Bid Ranking Factors

All freelancer bids are visible to the clients; however, clients only see 8 bids per page in their projects. This is where your bid ranking comes into play. The higher your bid rank, the higher the chance that your bid shows up in the first page. Thus, giving you better chances in getting noticed by clients. 

But, how do we rank freelancers? Here are 5 factors* affecting your bid ranking.

1. Your rating as a freelancer. This refers to the number of stars given by the client for these categories: Quality, Communication, Expertise, Professionalism and Hire Again. This includes your ‘On Time' and 'On Budget' rating.

2. Skills and profile. The ratings you receive for each skill positively affect your rank. In addition, projects with similar skills have a stronger weight. For example, a web design project with 5-star reviews will benefit future bids on web design projects more than bids on data entry projects. It is also helpful if you are maintaining a good profile and are taking exams to mark the quality of your work.

3. The value of the projects you have worked on. The value of the projects you completed puts a lot of weight on your bid ranking. A 5-star rating from a 500-USD project has greater impact than a 5-star rated 10-USD project. Your frequent use of Milestone Payments and the total payment you receive through Milestone Payments counts too.

4. Responsiveness. Swift responses to clients is always a plus. However, make sure to not send unnecessary and repetitive messages just for the system to detect that you are actively replying, as it can attract a penalty.

5. Trustworthiness. This is about your overall activities and behavior on the site, like actively responding to messages, accepting projects that have been awarded to you, and completing projects on time. All these and more do not only affect how your transaction with your client will be measured but also impact your rating and ranking.

The bid ranking view may also vary from the Bid Insights page and the Proposals tab of the project. This discrepancy occurs because the Bid Insights page only display your potential placement, independent of other project factors such as as if you are to purchase bid upgrades.

*Bid ranking is not solely based on these factors, but focusing on these areas will definitely help you rank up.

Make sure to also check out our tips on how you can boost your Freelancer rating and bid ranking.