Are you getting enough attention from your online dating profile? Are you getting the right kind of attention?

Too often people post a profile online, then get disappointed that they are still not meeting the kinds of people they want to.

However, there are proven ways to improve your search. Scientific research shows that some techniques are actually more successful than others.

If you are not satisfied with the results of your online search for love, here are five dating profile tips. They will help get you in front of the kind of people you’re looking for.

1. Get A Great Profile Photo

One of the most important dating profile tips you should follow?

Get yourself a flattering profile photograph.

Obviously, the photo should show your true self. Don’t choose a photo from five years ago, even if you were ten pounds lighter then. If you end up meeting someone through an outdated profile pic, they will see right away in person that you are not who you said you were.

Not a great way to start a relationship!

Use a picture of you and you alone. So many people post photos of themselves with friends, children or pets. This is a mistake, research shows.

Time magazine cites studies showing that 42% fewer people received positive responses to profile pictures which contained groups of friends over solo shots.

The study also found that posing with your cat or dog resulted in 53% fewer messages from potential dates.

Choose a photo that you think makes you look your best.  Smile, and know that people get better response results with closed-mouth smiles than wide-toothed smiles.

Don’t cover your face with sunglasses or a wide brimmed hat.

Keep the focus on you, not your boat, your friends, or your pet.

2. Tell a Revealing Story

“I like long walks on the beach.”

Boring, right?

Your profile should not be generic. You need to show potential mates that you are special. You need to stand out! 

Instead of lists of things you like to do, think about an anecdote which illustrates your personality.

Tell about that time when you rescued your brother from going overboard on a raft trip in Utah. It shows you like to travel, enjoy adventurous sports, and care about family.

Focus on who you want to attract, instead of making it all about you. This is a good rule to follow once you are in a relationship, too.

To quote science again, another study found that 70:30 is the ideal ratio of writing about what you are looking for in a date in relation to details about you.

People who wrote only about themselves did not attract as many responses. After all, who really wants to date someone who only talks about themselves?

Asking questions in your profile is another technique that has been shown to work well. For example, you could say something like: “I would like to visit India one day. Where do you dream of going?”

3. Basic Dating Profile Tips on Grammar and Tone

It’s hard to display your personal style while following strict guidelines.

However, according to scientific research, you really need to pay attention to some basic online dating protocols.

For example, use spell check.

You will get 13% fewer responses if you have typos in your profile. You may think spelling errors or commonly-used abbreviations like “cuz”  or “u” are cute and reflect your personality. However, they won’t translate into more interest.

You will get a more positive response if your profile shows you have put a little effort into it by proofreading it.

Similarly, stay away from the real depressing details of your life. Once you get to know someone, of course you will want to reveal information about things like your divorce. But the online profile is not the time or the place.

4. Be as Honest As Possible

As dating profile tips go, this one particularly is easier said than done.

Scientific America reported that 90% of online daters are less than fully honest with their online profiles.

Most lies are harmless. They are often simply a case of wishful thinking.

For example, men overestimate their heights by a few inches. Women tend to underestimate their weight.

Women are more likely to state their ages are lower than the truth. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to overstate their income.

Where should you draw the line?

Imagine how you would feel if you arranged an online date with someone, and then found out that important details in their online profile were wrong. He is not a doctor, but is actually unemployed. She doesn’t live on the beach, but on a farm with her mother.

If your true intention is to meet someone with whom you might start a relationship, be as honest as you can in your online profile.

Your potential date will forgive you if you fudge a few pounds in your description. He or she might not be so easy-going about bigger details like children and employment status.

5. Don’t Be Too Sexual

Dating profile tips uniformly advise staying away from overly sexual language or innuendo.

Unless you are on a site which is specifically focused on hooking up only, including overly suggestive come-ons in your online profile is not a very effective way to get attention.

In fact, surveys across online dating sites find that this is the number one mistake people make in creating online profiles. 23% of people surveyed by one dating site said they found this kind of language in a profile to be a big turn-off.

Keep it clean! The sexy stuff can come later.

Create the best online profile

If you follow these basic online dating profile tips, you will have no trouble meeting possible love matches.

Take a little time and effort for the ultimate pay off.

Write a description that stays off the pity pot and out of the gutter. Focus not just on you but what you are looking for. Invest in a flattering photograph that shows who you really are.

You will be glad you made the effort. There is someone out there who will be glad, too.