Sudden Drop in Ranking & Exposure on Thumbtack

Guy

Hey everyone,

I’ve been a Top Pro for 3 years and was ranked #1 for the last 7 months with 301 reviews and a 4.9-star rating. I also respond to leads in less than a minute to keep my profile competitive.

But suddenly, my ranking dropped to #4, and my exposure fell from 100% to 77%—and it keeps going down. Meanwhile, competitors with only 5-7 reviews have jumped ahead of me. This is really frustrating, especially since I’ve worked so hard to maintain my status.

Has anyone else experienced this recently? Does anyone know if Thumbtack has changed its ranking algorithm? I’d appreciate any insights or advice on how to fix this.

Thanks in advance!

DustiO

I am not seeing anything when I look into your account, but I have reached out to some team members who may have more insight and will let you know if I can find anything out. In the meantime, I would try getting a few new reviews, responding to existing reviews, adding a few new photos and/or featured projects, and maybe refreshing your intro and see if that makes an impact!

Guy

Thanks for following up.

I’ve already done everything that was suggested—my profile is completely updated with new photos, a refreshed intro, featured projects, and I consistently respond to every review.

Just a short while ago, I had 100% visibility in all locksmith categories. Today, I’m down to 32%, and it’s having a serious impact on my business.

What’s most frustrating is that the current system seems to prioritize businesses that are not Top Pros, have fewer and lower-rated reviews, and even slower response times. I have 324 reviews with a 4.9-star rating, and I respond to leads in under a minute. That’s over 100 more reviews than the second-best locksmith, and more than 300 reviews above the business currently ranked first—yet I’m barely visible.

I’ve also tried reaching out to Support, but they wouldn’t offer real help. In fact, I was even told I could get a warning if I contact them again about the same issue—which I find really disappointing after all the time, money, and effort I’ve put into building my business through Thumbtack.

All I’m asking for is transparency and a fair chance to be seen based on the quality of my work and my record.

I hope this can be escalated to someone who can actually take a deeper look.

Thank you,
Guy

DustiO

Got your DM too — trying to figure out what is happening and will share if I am able to find anything! I'm sorry to hear this is still happening!

Guy

Thanks for getting back to me — I really appreciate you taking the time to look into it. I know this might be out of your hands, but any insight you can share would mean a lot. It's just frustrating after putting in so much effort, but I’m hopeful we can get some clarity. Thanks again!

DustiO

I still haven't been able to get any more insight, but still working on it — I haven't forgotten about this!

Guy

Thanks for the update—I really appreciate you sticking with it. I know this isn’t an easy issue to dig into, but it means a lot that you haven’t dropped it. I also sent you a DM with some additional info that might help. Looking forward to hearing anything you’re able to find!

jhartman

I think you might be missing the key factor: how much you're paying per lead.

Lead prices have gone up significantly in most categories over time. If you don't adjust your daily spend to match, then Thumbtack is going to prioritize showing leads to customers for those Pros willing to pay higher prices for the leads. You'll see this if you login to your account for how much you're currently spending on leads and there'll be a note from Thumbtack that says "you're not as competitive as others in your group." Doesn't matter at all about your rankings, number of jobs, etc.. Your leads will decrease if you don't match the spend the others in your category are doing.

I've personally experienced your exact same situation, and since I was spending more in leads than I was getting in actual jobs, I chose to just let things ride but update my descriptions to give greater detail about what sets me apart from other people. That has definitely helped me close more jobs and my customers tell me they chose me because of my business description.