How to improve your listing in the freelancer directory

（Edited by freelance Chinese translator li – English to Chinese or Chinese to English translation services）

How to improve your listing in the freelancer directory

The ProZ.com freelancer directory is the most comprehensive directory of freelance language service providers on the Internet. It is searched thousands of times daily by outsourcers and clients looking for freelance translators and interpreters with whom to do business. Maintaining an informative, targeted listing in this directory is critical for freelancers who want to win new clients online.

The directory provides the most benefit to service providers who specialize. Your goal should be to stand out in a specialized area of the directory (English to Spanish patent translators, for example). Please read this article for more information about the importance of specialization and establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Indicate that you are a freelancer

Only freelance language service providers appear in this directory. If you are a freelancer, make sure that is reflected in your profile. Set your "account type" to either "freelancer" or "both agency and freelancer".

Complete your profile

Select 5 or fewer working language pairs in your profile. It is possible to select more language pairs, but in the future excessive languages may not be shown in the directory. Working languages are those marked "show in profile". Only working languages are shown in the directory.

Define your detailed fields of expertise. Select up to 10 specific fields in which you specialize, and up to 30 more in which you work. Only fields you mark as "specialty" or "working" will be shown in the directory. Also select 4 or fewer general categories.

Fill out your personal information. Enter your full name and your country of residence. (While on this page, also ensure that your "account type" is set to "freelancer" as discussed above.)

Fill out your professional information. Enter a tagline and how many years of professional experience you have. Edit your background and specialization information so that your profile clearly reflects your specialty and experience. Many service providers also choose to show their real first and last names (rather than just usernames).

Declare your native language, or mother tongue.

Report language-related credentials that you have earned.

Specify what translation software you have, such as CAT tools or desk-top publishing programs.

Provide samples of your translation work in your portfolio.

Elect to show your ProZ.com online status to allow outsourcers to contact you from the directory using ProZ.com messaging (platinum members only).

Earn KudoZ points

Translators earn "KudoZ points" at ProZ.com by assisting other translators with tough terms. KudoZ points are classified by field of expertise, and are therefore helpful in identifying translators suitable for further screening on jobs that require expertise in a given domain.

"Pro" KudoZ questions are distinguished from "easy" questions that could be answered by any bilingual speaker.

By default, directory search results are sorted by the number of "pro" KudoZ points members have in the specified field and language pair. Therefore, to improve your placement in the directory, aquire "pro" KudoZ points in your fields of specialization.

To earn KudoZ points, subscribe to notifications of "pro" KudoZ questions in your languages and fields of expertise, and then propose answers for those questions. You will find that general KudoZ traffic can be very high, but restricting KudoZ notifications to a few specialized fields is much more manageable.

If you have answered a number of KudoZ questions in the past, they may not yet have been categorized into specific fields. Provide detailed categories for your answered KudoZ questions to have your KudoZ points more accurately reflect your expertise.

Get Verified

Acquire a verified identity (VID) icon in the directory by getting your identity verified.

Have your reported credentials verified by site staff.

Report your availability

If you are immediately available for new projects, make sure your availability indicator shows that in the directory by reporting your availability regularly.

Go platinum

The most effective way to increase your ranking in the directory is to upgrade to platinum membership. Platinum members are always shown in directory search results before non-platinum members.

From:Jason Grimes