A dating coach reviewed a 41-year-old's Tinder profile and said she should crop her friends out of pictures

It's great that Lindsay filled out her profile completely, including a solid written bio, plenty of photographs, and tags for the types of connections she's open to making, Ettin said.

In Ettin's experience, many dating-app users make the mistake of leaving parts of their profile blank, which typically leads to fewer compatible matches than desired.

Profiles with blurry or dark photos aren't attention-grabbing, yet Ettin comes across them a lot when reviewing clients' profiles, she told Insider.

Lindsay avoids that common mistake by including a variety of bright and engaging images in her profile.

In this photo, Ettin especially enjoyed that Lindsay sports a grin. Ettin said it's important for singles to show teeth in at least one dating profile photos since it gives potential matches a well-rounded idea of your appearance.

Most singles on dating apps are swiping at a pace where they won't stop to consider who's who in a group shot, according to Ettin.

"And even if they do, there's a chance they may find someone else in your photo more attractive than you are. I don't want to take that risk," Ettin said.

Since Lindsay doesn't have other full-body shots in her profile — something everyone should include in their profile, Ettin said — she could keep this one, but edit it to hide her friends.

Ettin loved how Lindsay listed her favorite activities, and suggested she keep them.

At the same time, it's possible that Lindsay's descriptions of her personality, like "easy going" and "love to laugh," could be too generic to entice the right matches, according to Ettin.

She also said these phrases are highly subjective, so putting them in a profile doesn't provide useful details for potential matches.

To remedy this, Ettin suggested Lindsay take a more humorous and detail-oriented approach. Lindsay could write something like, "Before you alert the authorities, if you can't find me, I'm likely on a hiking trail, ski slope (love Vermont!), or at a campsite. Otherwise, I'm in my hammock with a book, if we're being honest (audiobook, if we're being really honest). Consummate overthinker — my INFJ blessing and curse. Lover of learning, adventure, and personal growth."

Ettin tells her clients to avoid photos where their faces or eyes are obscured. Since Lindsay is wearing sunglasses here, Ettin would take it out, she said.

Ettin tells her clients to include only five or six photos in their dating profiles, even if certain apps have space for more.

"Don't give people the opportunity to find one picture they don't like, and then swipe left because of it. People want to see who is going to walk into the date — nothing more, nothing less," Ettin told Insider.

Ettin tells her clients to think of four categories when compiling dating profile photos: One clear shot of your face, one full-body shot, one of you doing something "interesting," and one or two showing you in your "element."

Since this photo includes a friend, Ettin suggested Lindsay replace it with one that is just of her, and fits into one of the last two photo categories she listed.

Singles often view Tinder as a platform for casual connections, Ettin said. Since Lindsay is seeking a committed monogamous relationship, Ettin suggested she check out Bumble and Hinge, two apps that she finds more attuned to that goal.

The changes Ettin suggested — especially the ones for the written bio — could help Lindsay get more messages in her inbox.

In Ettin's experience, securing matches is not as difficult as striking up intriguing conversation with one that results in a date.

But tweaking a profile with "message bait," like specific places, silly personal quirks, and visually pleasing photos can push a match to reach out first, Ettin said.