Effective: June 2026 · Applies to All Tutors & Parents
Payment improves visibility but does not guarantee top placement. Subscriptions provide ranking boosts, but many other factors affect a tutor's final position. No tutor can "buy" the #1 spot exclusively.
| Factor | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Verification Status | 20% | Verified tutors rank higher than unverified tutors |
| Profile Completeness | 15% | 100% complete profiles rank higher |
| Response Rate | 15% | Leads responded within 24 hours |
| Reviews & Ratings | 15% | Average rating and number of reviews |
| Subscription Tier | 10% | Featured Elite > Verified Pro > Free |
| Recent Activity | 10% | Active within the last 7 days |
| Lead Acceptance | 5% | Leads that convert to bookings |
| Experience | 5% | Years of teaching experience |
| Profile Views | 3% | Popularity signal |
| Parent Reports | 2% | Negative reports reduce ranking |
| Behaviour | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Prohibited contact info in profile | Hidden from search until resolved |
| Lead bypass attempt | 30-day ranking penalty after suspension |
| Low response rate (<50%) | Ranking reduced by one tier |
| Negative parent reports (3+ in 30 days) | Ranking reduced pending investigation |
| Fake reviews detected | Ranking frozen for 90 days |
| Inactive for 30+ days | Excluded from search results |
Subscribed tutors (Verified Pro and Featured Elite) can see in their analytics dashboard their current ranking position, a breakdown of their score across all ranking factors, suggestions for improvement, and comparison to average scores in their category.
Parents see tutors ordered by the ranking algorithm with badges including Verified (identity verified), Featured (Featured Elite subscriber), Top Rated (highest-rated), and Popular (high demand).
| Practice | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Review gaming (fake reviews) | Ranking frozen 90 days, review removal |
| Click fraud (automated views) | Permanent ranking penalty |
| Keyword stuffing | Content removed, ranking penalty |
| Lead padding (fake leads) | Account suspension |
| Category abuse | Profile correction, ranking penalty |