LinkedIn: 10 Important Changes

LinkedIn this week took a major step toward becoming more than just a site to visit when you're in the market for a new job. It announced that it integrated social newsreader app Pulseinto mobile and desktop versions of the site. Pulse, which was acquired by LinkedIn in April for $90 million, replaces LinkedIn Today, the social network's former news curation feature that the company launched in 2011.

"Pulse and LinkedIn technology have been fully integrated to offer a more relevant news experience with content tailored to your professional interests both on the Pulse app and on LinkedIn.com," said Ankit Gupta, Pulse cofounder and product manager at LinkedIn. "This is just the first step of many we will be taking to ensure you're getting a consistent and seamless content experience that is tailored to you."

Integrating Pulse with its mobile and desktop versions highlights the social network's drive to provide users with a mix of original and outside content. A year ago, LinkedIn introduced the ability to follow hand-picked thought leaderssuch as Richard Branson, Craig Newmark, and President Obama, who publish columns to LinkedIn on various business and leadership topics. LinkedIn's revision of the Pulse app adds to its content repository by surfacing personalized posts from external news sources.

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When you first open the Pulse app -- which is available to download for iOS and Android -- you'll be prompted to sign in using your LinkedIn profile. The app will then sync channels, influencers, and LinkedIn content you already follow, Gupta said. Pulse will also offer you personalized content recommendations that are customized based on your LinkedIn preferences and professional interests.

Pulse also lets you comment on, like, or share news to your LinkedIn profile or Facebook and Twitter accounts from within the Pulse app. You'll find the sharing buttons at the top of your stream and at the top of articles you're browsing.

Finally, LinkedIn revamped Pulse's search function, which now provides faster autocomplete suggestions, Gupta said. It's also made it easier for users to find "What's New" across world events and to browse what's trending. Users can create lists in the "My Lists" section for professional topics such as outsourcing, and browse suggested topics via recommendations or by scrolling to see the next article within a channel or publication.

According to a LinkedIn spokesperson, Pulse will continue to stay the course with its own business goals by continuing to strike up content deals with third-party publishers. "The relationships Pulse has will stay intact and a selection of these publishers will also be accessible now on LinkedIn.com," she said.

LinkedIn's Pulse integration is the latest in a number of improvements the social network has made to its user experience across desktop and mobile in the last year. Last month, the social network announced a number of changes to its mobile apps, which included a facelift for iOS 7 and new Pulse features, including swiping gestures.