This isn’t a glitch in the system; it’s an intentional shift by LinkedIn to prioritize “relevance” over “recency.” In the 2025 algorithm update, LinkedIn began treating the feed more like an interest graph (similar to Reddit or TikTok) rather than a chronological timeline. If a post continues to receive high-quality comments or saves days after it was published, the algorithm will keep resurfacing it to users who share those professional interests, regardless of the original timestamp.

For business owners, this is actually good news because it extends the “shelf life” of your best content. Instead of your post disappearing in 24 hours, a well-crafted piece of thought leadership can now generate leads and profile views for several weeks. To take advantage of this, you should focus on creating “evergreen” content—posts that provide value today, next week, and next month—rather than just chasing temporary trends or breaking news.

Does the algorithm really penalize me for posting links to my own website?

Yes, the “Link Tax” is a very real mechanism that LinkedIn uses to keep users from leaving their ecosystem. When you include an external URL in the body of your post, LinkedIn’s AI identifies it as “outbound” content and typically reduces its distribution to about 30% of what a native text post would receive. They want to maximize “dwell time” on their own app, and a link to your blog or YouTube channel works directly against that goal.

The most effective workaround is to “Move the Link to the Comments” or use the “Post-then-Edit” strategy. You can write a high-value summary of your article in the post, publish it, and then either drop the link in the first comment or wait a few minutes to edit the link into the post. At Black Diamond Marketing Solutions, we’ve found that the “Link in Comments” method consistently results in higher reach and more authentic engagement because it doesn’t trigger the initial algorithmic filter.

How many times per week should I be posting to stay visible?

In 2025, quality has officially dethroned quantity, and posting every single day can actually lead to “content fatigue” and lower overall reach. Research shows that posting more than 18–24 hours apart is crucial; if you post too frequently, your new update will often “cannibalize” the reach of your previous one. For most small business owners, the sweet spot is 2 to 3 high-quality posts per week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.

By sticking to a three-day schedule, you give the algorithm enough time to distribute your content across different time zones and professional circles. It also prevents your followers from tuning you out, which is a key part of maintaining a high “Consumption Rate.” Remember, LinkedIn is now measuring how much of your post people actually read, so it’s better to have three posts that people finish than five posts that they skip.

Are hashtags still a useful tool for getting more views?

Hashtags have seen a significant decline in effectiveness over the last year, and overusing them can now actually hurt your post’s professional “score.” LinkedIn’s AI has become incredibly proficient at “Natural Language Processing,” meaning it can understand what your post is about based on your text alone without needing a string of tags to categorize it. Using more than three to five hashtags can make your content look like spam, which may lead the algorithm to categorize it as “low-quality” or “engagement bait.”

If you do choose to use hashtags, stick to three specific, niche tags that directly relate to your industry rather than broad terms like #business or #success. For example, if you’re a local HVAC owner, using #HVACMaintenance is far more effective for reaching a targeted audience than a generic tag. The goal is to help the “Interest Graph” find you, but your primary focus should always be on writing a “hook” that earns the reader’s attention in the first two lines.