How to get private students: 9 channels that work

The short answer: private students come from two places: people who recommend you, and the search of parents who need a tutor in the area. So the work is double - being a tutor people recommend, and being easy to find when they search. In practice that means combining several channels in parallel: recommendations, neighbourhood groups, a profile with a permanent link, a presence on Google and a tutor portal.

Before anything else: define in one sentence what you offer. "Math for seventh to tenth grade, at my home in Ramat Gan or online" works much better than "private lessons in all subjects". That sentence will repeat in every channel. If you have not decided yet, start with how to become a private tutor.

1. Word-of-mouth recommendations

A recommendation from another parent is one of the strongest sources of new students. A parent trusts another parent more than any advertisement. You cannot "buy" recommendations, but you can make them easier:

• Ask at the right time. After a good grade, or when the student says "I finally understood". A simple question: "If there is someone else in the class who needs help, I would be glad if you passed on my details."
• Give something to pass on. A link to a profile is better than "tell her to call me". A parent who passes on a link does not need to explain anything.
• Keep the experience orderly. Parents recommend the calm too: a tutor who arrives on time, sends a clear breakdown of lessons and payment, and does not argue over every cancellation.

2. Neighbourhood groups and parents' groups

WhatsApp and Facebook groups of the neighbourhood, the city and the parents of a particular school are a place where parents ask "does anyone know a tutor for...?". Two rules:

• Respect the group's rules. If advertising is forbidden, do not advertise. Answer when someone asks.
• A factual post. What you teach, for which age, where, and what your experience is. No exclamation marks and no "the best tutor in town". End with a link to a profile.

3. Schools and centres in the area

Teachers and counsellors in schools hear from parents about students who need help. Community centres, libraries and community notice boards are also a place to leave details, if allowed. It is especially worthwhile before exam periods, when parents search urgently.

4. Tutor directories and portals

There are websites on the internet that gather profiles of private tutors by subject and area. Each works differently: some charge a subscription fee, some charge per enquiry, and some are free. Before signing up it is worth checking three things:

1. How much it costs, and by what (a fixed subscription, payment per enquiry, or a commission).
2. What is revealed. Whether your address or phone is shown to every visitor.
3. How enquiries arrive. Directly to you, or through the site.

5. A profile with a permanent link

A channel that strengthens all the others: one page that explains who you are, with a link that does not change. The same link goes into a post in a group, into a message to a parent who recommends you, into an email signature and into an Instagram bio.

What is worth having in it: subjects and levels, how you teach, an area, something short about your experience, and a simple way to get in touch. What to write and what not to: a private tutor profile that brings enquiries.

6. Google and Maps: appearing in local search

Some parents start with a search like "math tutor in Ramat Gan". A Google business profile (Google Business Profile) helps you appear in search and in maps.

The common worry is privacy: many tutors do not want their home address to appear on the map. According to Google's help centre, a business that does not receive customers at its address can remove the address and show only service areas, up to 20 areas. If you receive students at home, think carefully about what you show.

More on how parents search for a tutor in the area: a private tutor near home.

7. Teaching's student portal

In Teaching's portal (teaching.co.il) parents and students search for a tutor by address and subject, without signing up. What is important to know from your side:

• Enquiries go directly to your WhatsApp. The first message is prepared in advance and says that they found you in the portal.
• Your exact address is never shown. The distance is shown in ranges: up to 2 km, 2-5, 5-10, 10-20 and over 20.
• The phone does not appear on the page itself. It is revealed only when someone presses the button, which makes automatic harvesting of numbers harder.
• A permanent link to your page (teaching.co.il/t/...) with a "Copy link" button, for use in all the other channels.
• Ratings: only verified students rate you: after lessons you send a student a personal link, and the review appears on your page without a name, marked as coming from a verified student.
• A subscription, not payment per enquiry. Appearing in the portal is included in the Pro plan, and also in the 30 day trial. On the Basic and free plans the profile does not appear in the portal.

You set up the profile in the app, in the "Public profile" screen: subjects, age groups, how you teach, a WhatsApp number, an address and a radius. There is a preview that shows how a student sees you.

8. Online lessons

If your area is small or has many tutors in your subject, remote lessons open a wider audience. In Teaching's portal there is an option "Also online lessons", which shows parents tutors who teach remotely too. Online teaching suits high school students and university students especially. How to do it well: private lessons online.

9. Former students and peak seasons

Students who have finished with you are a good source: sometimes they have a younger sibling, and sometimes they come back before a matriculation exam or a test. A short message at the start of the year or before exam season ("opening places ahead of the matriculation exams") reminds them that you exist.

Plan by the season: the start of the school year, before exams, and before the matriculation exams are times when parents search more. It is worth having the profile and the link ready before, not in the middle.

When an enquiry arrives: what to answer

All these channels are worth little if the enquiry gets stuck. A parent looking for a tutor sometimes contacts several tutors in the same evening, and whoever answers first and clearly has an advantage.

A good answer to a first enquiry includes:

1. Thanks and an introduction. "Hi, thanks for getting in touch. I am Dana, I teach math for middle school and high school."
2. One or two questions. Which grade, what level, preparing for what (an exam, the matriculation, general reinforcement).
3. Price and place. Without evasion: the price per lesson, and where the lessons take place.
4. A concrete offer. "I have a place on Tuesday at 17:00 or on Wednesday at 18:00. What suits you?"

An example (names and hours are illustrative):

Hi, thanks for getting in touch! I am Dana, I teach math for seventh to tenth grade. Which grade is your son in, and what is he preparing for? The lessons are at my place in Ramat Gan or online, 60 minutes. I have a place on Tuesday at 17:00 or on Wednesday at 18:00.

Answer as fast as you can, even if it is only a short message that "I will get back to you this evening with hours". And if you have no room, say so. A parent who received an honest answer remembers it, and sometimes comes back the next year.

What not to do

• Promise a grade. No tutor controls the result of an exam. A promise like that harms credibility when it is not kept.
• Publish recommendations that you did not receive. An invented recommendation is discovered, and harms you more than the absence of recommendations.
• Lower the price at every enquiry. If your price is fair, there is no reason to apologise for it. You can offer a group lesson as a cheaper alternative.
• Flood groups. A post once every few weeks, and an answer when someone asks, are better than advertising daily.
• Share your exact address with everyone who gets in touch. An area is enough; the address is sent to a parent who has already booked a lesson.

How to measure what works

Ask every new parent: "How did you find me?" and write down the answer. After a few months you will see which channels bring students who stay, and which only bring questions about price. Invest more in what works.

Written by the Teaching team · Updated on 14 October 2026. The information on Google Business Profile was checked against Google's help centre in October 2026.