Understanding CERT: How to Boost Your Freelancer Ranking on PeoplePerHour
If you’re a freelancer on PeoplePerHour, you’ve probably noticed your CERT level displayed proudly on your profile. But what exactly is CERT? And how can it help you win more projects in 2025? Think of CERT as your freelance reputation badge, a bit like having five stars on TripAdvisor or a verified qualification on your CV. It tells potential buyers that you’re trustworthy, experienced, and professional. The kind of freelancer every business wants to hire. In this guide, we’ll explain what CERT is, how it’s calculated, and how improving your CERT level can help you stand out and secure more work on PeoplePerHour.
What Does CERT Stand For?
CERT is made up of four key elements: Community, Engagement, Repeat Usage, and Trust.
Community: Community is at the heart of everything we do at PeoplePerHour. It reflects how active you are on the platform and how you contribute to a positive, professional freelance environment.
Engagement: This is all about how you interact with buyers. Quick responses, polite communication, and consistent professionalism all show that you’re serious about your work and value your clients’ time.
Repeat Usage: Repeat usage measures how often buyers come back to work with you again. The more repeat clients you have, the stronger your CERT score becomes. Because it proves you’re delivering quality work and building lasting relationships.
Trust: Trust represents your reliability and authenticity. It’s built through verified projects, great feedback, and consistent results that reassure buyers you’re dependable.
Why Do We Use CERT?
CERT is designed to reward highly qualified freelancers who consistently deliver excellent work. The higher your CERT level, the more visibility and exposure you get across the platform. Meaning more opportunities to be discovered by buyers.
Simply put: the better your performance, the higher your ranking.
What Defines High-Quality Work?
Your CERT level is based on several key factors that reflect your professionalism and success as a freelancer. These include:
- Your skill set
- The quality of your work
- Number of projects completed
- Professional ability
- Response time
- Reliability and communication
- Track record and feedback from clients
By focusing on these areas, you can steadily increase your CERT level and attract more premium projects.
How Are CERT Levels Broken Down?
CERT levels range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the starting point for all freelancers and 5 representing top-performing professionals. A small percentage of freelancers, around 0.5%, roughly 200 people, even earn the prestigious Top CERT badge, reserved for the very best.
Here’s how the levels work:
Level 1: Every freelancer starts here when they join PeoplePerHour.
Levels 2 & 3: As you start earning through the platform and delivering quality work, you’ll move up to levels 2 and 3.
Levels 4 & 5: Consistently excellent work, positive reviews, and a strong reputation will see you progress to these advanced levels.
Top CERT: This elite status is awarded to freelancers with the highest scores across all performance areas.
Your CERT level is displayed on your PeoplePerHour profile, so buyers can instantly see your ranking before hiring. It’s a clear reflection of your reliability, professionalism, and success on the platform.
Why CERT Matters More Than Ever in 2025
In a competitive freelance marketplace, buyers are looking for trust signals that help them hire confidently. Your CERT badge does exactly that. It’s proof that you’ve built a track record of high-quality work and satisfied clients.
Freelancers with higher CERT levels tend to:
- Win more projects
- Build longer-term client relationships
- Attract repeat business
- Earn more overall
So whether you’re new to PeoplePerHour or already established, working on your CERT level should be part of your long-term success strategy.
Ready to Level Up?
Start improving your CERT today by communicating clearly, delivering quality work on time, and building lasting client relationships. The more consistently you perform, the faster your CERT level will rise. Giving you the recognition and visibility you deserve.
📈 Start building your reputation today. Log in to PeoplePerHour and take your freelance career to the next level.
