Just like you rarely go to page two when searching on Google, potential students tend to choose their tutor from among the first ten profiles they see.
Preply officially publishes the metrics it considers for ranking, but not their relative weight, so you may be left wondering: how many good reviews do I need to offset a no-show? Will my ranking drop if fewer students book a trial with me?
Much like its more prestigious counterparts, the God of the Algorithm can feel pretty mysterious, especially to new devotees.
Here are a few insights to help you please it from someone who has consistently held the #1 position in their category for the last ten months:
šTrial conversions
No official source states it, but in my experience this is the single most important metric: the algorithmic equivalent of a burnt offering.
High-conversion tutors consistently outrank their counterparts.
The reason is simple: Preply takes a percentage of your earnings. It wants to send potential students to teachers who are likely to turn them into paying customers.
If you donāt know how to do that, read my step-by-step guide on how to keep a 100% retention rate after Preply trial lessons.
š Availability
Probably one of the most underrated metrics.
Keep a broad, consistent schedule with plenty of high-demand time slots available (Preply highlights these in pink on your calendar).
Itās true: only the number of available slots is an official metric displayed in Insights, but when students sign up, they indicate their preferred time slots, and the algorithm tries to match them with available tutors.
Result: if most students want evening classes in Europe and you donāt teach after 5 p.m., your ranking will drop for those searches.
š« Cancellations and rescheduling
In case you need me to tell you: donāt miss lessons without informing your students, unless you plan to deal a fatal blow to your ranking.
Preply markets itself as a premium platform. It cannot afford to lose clients to tutor misconduct, so plan your days off in advance and avoid canceling lessons.
If you canāt attend, let your student know in advance and reschedule, preferably selecting the first option in the menu: āThe student asked to reschedule this lesson.ā
Yes, itās technically a lie, but itās the only option that wonāt impact your ranking, so make sure the student has your back.
š£ Outreach and responsiveness
Remember how I said Preply wants to send potential students to teachers who will turn them into paying customers? The same logic applies here.
Preply will give you stats like these: a student is 35 times more likely to book a trial if you message them within 10 minutes of an incomplete booking. Or: a student is 27% more likely to subscribe if you reach out after the trial.
Take every. Single. Piece. Of. Advice.
The more you convert, the more the algorithm will love you.
šÆ Profile quality
This oneās a bit of a black box.
It should evaluate how likely a student is to buy from you based on your profile picture, introduction video, and description.
Preply tells you to aim for over 90%, but know that this mostly matters at the beginning. Once you get your first clients, this metric is easily outweighed by your actual conversion rate.
š·ļø Price
In case you donāt trust official sources, let me reassure you: the algorithm does NOT favor cheaper tutors.
The pictures below show me at the top of my category with rates ranging from $29 (which was already triple what other tutors charged) all the way to $60 per lesson. Thatās the very high end of Preply.
Double the price, no difference in ranking.
Why? Students kept buying at the new rate.
š Qualifications, certificates & the like
They donāt count.
As simple as that.
Let me rephrase: they only count insofar as they make you a better teacher, and by ābetter teacherā I mean a tutor students are likely to choose and happily learn from.
In this sense, the system is brutally meritocratic. No credentials? No problem: you can prove yourself in the field. A long list of awards and certificates, but students donāt like you? Big trouble. The algorithm wonāt like you either.
There you have it: six key Preply metrics ranked in order of importance.
Follow for more tips and tricks to please the God of the Algorithm š.
Coming up in this series:
šIām getting too many students. Should I hide my profile?
šHow should I go about increasing my rate on Preply?