I have been poking around and seeing how the newer listings are performing. Basically, it is bizarre. Some are getting clicks up the yazoo, while others get one click per week. So, I decided to take a closer look and see what is going on.

Obviously, notaries with reviews get tons more work simply because they have credibility from 3rd parties. But, brand new listings don’t have any reviews, so the only thing that makes them different is their NOTES section. So, what did I notice? Many notaries refuse to write a notes section, so I have to make something up for them. I write stuff like: I am reliable, motivated, and personable. These wishy-washy adjectives mean nothing to me, but I wonder what they mean to the browsers on our site. The answer is that they mean something alright! Worse! The ones with nonsense claims using a string of adjectives and commas are getting next to no clicks! So, what works and what doesn’t. The good, the bad and the ugly.

(1) Adjectives: BAD
Example: Reliable, personable, friendly, accurate, detail oriented

Result: Will get you far below average clicks just because you are saying nothing about yourself that sounds REAL to the reader.

(2) Years of experience: So-So
The number doesn’t reflect what you have actually done. Having many years of experience doesn’t count against you, but it also doesn’t count for you.

(3) NNA certification: So-So
Result: Generally, those who claim to be NNA certified do no better than the average notary. If you average it out, those who claim to be NNA certified do oh so slightly better than the average notes section of other newbies. BTW, 90% of notaries on 123notary are NNA certified, so by claiming it on your profile you might as well say, “I am no different than 90% of the other notaries on this site”

(4) Real Estate Agent: So-So
To me this is a waste of space. Those with Real Estate backgrounds fail to realize that despite their self-promoting claims, they really don’t understand the loan documents at all unless they have really studied for at least five hours from a loan signing course. It is not a selling feature because people want to hire you as a notary, and not to sell their house!

(5) Languages: Good
I encourage people to list their language first, before stating anything else. Fluent Spanish; Conversational Cambodian; Some Portuguese. In your notes section you can say how well you speak the language, but NOT in the language field which only accepts the name of the language. Those who put their language skills up front got more clicks, but nothing earthshaking.

(6) Radiuses: Very good
Example: 100 mile radius; or; Travel above 20 miles is charged an extra fee.
The notaries who listed how far they went in a clear and non-verbose way did better on clicks. EVEN if you have restrictions about how far you will go for a charge, the fact that you will go far away means a lot to the readers.

(7) Terms and Conditions: Good
Even if you have extra fees, or large charges, people like getting the facts. They are reading your profile for facts, not fluff.

(8) # of loans: Good
The number of years you have been in business says very little. But, the number of loans says a lot more. If you have done 1000 loans, you might still be ignorant of a lot of what you need to know, but at least you can measure your experience.

(9) Last minute signings: Good
Notaries who do last minute signings got more clicks. Nothing amazing, but they got a lot more jobs as well. Clicks and jobs are not proportional. When it comes down to getting a job assigned, you need someone who will jump when you say jump.

(10) Minimums: Good
Minimums are constrictive, but show that you are professional and mean serious business. We found only three examples of people with minimums. One did a lot better than average while the other two did average. It doesn’t seem to hurt to have a minimum.

Tweets:
(1) Notaries with reviews get tons more work simply because they have credibility from 3rd parties.

(2) Make your notes sound real and believable and you’ll get more clicks. That’s a fact. P.S. – They’re reading your profile for facts, not fluff.

(3) Listing your language skills can help get more clicks.

(4) Clearly stating how far you’ll travel is very good for your business

(5) The number of years you’ve been in business isn’t as important as the number of loans.

You might also like:

How many financial packages do you mention in your notes?
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=19997

Clarifying vague claims in your notes section
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=4675