Navigating the crowded waters of online dating can be tough. Everyone’s profile seems to boast about exotic travels, animal whispering skills, or that one time they chatted with the Dalai Lama. Cool, but let’s be real, it’s not these flashy tidbits that reel in a potential match.
A recent eHarmony study delved into 12,000 online profiles and discovered it’s not about your globetrotting adventures or celebrity encounters. Instead, it’s about who you are and the words you choose to describe yourself. The study zeroed in on the top 10 words that had the “date factor” for both men and women.
For the ladies, the magic word is “sweet,” topping the list at 46 percent.
Seems like men are on the lookout for a sweet woman (although, let’s face it, no one’s going to label themselves as the opposite in their profile). The runners-up? “Ambitious” (39 percent), “thoughtful” (30 percent), “spontaneous” (30 percent), “physically fit” (22 percent), and “funny” (21 percent).
As for the gentlemen, their profile buzzword is “physically fit,” pulling in a whopping 69 percent of the ladies’ interest. Surprisingly, “funny” didn’t clinch the top spot, although the study did find women value a man’s self-description more than his photo – a relief considering the often-questionable quality of dating profile pics.
However, for women, being somewhat attractive is key before those keywords even make a dent, with only 43 to 46 percent of men being swayed by words alone. Looks like dudes will be dudes, after all.
So, what’s the takeaway from all this? Ladies, aim to look decent and be sweet, ambitious, and a bit funny. Guys, better start working on that Zac Efron physique. With these tips in mind, the future of online dating is looking… interesting, to say the least.
