How to Get Clients on Upwork in 2025 (Even If You’re Just Starting Out)

Do you want to know why 1% of freelancers are getting 90% of the jobs on Upwork?

It’s not due to luck; it’s because of algorithms.

We studied over 250K Upwork profiles, and we figured out how to get consistent clients, even with a new account.

In this article, I’ll explain how Upwork's recommendation system, proposal rankings, and job post algorithms work in 2025, and how to make them work for you.

1. How Upwork Clients Post Jobs (and How It Affects You)

Most freelancers don’t understand how Upwork’s system operates from the client’s perspective. But this knowledge is crucial for grasping why some jobs don’t show up in your feed, and why some freelancers get frequent invitations.

When a client posts a job (for example, game design), Upwork suggests job categories such as:

• Video Game Development
• Graphic Design
• Illustration

But guess what? The ideal category (Game Art, in this case) might not even appear unless the client knows exactly what to search for.

Clients trust what Upwork suggests. This means:
🔹 Your visibility depends on how well your profile matches what Upwork recommends, not just what the client types.

Pro tip: Create a client account, post mock jobs in your niche, and see what categories and skills Upwork pushes. Take notes.

2. How Upwork Ranks Freelancers in Search and Invites

Now that the job is live, Upwork recommends freelancers to the client via the “Invite Freelancers” section.

You'll notice:

• Boosted profiles appear first (they paid for that).
• Some freelancers with $3K earned rank above those with $30K.

So, what actually matters?

• Skill match
• Relevant project history
• Keywords in profile, portfolio, and job success

It’s not just about money earned, it’s about how closely your profile aligns with the job.

3. How Upwork Sorts Proposals Once You Apply

So you've applied, now what?

Here’s what a client sees:

• Boosted proposals go on top, but only because they paid more.
• Then comes “Best Matches”, which is what really counts.

A freelancer with just $2K earnings might rank above one with $300K+, if their profile is better optimized for that job.

4. How to Beat the Algorithm and Win More Clients

You can absolutely beat the system, and here's how:

✅ Step 1: Create a Test Job as a Client

• See what skills/categories Upwork recommends.
• Write down those keywords.

✅ Step 2: Optimize Your Profile

• Add those keywords into your title, description, work history, and portfolio.
• Keep everything relevant to your niche.

Want to get more analytics on your Upwork bidding strategy? Register now and start optimizing with real data from your profile.

Conclusion

Upwork isn’t just a job board, it’s a search engine.
And just like Google, you need to understand how to rank.

Once you do, you’ll stop wasting connects and start getting inbound invites and better project offers.

Don't compete harder. Compete smarter.