What should you include in your listing title?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

Along with the main photo, the title of your listing is the first thing that guests see when searching for somewhere to stay. It’s therefore really important to make sure it puts your home in the best light and attracts guests to click on it and find out more!

What do you think should be included in the listing title? Many listings have similar titles that include the type of property and where it’s close to e.g. Charming studio close to city center, how can you make yours stand out? Feel free to share your listing title and explain why you chose it!

Looking forward to seeing your tips!

Thanks,

Quincy 

[Paul1255]

Hey @Quincy I hope you are well!

My listing title is "Luxe room + breakfast 15 min from Central London"

I think it's important to give guests a good idea of what they will get with you and how quickly you can get into central (for London at least), as most of my guests are either tourists who want a quick journey to see the sights or business people who want a quick journey into central/the city for their meetings.

I provide a little luxury in my private room, so I make sure to include this, as well as breakfast- as the majority of hosts in London don't offer breakfast, I feel it makes my listing stand out, and then the important travel time of course!

I thinnk it's important to make the most of the most of the 50 characters that are available to make sure you get across as much information as you can.

I don't include the name of my local area (Kilburn) in my title, as it probably isn't useful to guests searching- if they want a place in Kilburn they'll have plugged that into their search already, and if they've done a search of "London" and I have appeared in their search, Kilburn won't mean much to them, but 15 min to central London will certainly give them a good idea and a reason to click, along with the rest I mentioned.

Paul 🙂

[Quincy]

Hi @Paul1255, these are definitely some great titles and show what you offer—very thoughtful of you :-). I would do the same! 

[Beth80]

@Quincy

This is an important subject. When I first listed my rooms I just stuck some words out there without much thought. First off my listing is in English that's an attention grabber to there since I'm in Brazil. But my target market is well educated young people so they like the idea of staying with an American. The other important thing I changed about the title was to include the word "Center" I am one of two listings in the business area of my city. There is one shady hotel nearby and everything else is by the airport or bus station. When I changed the wording to include Center there was a noticeable increase in reservations. So think about what makes your listing special and emphasize it.

[Quincy]

@Beth80, this is very interesting to hear! I would be attracted as well if a listing shows that it is nearby or in the city center. Of course, this would depend on which activity I would be doing. 

[Barry-and-Lera0]

@Quincy: We are fans of branding compared to the boring and over-used Airbnb titles like the one you used as an example (Charming studio close to city center...)

Our Airbnb is called "The Artist Studio SRQ". The breakdown of the name:

- Our guesthouse is a "studio" apartment.

-  It was once the art studio of well known abstract artist Steve McCallum in the 1990's and early 2000's.

- We are located across the street from the Sarasota Museum of Art.

- SRQ is the IATA of Sarasota's airport.

All of the other information is where it should be. In the description, not in the title. (in our opinion).

[Quincy]

Hi @Barry-and-Lera0, thanks for sharing as it's nice to hear different thoughts on this! 

[Helen3]

Unless your target market is only people who will know what SRQ is, I would find another way of including information about your location.(assuming this refers to a location)

[Rubén16]

@Quincy  I implement sesonal listing titles  for example currently I am using my winter listing title ( Winter Country Cottage Retreat in Central Vermont ) switching the title for the current season has worked very well for me, my bookings have doubled compared to last year, and I believe that it has set my listing apart from other listings that use a lot of the same words to describe their listings cozy, unique, rustic, private.....etc.

[Quincy]

Hello @Rubén16, this is very smart! I like the idea of seasonal titles especially now that it has made your home unique compared to the others :-). 

Do you do the same when big events are nearby your home? 

[Rubén16]

@Quincy  Yes I do take advantage of changing my listing title for local events, for example for  fathers day weekend there is a hot air balloon festive in Quechee Vermont, if I am not booked that weekend I change my listing title 4 weeks before hand, to book that weekend.

I also do it throughout the year depending on what events are going on and what days in my calendar need additional attention to be booked.

[Quincy]

Hey @Rubén16, that's a really good tip! Thanks for sharing 🙂 

[Nisa10]

Great Idea Ruben!! Awesome tip!

[Fiona383]

That’s a really great idea!

[Emily352]

The title is your business card. The title is a very short sentence or, rather, are some words that have to hit the guest's attention and get him to read the rest of your ad, so it’s a perfect synthesis. So you hosts must be brief and incisive like Raymond Carver.

In these few lines the guest has to choose YOU and not another host. Tease his fancy with a  thing that might get him curious: "Bright house with a hidden .... door / garden / terrace …." But don’t go too far. Empty words are useless. No sense writing my home is super-classy and has super powers.

Nobody will change his mind because of your superlatives. People will assume you’re a telemarketer who wants to sell a product at any cost. You don’t sell a vacuum cleaner, you offer a unique experience through impeccable service, in a unique place.

Please. No "charming and cozy flat": a burial plot charming as Ugly Betty and cozy like a rat’s nest. No "a few steps from the subway": the steps, to count them all well, are at least two thousand. Details…

With the characters at your disposal, choose the main characteristic of your home - a true, real strong point - and be sure to put that on your title (“Peaceful, clean and convenient flat”) or put a romantic or evocative name to your home (“The mimosa house”).

The brief description that the guest will read under the title will decide your fate, anyway.