How to Optimize Your Preply Profile to Get More Trial Lessons

Your Preply profile is your most important marketing asset on the platform. It's the difference between a calendar full of trial lessons and crickets. Between earning $2,000/month and $200/month. Between building a thriving tutoring business and giving up after three months.

Yet most tutors treat their profile as an afterthought—uploading a quick photo, writing a generic bio, and wondering why students don't book. Meanwhile, top tutors on Preply meticulously craft every element of their profile to maximize visibility in search results and convert browsers into paying students.

This guide reveals exactly how to optimize your Preply profile for 2025, based on what actually works to get trial lessons booked consistently.

Understanding How Preply's Algorithm Works

Before optimizing individual elements, you need to understand what Preply's search algorithm values. The algorithm determines which tutors appear at the top of search results—and top placement means dramatically more trial lessons.

Key ranking factors:

Response rate and speed: Respond to messages within 24 hours (ideally within a few hours). Low response rates tank your visibility.

Lesson completion rate: Show up for scheduled lessons consistently. Cancellations hurt your ranking.

Student ratings: Maintain high ratings (4.9+ stars). A few low ratings significantly impact placement.

Profile completeness: Fill out every section. Incomplete profiles rank lower.

Activity and availability: Update your calendar regularly. Tutors with more available hours get prioritized.

Student retention: Students booking ongoing lessons signals quality teaching to the algorithm.

New tutor boost: Preply gives new tutors temporary visibility boost. Maximize it in your first 30 days.

The takeaway? Your profile optimization work continues after you publish. Your behavior on the platform matters as much as your profile content.

Your Profile Photo: First Impressions Matter

Students scroll through dozens of tutor profiles. Your photo is what makes them stop scrolling and click to read more.

Photo best practices:

Professional headshot: Invest in a professional photo if possible. Smartphone photos work if lighting is good and background is clean.

Clear face visibility: Students want to see your face clearly. Smile naturally. Make eye contact with the camera.

Good lighting: Natural light works best. Avoid harsh shadows or overly bright/dark images.

Neutral background: A plain wall or soft-focus background keeps attention on you. Avoid busy, distracting backgrounds.

Professional attire: Dress how you want to be perceived. Business casual communicates professionalism without being stuffy.

Solo photo: No group shots, pets, or children. Just you.

High resolution: Upload the highest quality image possible. Blurry or pixelated photos look unprofessional.

Consistency across platforms: Use the same photo on all your tutoring profiles and social media. This builds recognition and trust.

Common photo mistakes: Sunglasses or hats hiding your face, overly filtered or edited photos that don't look like you, selfies from awkward angles, photos where you're not smiling or look unapproachable, and group photos where students can't tell which person is you.

Your photo should communicate: "I'm a professional, approachable, trustworthy teacher you'd enjoy learning from."

Your Profile Headline: The Make-or-Break Element

Your headline appears in search results. It's often the deciding factor in whether students click your profile or scroll past.

Weak headlines (don't use these):

"Experienced English Teacher"
"Native Spanish Speaker"
"Professional Tutor"
"Learn English with Me"

These are generic and give students no reason to choose you specifically.

Strong headlines (use this approach):

"IELTS Specialist: 95% of My Students Hit Their Target Score in 3 Months"
"Business English Coach for Tech Professionals Breaking Into US Companies"
"Conversational Spanish Tutor for Travel Enthusiasts Planning Their First Trip"
"Native French Teacher with 10 Years Experience in Corporate Language Training"

Formula for strong headlines: Specific niche + Credibility indicator + Result students can expect

Your headline should answer: "Why should I choose you instead of the 500 other tutors teaching this language?"

Your Video Introduction: Where Conversions Happen

Video is the most powerful element of your profile. Students watch it to assess your teaching style, personality, accent, and whether they'd feel comfortable with you.

Video structure that converts:

Hook (first 3 seconds): Start with the student's result, not your introduction. "If you want to speak English confidently in business meetings..." or "Imagine passing your DELE exam on your first try..."

Problem acknowledgment (5-10 seconds): Show you understand their struggle. "I know how frustrating it is when you understand English but can't speak fluently..."

Your introduction (10-15 seconds): Now introduce yourself briefly. Name, where you're from, what you teach.

Your approach (20-30 seconds): Explain what makes your teaching unique. Specific methodology beats generic descriptions.

Social proof (10-15 seconds): "I've helped over 300 students reach conversational fluency..." or "My students consistently achieve 7.5+ IELTS scores..."

Call-to-action (final 5 seconds): "Book a trial lesson and let's create your personalized learning plan."

Video best practices:

Keep it under 90 seconds total. Students won't watch longer videos.

Speak clearly at moderate pace. Don't rush.

Show energy and personality. Smile. Be yourself.

Good audio quality matters more than video quality. Use a decent microphone or record in a quiet space.

Look at the camera, not yourself on screen. This creates connection.

Script your video but don't memorize it word-for-word. You want natural delivery, not robotic recitation.

Show examples if relevant (writing on a whiteboard, holding up learning materials).

Add subtitles if possible. Many people watch without sound initially.

Common video mistakes: Starting with "Hi, my name is..." instead of a hook, rambling without structure, reading from a script obviously, poor lighting or audio quality, and being too serious/formal—students want personable, not corporate.

Re-record until you get it right. Your video introduction is that important.

Your Written Bio: Converting the Curious

Students who watch your video and are still interested read your bio. This is where you seal the deal.

Bio structure:

Opening hook (1-2 sentences): Address the student's goal or pain point. "Struggling to speak English confidently despite years of studying grammar?"

Your positioning (1 paragraph): Who you help and what makes you qualified. Include specific credentials, years of experience, certifications.

Your teaching approach (1-2 paragraphs): Explain how your lessons work. Specific methodology beats vague descriptions. "My conversational method focuses on..." is better than "I use various teaching techniques."

What students can expect (1 paragraph): Describe a typical lesson. Paint a picture of what working with you looks like.

Your specializations (bullet points): List specific areas: Business English, IELTS preparation, Conversational Spanish for travelers, Pronunciation coaching, etc.

Social proof (1 paragraph): Include student success stories, achievement rates, testimonials. "90% of my IELTS students achieve their target score" or "My students report conversational confidence within 3 months."

Call-to-action: End with clear next step. "Book a trial lesson and we'll assess your current level and create your personalized learning plan."

Writing tips:

Write conversationally. Imagine you're speaking to one specific student.

Use "you" more than "I." Make it about the student's transformation, not your resume.

Be specific. "Helped 500+ students" is better than "experienced teacher." "10 years teaching corporate Spanish" beats "lots of experience."

Break up text with short paragraphs. Large text blocks are intimidating.

Proofread meticulously. Grammar or spelling errors from a language teacher are credibility killers.

Update regularly with new achievements or approaches.

Specializations and Tags: Being Found in Search

Preply allows you to select specializations, and these tags directly affect search visibility.

Choose strategically:

Select all relevant specializations, but prioritize your strongest areas in your headline and bio.

Common specializations: Conversational practice, Business language, Test preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, DELE, etc.), Grammar, Pronunciation, For children, For beginners, For advanced learners.

Niche specializations can reduce competition. "Spanish for medical professionals" or "English for software engineers" attracts targeted students willing to pay premium rates.

Don't claim specializations you can't deliver. Students will leave poor reviews if you promise IELTS expertise but lack it.

Pricing Strategy for Maximum Bookings

Your rate affects both your search visibility and booking conversion. Price too high initially, and you get no trial lessons to build reviews. Price too low, and you attract price-sensitive students who don't stay long-term.

Pricing recommendations:

New tutors (0-10 reviews): Price slightly below market average for your language and qualifications. You need those first reviews desperately. Once you hit 15-20 reviews, raise rates.

Established tutors (20+ reviews, 4.9+ rating): Price at or above market average. You've earned it.

Premium positioning (50+ reviews, specialized expertise): Price 20-40% above average. Position yourself as premium quality.

Trial lesson pricing: Some tutors offer discounted trials. This increases bookings but attracts some tire-kickers. Test both approaches.

Package discounts: Offer small discounts for packages (5, 10, 20 lessons). This encourages commitment.

Regular rate increases: Raise rates 10-20% every 6 months as you gain experience and reviews. Existing students get grandfathered at their current rate.

Don't be afraid to raise rates. Students value quality, and higher prices signal expertise. If your calendar is full, you're priced too low.

Availability and Schedule Optimization

Your availability directly impacts how often you appear in searches. More available hours = more visibility = more bookings.

Availability best practices:

Open as many hours as realistic. Even if you don't want to teach 40 hours/week, show availability. You can always reduce it later.

Cover multiple time zones if possible. Teaching students globally maximizes opportunity.

Update your calendar weekly. Preply rewards active calendar management.

Keep at least some weekend hours. Many students only have weekend availability.

Block time you're genuinely unavailable. Cancellations hurt your ranking more than limited availability.

Leave instant booking on for flexibility, or require approval if you want to vet students first.

Building Reviews Strategically

Reviews are social proof, credibility, and algorithm ranking signals all in one. Getting your first 20 reviews should be your primary focus as a new tutor.

Review generation tactics:

Overdeliver in early lessons. Those first students determine your initial rating. Make every lesson exceptional.

Ask for reviews at the right time: after a breakthrough moment, successful completion of a goal, or when students express satisfaction.

Make it easy: "I'd really appreciate if you could leave a quick review after our lesson today. It helps other students find me."

Follow up via Preply message if students don't leave reviews immediately.

Never beg or pressure. That creates resentment.

Respond to every review, positive or negative. Thank positive reviewers. Address concerns in negative reviews professionally.

Handle negative reviews gracefully. One or two won't sink you if you have dozens of positive reviews. Respond professionally, acknowledge the concern, and show how you've improved.

A common strategy: price lower initially to attract students, overdeliver to earn stellar reviews, then raise rates once you have social proof. This works.

Integrating Preply with Your Broader Strategy

While optimizing your Preply profile maximizes your platform success, remember that Preply is just one channel in your overall marketing strategy for language tutors.

The smartest tutors use Preply for what it does best—discovery and initial credibility—then convert students to direct booking after building rapport. This avoids Preply's commission fees and gives you full control over pricing, scheduling, and student relationships.

Include your bio link in your Preply profile description (if allowed) or share it naturally in messages once relationships develop. TutorLingua makes this transition seamless with professional booking pages, payment processing, and student management tools.

Also promote your Preply profile through your Instagram and other social media, encouraging engaged followers to book trial lessons. This creates a virtuous cycle—social media builds trust, Preply provides credibility through reviews, and students eventually move to direct booking.

Profile Optimization Checklist

Before considering your profile complete, verify every item:

Professional, high-quality profile photo with clear face visibility
Compelling headline with specific niche and credibility indicator
Video introduction under 90 seconds with hook, structure, and CTA
Comprehensive bio addressing student needs, not just your resume
All relevant specializations selected
Competitive pricing based on your experience level
Maximum realistic availability hours entered
Calendar updated weekly
All profile sections 100% completed
Prompt response to messages (under 4 hours ideally)
Active solicitation of reviews from satisfied students
Regular profile updates with new achievements

Preply rewards complete, active, high-quality profiles. Treat yours accordingly.

Common Preply Mistakes to Avoid

Don't sabotage yourself with these errors: incomplete profile sections, generic headline and bio, poor quality video or no video at all, prices too high without reviews to justify them, limited availability restricting visibility, slow response times to messages, inconsistent lesson attendance or frequent cancellations, and neglecting to ask satisfied students for reviews.

Also avoid: copying other tutors' profiles word-for-word (students notice, and it shows lack of authenticity), lying about credentials or experience (you'll be exposed eventually), and getting defensive or rude in responses to negative reviews.

Measuring What's Working

Track these metrics monthly to understand your profile performance:

Profile views (how many students view your profile)
Click-through rate (profile views to trial lesson requests)
Trial lesson booking rate
Trial to ongoing student conversion rate
Average student lifetime value
Search ranking for your primary keywords

If profile views are low, your headline and photo need work. If views are high but bookings are low, your video and bio aren't converting. If trial conversions are low, your teaching needs improvement (or you're attracting the wrong students).

Keep Optimizing

Your Preply profile isn't a set-it-and-forget-it asset. Top tutors continuously refine their profiles based on what's working.

Test different headlines and track which gets more views. Update your bio with new student success stories. Re-record your video every 6 months as your teaching evolves. Adjust pricing as your experience and reviews grow.

The tutors earning $3,000-$5,000+ monthly on Preply didn't get there accidentally. They optimized relentlessly, delivered exceptional lessons, and treated their profile as the marketing asset it is.

Your potential students are on Preply right now, searching for a tutor. Will they find a generic profile they scroll past, or a compelling one that makes them click "Book Trial Lesson"?

That choice is yours.

Également disponible en français : Comment Optimiser Votre Profil Preply pour Plus d'Étudiants

Ready to take full control of your tutoring business beyond platform limitations? Start with TutorLingua to create your own professional booking site and transition students to direct booking—keeping 100% of your earnings.