Quick Answer
No, someone will not get a notification if you view their LinkedIn profile from Google search results. LinkedIn only shows profile views that originate from within LinkedIn, not external sites like Google. However, if you click through to the full LinkedIn profile multiple times, the user may notice repeating profile views from the same viewer.
Detailed Answer
When you view someone’s LinkedIn profile, they will only be notified if you view the profile while logged into your LinkedIn account. LinkedIn tracks profile views that originate from their own website and mobile app. Views from other sites like Google or Facebook do not register as LinkedIn profile views for the user.
There are a few reasons why LinkedIn doesn’t track external profile views:
1. Privacy Concerns
LinkedIn likely avoids tracking views from outside their own platform to avoid privacy issues. Monitoring user activity on external sites would raise concerns around data collection practices. Restricting view tracking to their own logged-in users provides more transparency.
2. Technical Limitations
It can be challenging from a technical standpoint to reliably track views originating from outside sites. Things like privacy settings, proxies, incognito browsing, and caching provide obstacles. Focusing on internal traffic allows more accurate analytics.
3. Driving Site Traffic
Not counting external views incentivizes users to visit LinkedIn directly if they want view analytics. This helps drive more actions and engagement back to the LinkedIn platform.
So in summary, no notification is triggered when viewing a LinkedIn profile from Google or other search engines. However, there are a few caveats:
Repeated Views May Be Noticed
If you repeatedly view the same user’s profile over time from a Google search, they may notice the recurring profile views from the same viewer. So continuous heavy monitoring could raise suspicions.
Paid LinkedIn Accounts Have More Analytics
Paid LinkedIn members can see slightly more advanced analytics like view demographics and sources. So if the user has a premium account, they have additional visibility into their visitor data.
Google Analytics May Be Used
The profile owner may utilize Google Analytics or other tools to monitor traffic to their profile from referrals. So technically savvy users could gather more insights into external visitors.
You Can Appear in Searches
If you view someone’s profile frequently enough, you may show up yourself as a top searcher when they look at their profile traffic. So excessive viewing will increase the chances they notice you.
What Shows Up as a LinkedIn Profile View
To better understand what LinkedIn counts as a view, here are some examples of when profile views do register:
- Viewing a profile while logged into a LinkedIn account
- Visiting a profile from LinkedIn on mobile while logged in
- Looking at profiles accessed through LinkedIn Recruiter accounts
- LinkedIn paid account holders looking at visitor analytics
Meanwhile, these external views do NOT get counted:
- Looking at a profile from Google search results
- Accessing a profile from a Facebook or Twitter sharing link
- Viewing pages in an incognito or private browser mode
- Previewing a profile from an email digest or LinkedIn notification
So again, any views that originate outside of LinkedIn’s own platforms are not included in the official view totals seen by users. Only logged-in actions via LinkedIn directly can be tracked and counted.
How to View a LinkedIn Profile Anonymously
If you want to keep your LinkedIn profile viewing private, here are some tips:
Use Google Search
As mentioned, Google search allows anonymous viewing without any notifications to the user. You will need to find the profile in Google results and click through.
Open in Incognito Mode
Using a browser’s private or incognito mode prevents tracking cookies or logins that would reveal your identity. The profile owner won’t see an identifiable viewer in their analytics dashboard.
View on Someone Else’s Device
If you can safely access another computer or phone, view the profile while not logged into any accounts. There will be no tracked credentials linking the view to your identity.
Unlink Connections
If you and the user are connected on LinkedIn, unlink to prevent your name appearing as a profile viewer. Disconnecting removes the association even if they can see anonymous visitors.
Use Intermediary Link
Rather than visiting the LinkedIn profile directly, access it through another website or link shortener. This obscures the referral source and makes tracking more difficult.
Limit Frequency
Avoid viewing a profile too frequently, as repetitive views from the same source can look suspicious, even if anonymized. Space out checks and use variation to stay under the radar.
Block Cookies
A browser extension like AdBlock can help block cookies and trackers that LinkedIn uses to identify visitors across sites. This improves anonymity but doesn’t guarantee 100% privacy.
Ethical Considerations
While you can technically view LinkedIn profiles without users knowing, it’s wise to consider ethics:
- Respect individual privacy – don’t stalk or harass others online.
- Access profiles for legitimate purposes only, not to snoop on acquaintances.
- Disable monitoring tools if requested by a user.
- Be transparent if asked directly about viewing someone’s profile.
Basically, just because you can be anonymous doesn’t mean you always should. Think carefully before accessing others’ personal information.
Conclusion
Viewing a LinkedIn profile via Google or other external sites will not trigger a notification for the user. LinkedIn view tracking is limited to actions taken while logged into their platforms. However, repeatedly viewing a profile may reveal your activity to a vigilant profile owner through other means. Use common sense and ethical judgment when viewing profiles to respect privacy and maintain trust.
View Source | Notifies User? |
---|---|
LinkedIn website (logged in) | Yes |
LinkedIn mobile app (logged in) | Yes |
Google search results | No |
Facebook sharing link | No |
Incognito/private browser | No |