A marketplace profile is a search result first and a sales page second. It has to be found by the right filters, then convert a skimming client in under thirty seconds. Optimize in that order.

Being found — the search layer

• Title = role + specialty, in the words clients search: "{{Senior React Developer — SaaS dashboards}}", not "Code wizard" or "Full-stack ninja". Clients filter by role names; cleverness is invisible to filters.
• Skills list, completely and honestly. Marketplaces match on tagged skills — an unlisted skill is a search you'll never appear in. List every skill you'd accept work in; skip ones you wouldn't, because ranking for work you decline hurts your metrics.
• Take the platform's verifications. Skill assessments, identity checks, and badges are usually ranking signals AND filter options — a verified profile appears in searches an unverified one is excluded from.
• Stay active: response rate and recency typically affect ranking. A profile that answers invitations fast rises.

Converting — the thirty-second skim

• First two lines of your bio carry everything: who you help, with what, and one proof point. "I help {{client type}} {{outcome}} — most recently {{result with number}}." Most clients never expand the rest.
• Evidence beats adjectives: three specific portfolio items with outcomes beat ten screenshots. Structure each as context → what you did → result (see the case-study template).
• Show your work style: one sentence on communication cadence and availability windows preempts the client's biggest fear — silence.
• Photo and video: a clear, friendly headshot; an intro video where the platform supports it. Face-to-camera trust is a conversion multiplier no text matches.

Rates that filter correctly

• Your rate is a filter, not just a price: too low attracts the wrong clients and signals junior; slightly-above-median with strong evidence signals confidence.
• Raise rates as reviews accumulate — early-platform pricing is a launch tactic, not an identity.

Maintenance loop (monthly, 15 minutes)

1. Update the proof point in your first line with your latest win.
2. Add new skills you've genuinely worked in; retire ones you no longer want.
3. Check which searches you appear in (where the platform shows it) and adjust wording toward what's working.