Our goal with the Leland search experience is to connect clients with the Experts who are the best fit for their goals, while helping deserving Experts increase visibility and grow their business. Your ranking in search is influenced by both the strength of your profile and the quality of your client interactions.
Where you show up on the coach search and category pages has a direct effect on how many leads find you.
Below are the key factors and best practices that will help you stand out and show up higher in the search.
How Leland’s Search Algorithm Works
The algorithm weighs:
Near-term availability. This is one of the most heavily weighted factors. When clients can book and meet with a coach quickly, they're far less likely to drop off before that first interaction ever happens. Coaches with open slots in the next few days consistently rank higher than coaches whose calendars are empty or far out.
Client responsiveness. How quickly you reply to new inquiries factors directly into ranking, separate from how it affects conversion. Slow replies quietly cost you visibility on top of losing the individual lead.
Intro call acceptance rate. Consistently accepting the intro calls that come your way is a positive signal. Frequently declining or letting them go unanswered works against you.
A low cancellation record. Coaches who reliably show up for the calls they book rank better than coaches with a pattern of cancellations.
Calendar management and availability. Keeping your calendar synced and open, generally 15+ hours a week, gives the algorithm more opportunities to place you in front of clients who are ready to book now.
Positive reviews and star ratings. Strong, consistent reviews are a lasting signal of quality that compounds over time.
Hosting livestreams. Hosting improves your visibility on category pages specifically, on top of whatever leads it generates directly.
Converting intro calls into clients. A strong track record of turning intro calls into bookings signals to the algorithm that leads sent your way are being put to good use.
What this means in practice:
None of these factors are one-time fixes. In fact, the algorithm is very nuanced.
Ranking reflects your recent behavior, which means it's constantly updating, and a page position today isn't permanent. The most reliable way to move up is to be consistently good at the fundamentals: reply quickly, keep your calendar open, show up for the calls you book, and convert the leads you get.
If you're not seeing the ranking you'd expect, the fastest thing to check first is your availability. It's the single most heavily weighted factor, and it's also the one most directly in your control today.