Two of our Listings invited to “Design” Category

[Richard531]

The 1st listing was invited pretty much immediately after the Summer Release rollout.  The 2nd listing was invited ~1 week or so ago.  Both have been featured in small publications (although I didn’t mention it anywhere in my copywrite).  Both I supposed could be considered pretty design-ish.  However, but we have other listings that are equally as cool and/or even more design-ish than these.  Machine learning?  Or did a Staff member review and decide on these?  What about the others?  

If you click my profile the 2 selected where “Hilltop Boulder Shack” and “Mojave Menage”

I’m pretty sure that “Design” is the only category any of our listings have been invited to and/or sit in as of right now.  The rest seem to be in the “General Inventory” category (if there is such a thing).  But maybe that will change? 

Anyone else asked to join the “Design” category?  Any clues as to how/why that may have happened? 

Any other “Categories” have you been invited to and/or know you sit in?  Anything you think you can do with your listings to make that happen?    

Chesky said in his remarks, "there's a Category for every listing" (or something like this).  Are we all going to get our listings slotted to Categories in due time, then?

[Gillian166]

what do you mean "invited". as far as we've been told, AI is choosing the categories and you get put in one. you don't choose to accept it. 

Mine is in Pools and Farms (i think). I haven't bothered checking recently because i don't really think the categories is a valuable search tool. 

[Inna22]

@Richard531 you have beautiful listings, great pictures and fabulous reviews. You deserve it. I am also curious about the invitation part. I thought you appear where they decide you should appear. I do not think I am in any category at all

[Richard531]

"Invited" meaning that I was asked several questions about the listings.   

1. Have you been featured in any publications?
2. Has this home won any awards?
3. Who was this home designed by?  

Answered them and then the listings were updated.  Below is how the listings changed.  Although, I haven't checked to see if I can search/find them by category.  

The following data was removed:

Replaced with this:

[Gillian166]

ah, i suspect the Design category might be the only one that operates like that. 

[Richard531]

@Gillian166  And FWIW, searching by "Design" Category was a little clunky (or by any Category for that matter). I was finding listings that were absolutely NOT "Design" designated in my search results (which made zero sense).  Finding my own listing was easy, but it's not like it was thrown in people's faces like I was hoping. . .  

Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted to be in the "Design" Category for a couple listings!  However, I'm not exactly sure if that equates to more bookings.  

When I search incognito, the search 99% operates as it always has.  (Select region, dates, guest count --> get presented with listings based on that criteria from all categories).  

[Ann72]

@Richard531 @Gillian166 @Inna22  One isn't "invited," it's just that a listing is selected.  Once selected, you'll see a tab under the listing that you click through and get those questions.  One of mine was in the Design category on the first day.  Within a few days, the other listings got into a couple of categories, and over the weeks they've shown up in one or two more.

One in Cabins (as it's a cabin that seems appropriate) and Countryside.

One in Countryside and Farms.  (I have a blueberry field.  I don't farm it.  But anyway.)

One in Design.

All three in National Parks.  (Acadia is an hour away, but everyone who comes to stay wants to go there.)

I don't see any other categories that would suit my places, so I think that will be it for now.  

[Richard531]

@Ann72  The reason I used the term "invited" is because I suppose one could opt to not answer the questions presented.  Thus, you'd stay in no category (or at least not be slotted in "Design").

And am I reading correctly that for the other Categories you have been slotted, there were questions asked as well?  So that would indicate that to be in any category, you are asked a series of questions and then you know you're in that category, correct?  

I think the rest of my listings are in no category. . .  I've not gotten questions about any of the rest.  

[Ann72]

@Richard531  I understand, but you would still be in Design if that tab showed up on the listing and you didn't answer any of the questions.  The questions are optional.  The machine made the choice and you can't accept or reject it.  I didn't have anything like that for the other categories.  The places just appeared there, no questions asked.

Edit:  I believe they use your answers in search, but I can't find an example to show you what I mean - when I search, I either see my place without categories, or see the categories but when I open the map, I don't see the places listed on the left.  But when it first showed up, it would say the architect's name when searching by category.

[Ann72]

Found it @Richard531 - you can see that one of the listings (which is mine) has the architect's name, but the other two don't.  I don't know if the owners answered the questions or answered some of them but didn't know the name of the architect or what.

[Gillian166]

@Richard531  no, i've never been asked any questions about my pool or farm, and i'm in those 2 categories. 

[Richard531]

@Ann72 @Gillian166  Thanks for the insight!  I think we're getting more to the bottom of this.  

[Gillian166]

I still don't understand categories, is the only way to search it from the home page? has something changed? once you put in a destination there's no way to filter by categories, is that right?

[Huma0]

@Richard531 

I think one or more of my listings was initially in the 'shared homes' category, but I can't remember for sure. Around mid-July, I noticed that one of the was in shared homes, historical homes and iconic cities, but not the other two, even though they are all in the same house. So, another example of the AI failing.

This was around the time that I heard you could request to have your listings included or removed from a particular category and that there was a team at CS reviewing these requests (so actual people, not AI). So, I requested the other two be added to the categories above and the were after two or three days. I wasn't asked any questions about it. This team just looked at my listings and made a decision.

I can't say that it's made any difference at all, quite the contrary. I haven't had any new bookings nor enquiries since (with the exception of one guest who has already stayed with me three times asking for dates that aren't available) and my views actually went down compared to the first half of July.

Unlike your screenshots of your listings, nothing has changed on mine, i.e. the categories aren't mentioned. It still says 'dedicated workspace' or 'great check in experience' or whatever. Perhaps it is just the design category which is mentioned on the listings?

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Huma0 

Sorry to hear that your listing views have dived. I have not been included in any categories, and was initially concerned. Now I am not. As a Frank Lloyd Wright School home with a huge wilderness view, permanently off grid and home share I thought I'd end up in the various appropriate places. I've searched under categories and realize I am rather ordinary, as listings go.  I don't care about categories anymore. My listing is placed well below the newbies and converted garages, but my guests are all word of mouth, so I'm good. 

I hope your situation improves!