Why LinkedIn is Ending Engagement Pods and Viral Tricks

LinkedIn has rolled out a major overhaul of its feed algorithm, replacing its older engagement-driven ranking system with one powered by large language models (LLMs) that understand what posts actually mean, not just which keywords they contain.

As explained by LinkedIn:
“While the Feed has long been AI-powered, recent LLM advances gave us the opportunity to rethink what’s possible. That’s why we’re rolling out a new advanced ranking system, powered by LLMs and GPUs, that better understands what a post is actually about and how it relates to a member’s evolving interests and career goals.”

In simple terms, the new system can understand connections between topics. For example, if you are interested in ‘electrical engineering’ but engage with posts about ‘small modular reactors,’ traditional keyword systems might miss the link. The LLM-based system recognizes that these topics are related because it uses world knowledge from its massive pre-training.

The system is built on a 150-billion-parameter foundation model and replaces the old “feature factory” of separate task-specific models. Instead of only calculating clicks and likes, it now reasons about user intent, matching content to professional interests through semantic understanding rather than keywords.

Some practical changes include:

• Faster surfacing of industry news — related posts appear within minutes.

• Feeds adapt quickly when users show new professional interests.

• Content is cross-referenced with the author’s profile, rewarding consistent expertise and suppressing mismatched posts.

Data shows that while overall views are down about 50% and engagement 25% year on year, this is redistribution, not decline. Visibility for recognized experts has risen from 15% to 31% since 2022, while posts from other creators have fallen from 57% to 28%.

LinkedIn is also introducing a “Depth Score”, measuring how long users engage with content, including reading time, comment quality, saves, and private shares. Engagement bait is being suppressed — generic comments, unrelated videos, and recycled content are now downranked. Internal data showed 60% of high-engagement posts in late 2025 used at least one manipulation tactic, even as user satisfaction declined.

The new system gives creators a better chance to connect with audiences and keeps feeds updated with fresh industry news rather than old posts. Document carousels now have 6.6% engagement compared to 2% for text, and video creation is growing twice as fast as other formats.