When I search for myself with my own zip code I come up like #22 down the list. I have 25 5 star reviews and people who have only 4 reviews come up before me, or even people who charge more. Also, some of the sitters don't even live in my zip code. I want to come up in the first few listings so they see my profile first. How is order determined?
Rover will tell you that their algorithm takes into account many factors, none of which seem to be location. They do give new sitters more visibility initially, but the amount of time is unknown. Just keep providing good service, responding to customers in a timely manner, having your customers rebook, etc. That's all you can do. It is really pathetic that ratings and location aren't first and foremost in search results. Living in a big city, with many customers not even having cars, usually means location is a primary factor. I can empathize with you and my position is typically even lower, despite performance results.
Thank you for your response. It seems silly that when someone puts in location by zip code or address, they are not shown those sitters closest to that location first. And also, experienced sitters are being penalized by being pushed down in the listings. Not cool.