hamilton, new zealand

[Chris23527]

I have been an Air BnB host for about 3 years, and from March 2024 onwards, our bookings dropped to near zero. This is despite us adding to our available amenities, having 5-star reviews, and earning Superhost status.

I don't believe it's pricing because our alternative  booking agent, booking.com, is keeping us well occupied at a similar or higher price. So, I can only believe the lack of enquiry from Air BnB must be related to Air BnB's algorithm.

What can I do to improve visibility on Air BnB's site?

Regards - Chris

[Shelley159]

Hi @Chris23527 

I don't see any obvious issues with your listing, but I think it may not be coming up well in search results. I don't know your area, so I had some trouble trying to search - I don't see you when I just type "Hamilton" or "Hamilton City". What do you think guests would type in the search to find listings in your area?

At the moment it looks to me like you may be a bit outside of the core Hamilton area, but your price (for 5 guests) seems to be towards the higher end of the Hamilton area listings that rank in good position. Maybe the combination of distance from the search point and higher price are driving you down in the results, but it's possible that I should've searched a more specific area.

[Chris23527]

Thank you, Shelley, I think you are correct. We advertise ourselves as a 'rural location'. Maybe that needs to change. 

Interestingly, we had plenty of bookings in the year ending March 24, so it was a pretty sudden change.

We signed up in April 24 with booking.com as an alternative, and they have kept us almost fully booked. 

Regards - Chris

[Shelley159]

@Chris23527 If you are rural, you can perhaps try to guess what place name most of your guests would type in search. If you do that yourself in private view, you can see how you rank and how your position improves when you change some things (of course, unfortunately, the main change the algorithm wants to see is usually a lower price - you can experiment with specific dates if you don't want to lower the overall price right away).

[Helen3]

Have you looked at supply and demand for your type of listing in your area. Many markets are now oversaturated coupled with falling demand.

Are you listing on other platforms and set yourself up to take direct bookings? 

[Chris23527]

Thanks Helen, not sure supply and demand is the issue. We use an alternative booking agent 'booking.com' and they have provided us with plenty of enquiries and bookings. So the demand is there, it's just coming from booking.com rather than Air BnB.

[Helen3]

Hi @Chris23527 

if you have plenty of bookings on other platforms that's a reason you aren't getting bookings on Airbnb as they prioritise in the listings accommodation with early availability 

you say supply and demand isn't any issue - when you did your market research what did it show  this is like in your area ?

[Kia272]

@Chris23527 Supply and demand.

[Chris23527]

Thanks Kia, not sure supply and demand is the issue. We use an alternative booking agent 'booking.com' and they have provided us with plenty of enquiries and bookings. So the demand is there, it's just coming from booking.com rather than Air BnB.

[Elisa]

Hi @Chris23527 😊,

I'm happy you found hosts to connect with in the community! 😊

I want to share a quick tip with you 👉 it’s important to tag members in your comments so they get a notification about your message.

Just press the @ key on your keyboard, and the name of the person you’re trying to reach should pop up. 

Warm regards 🌻,

[Jon5060 · Accepted solution]

Boosting Airbnb Visibility – A Few Tips

Hey Chris, I checked out your listing, and your place looks very comfortable! You’ve got a beautiful home—I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand. I see you’ve updated the listing with more location details, which is great, and your EV charger and pool are strong selling points. Your mention of local attractions is also a smart SEO boost.

I understand the frustration with a drop in bookings. As STRs become more competitive, click-through rate (CTR) is key. I searched for Hamilton, NZ, and noticed that some top listings showcase pools or rural landscapes prominently—but in your case, those features don’t show up until later in your photo tour.

A couple of tweaks that might help:

• Rearrange your first 5 photos to highlight your most attractive features (like the pool or scenery).
• Update your title to include a major draw—something like “2BR Rural Guesthouse with a Pool” could stand out more in search results.

Since you’re still getting bookings through Booking.com, it’s likely an Airbnb algorithm issue rather than pricing. Hope this helps—would love to hear if these changes make a difference!

Best regards,
Jon

[Chris23527]

@Jon5060 - Thank you Jon. That is the most constructive and thoughtful answer I've had so far. Your logic is spot on since we have plenty of demand via booking.com and none from Air BnB. And I like your recommendations which I will put into effect. 

Thanks again, much appreciated.

Cheers - Chris

[Jon5060]

That means a lot Chris, thank you. Keep me updated on progress!