What has your LinkedIn profile done for you lately? In all likelihood, not much. Many people use it for little more than a resume site and just let their profile sit there waiting for someone to come across it. But there’s so much more there.

1) First of all it has a lot of weight with Google.
Go ahead and Google your name. I’ll bet that your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, showed up pretty high on the list. That means that you can use the site as a tool to show up in other types of searches. Edit your profile so that “My Blog” and “My Website” display key terms for your industry. Bam! You just gave yourself a huge boost in search engine rankings. It’s a simple bit of optimization that can pay off handsomely.

2) Now, import your blog.
WordPress and Blog Link applications are already in LinkedIn so it’s easy to do. We know that LinkIn profiles are easy to find so now your blog is too. A blog is a great way to promote yourself, but you need readers to do that. The more help you give them finding you, the more help you give yourself.

3) Next, what about ads?
You can target them by industry, company size and so on. Since this is professional site there’s very little scatter and you can get started for as little as 50 bucks.

4) Don’t forget the power of events.
You can create an event even if you’re only going to be an attendee. Also, you can view the events of other people in your network. If a lot of people in your field are going to be in a given place at a given time, perhaps you should arrange to be there too.

5) Use groups.
Don’t just join and walk away, but actively participate and make contacts. Start your own groups. It’s a great way to get email addresses meet new people. Just start by inviting your network and watch the ripples spread. As people join that membership shows up on their news feeds which are visible to all their friends. Now your creation is spreading like the flu.

6) Finally, gather recommendations.
“But how?” You ask. Do unto others…. Recommend your colleagues and they’ll return the favor.

So you see? LinkedIn isn’t just a handy place to post a resume. It’s a powerful tool in your professional life. But it needs to be wielded properly if it’s going to do the job.