Being Visible on AIRBNB

[Eileen462]

Hello Hosts!

How do we become the most visible on AIRBNB?  Are we featured more when we have the best reviews?  I heard one person say that she had to keep updating her profile in order to be see better?  Just Curious?  Thank you for your likes and replies!  Eileen

[Melanie318]

You do need the good reviews- but you do need to continously update your information to keep it current with the search engines. Google has set it up to search for sites with "new/current content" when someone types in a search request. So, if you haven't updated your content or did something to show it has fresh content you drop down on the search results. 

It sounds overwhelming -but its not. Google only recognizes that the content has been updated - not what you updated. 

So you can go in and make a sentence change, take out a photo, etc. Save the change and then you can go right back in and change it back to the orginal listing and it will show on Google as new content/updated content.  Set a reminder on your calendar to do it every couple of weeks and that will help you keep your listing up in the google search results. 

The other thing is to make sure your listing in the first couple of sentences includes your biggest selling item - whether its your location near a major attraction, or an amenity that the facility has, or a historical home, etc.   

The average customer reads the first 2 lines before they decide if they want to read more. Also, if they google lodging near San Bernardino College - (or whatever you are near) - that being listed in your beginning write up will help get you included in their search results. 

One of my suites has a private sauna, Jacuzzi, catherdral ceilings, etc. So my title is: Unique Bay Chalet with private sauna and Jacuzzi.  I often change the listing to read Romantic Bay Chalet with private sauna and Jacuzzi -depending on the time of the year it is. 

Hope that helps 🙂 

[Robin4]

@Eileen462 

Eileen, @Melanie318  is partly right, the Airbnb algorithm that governs search placement responds to 'Activity.! The more activity you have on your listing site the higher you will display in an area search.

Activity doesn't necessarily mean bookings......any sort of activity. Every few days change a photo or two, add a house rule, put the price up for a few days and then lower it again. Get a few friends to send an enquiry. it doesn't commit them to anything......if no booking proceeds within 24 hours the enquiry just drops off the system. To keep your response rate intact you don't have to pre-approve or decline an enquiry.....you just have to respond, send a message!

The more activity you can have going on on your site the higher you will display in search rankings.

Airbnb will not confirm that but, trust me, it's true!!

Cheers........Rob

[Andrea164]

Is that true that I don't have to decline or pre-approve an inquiry, just message back?

[Robin4]

@Andrea164 

Yes Andrea, all you need to do is respond. You are not required to either pre-approve or decline. As long as you make contact your obligation has been done.

Declining is ok, I have declined a few over the years and my response rate is still 100%. The only thing I would say is......don't make a habit of declining! One every few months is tolerated but if you keep doing it frequently Airbnb can and will suspend your listing for a fortnight or more as a form of punishment. 

A reservation request is different, you are required to either accept a request or decline it and do so within 24 hours or your response stats will take a hit.

A request decline is seen as more of a big deal by Airbnb. Two or three declines in a month will be sure to get your listing suspended.

Cheers........Rob

[Susan1188]

Are you talking about a trip request or inquiry?
Inquiry: just message back.

Trip request (this means, they have given their credit card and they think they have paid, airbnb took a hold on the card which looks like a payment on some credit card statements, and the booking is pending your approval) : you have to pre approve or decline.

If you don't like the way the guest sounds, the best is to get them to withdraw their trip request instead of declining.  Tell them something like for example you live next door, if you are afraid of them bringing animals or having a party or whatever.

[Karen114]

@Eileen462  Right now the algorithm is favoring low prices.  Lower your prices as low as you can while still keeping out a bad element and paying your expenses. The lower your prices, the more visible you will be, in turn allowing for more bookings. 

This is not my strategy and I am not endorsing it however this is what industry peers are saying works. 

[Robin4]

@Karen114 

And it is what will lead to Airbnb's ruin!

When they started out Airbnb promoted themselves as  being superior and more flexible than a hotel. If you wanted what a hotel couldn't offer, an Airbnb provided it.

Those days are gone, the emphasis now is on cheap, cheap, cheap. 

A good analogy, it's like a master chef turning his back on his fine culinary skills and serving budget meat pies because all he is told is, that what the dining public wants!!! 

So many of us have pride in what we do, we genuinely want to give guests an experience they will remember for all the best reasons.

But that doesn't sit well with Airbnb because nothing comes for nothing. That bit extra comes at a cost and doesn't attract those bottom feeders and troublemakers that Airbnb wants to desperately stop escaping to another booking platform.

I haven't increased my nightly rate for 4 years, the best I can look forward to putting in my pocket after covering my expenses is about $400 per week, $53 per night! Not a kings ransom for the effort we put in but, guess what, I am continually told I can get more bookings by lowering my prices.

Quite apart from being laughable, I find it **bleep** insulting!

Cheers........Rob

[Karen114]

@Robin4  It won’t be to the downfall of Airbnb. It will be to the detriment of hosts that actually believe this strategy works. They will soon find out it doesn’t and have to either give up and move on or bring their prices where they should be to get the guests that make sense and or pay their bills. 
Not all money is good money and it’s a fools errand. 
There will be another host right behind the ones that fail so there will always be inventory for Airbnb to showcase. 
I just hate the thought of being the  “Motel 6” of the short term rental space. 
While I would agree a lot has changed since 2019 prior. Prices were reasonable for the hosts and guests. Then 2020 happened and pricing and demand went off the rails. Those days are gone and hosts need to understand those days are gone. Cleaning services need to understand those days are gone and charging astronomical fees to clean just isn’t working. 
However we can all charge fair prices and still earn a living without dropping our pants to get a booking. 
Unfortunately there are a lot of over leveraged hosts who bought into the hype and those are the ones that will suffer the most. They believe that getting some money per night is better than no money per night. When you rent for ridiculously low nightly rates, it costs them money in damage and poor reviews. I read about it everyday in the different groups I am in. It’s sad. 

[Robin4]

@Karen114 

You are right Karen but what I meant was, Airbnb are going to become the 'Trailer Trash' of STR. Already we are seeing a noticeable decline in the quality of guests with a considerable increase in bargain hunters. 

You will have noticed from my previous posts, guest contact and information is paramount in establishing if the guest will be a good fit for my property. I had this one recently.

That was it, one word.....Wedding!

I gave the guest the benefit of the doubt, maybe he was in the middle of something and would follow up, so I sent my follow-up welcome message.....no response. A week later I sent another follow-up message and once again got no response so, I had Airbnb cancel the reservation.

These sort of intros are becoming more frequent and it is not just the hosts who can't make a living out of it that will be leaving Airbnb, it will be the good quality hosts who will want to tap into a better quality guest than what Airbnb will be offering.

They aren't doing themselves any favours Karen.

Cheers.........Rob

[Helen3]

Sorry I don't agree @Karen114 . I have one of the higher priced listings for my area and still get all the bookings I need .

Airbnb list what prioritises listings in their rankings and having lower prices isn't one of them .

availability, reviews and ratings score highly, as quality content ie photos and a detailed description. 

[Terry731]

I agree Helen3, lowering your price is self-degradation. I am not for this even during a slump. Getting out of that will not be easy. You have to be prepared for a hangover. 

[Susan1188]

It's logical that Airbnb will propose listings that are "active", not sleeping, so they are sure the host is on top of things and will accept any booking that come their way  and provide a good stay.  They'll also propose hosts with the best track record, for similar reasons!

Here are some of my tips for going up in the search results and getting more visible:

- As others said, "tweak" your listing, try to do it with relevant things not just switching the photo order around, for example, to get a booking around  Valentines day change the first line to your description about Romantic Valentine Hideaway or something.  

- Tweak your prices, use the tools that allow you to investigate competitors, look at competitors listings, and look at your own listing as a guest to test the prices

- I have found that *removing* the cleaning fee tends to boost you, for some reason, seems they like the simplicity and no extra charges, I do this occasionally when I have a slump (I always put it back on after!)

- reduce your minimum stay 

- response time is major determinant, respond to any inquiry as quickly as you can and avoid declining unless you really need to

- make social media site instagram, tiktok, facebook for your listing and regularly post with pointing to your airbnb listing

- write a blog about your area with links to your airbnb listing

- be an excellent host and commmunicate as much as possible on the platform

- look into all of the features of the calendar and pricing, make use of the "special promotions" feature and rule sets

These things have worked to keep me fully booked most of the year.

Good luck!