How to boost position in search results

[Huma0]

Happy New Year fellow hosts!

I was wondering if anyone wanted to share some tips for getting listings to appear higher up in the search results. I don't mean getting more people to click on the listing when it appears, or more people to book, simply how to get it to appear in the first few pages.

Here is the advice I have found so far from more experienced hosts posting on these forums:

- Use Instant Book as Airbnb is now really pushing this. But what if, like me, you are absolutely 100% sure you don't want to use this?

- New listings will get more heavily promoted by Airbnb, but only for the first month.

- Update your listings as often as you can (every day if possible), even if it is just a small tweak.

- If you can, make use of the free professional photography service that Airbnb offers.

- Build up your reviews. Some say listings with more/better reviews show up higher (others disagree).

- The more activity on your account, e.g. the more bookings you get, the higher up the results you will register.

- Lower your prices. Conversely, some hosts say raising prices will increase visibility!

- While, once upon a time, Superhost status boosted your listing results, it doesn't seem to make much difference now (majority seem to say this, while a few find it does really make a difference to bookings in their locality).

I would love to know what people think about this, as right now all of my listings seem to have disappeared from the 17 pages that come up in a general search. Now, I understand there are thousands of listings in London, mine is no longer new, I don't use Instant Book etc. However, I am getting more and more good reviews (none below 4 stars), there have been plenty of bookings/activity, I used the Airbnb photographers and I update regularly, so why am I gone from those 17 pages?

What surprised me most is that when I did a general search for London for one guest in a private room, the listing that came top was very expensive (£175 a night for a private room in a shared apartment in a nice, but not so central location), had a joke photo and no actual photos of the property, virtually no info or description and one, very scathing, review. Why does this get much more visibility than listings from well reviewed hosts with professional photos and lots of bookings?! Is it simply for entertainment value?

[Kathryn82]

I totally agree.  I have an apartment in Cannes and even when people are given the exact phrase to type in my apartment still does not appear on the site - we simply can't find it anywhere!

if you get some positive answers I would really appreciate having an explanation for this too!

frustrated host!

[Huma0]

@Kathryn82 how are your stats looking? Can you see how many people are viewing your listing/s?

As I mentioned, my enquiries went up in the last couple of days. When I checked my stats, one of the rooms went from having a handful of views a day (or sometimes none) to 123! This was for the 2nd of December. I don't think this is a technical glitch, because my inbox was suddenly full of requests and enquiries. Unfortunately, most of them requesting for the same dates, but it's still good news.

There may be many reasons for this (maybe it's just people 'waking up' after the holidays) but it shows that even if I can't see the listing when I do a search, other people certainly can. They are finding it even if I am not.

I made sure I updated the listings daily. I have also been quite active on the site in general. I have not lowered my prices although I did switch back to smartpricing on the listing which is now getting lots of views.

[Huma0]

So, quick update. I still have no idea re how I feature in search results other than @Clare0 letting me know that if she puts in certain criteria, my listings do come up.

However, since yesterday, my enquiries seem to have gone up. It could be because holidays are ending so people are back on their computers.

On the other hand, could it have anything to to with the fact that I just started becoming active on these forums?  Does anyone know if that helps to boost your listing result?

[Huma0]

Also, does anyone know how to view which wish lists you are on or how many? Thanks.

[Sharon64]

Hi Huma, I update my listing often and also add new or additonal photos. That seems to work for me but I am on instant book but only those who have good Airbnb reviews are allowed to instant book, and most request to book first. Hope this helps. Sharon

[Rob-And-Adrianne0]

Use other sites like Booking.com where they seem to care more.

[Julio80]

Hello 

I have already done with your property

can you please share mine?

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18516313

thanks

[Kevin504]

I've been trying to figure this out for months and it has me baffled as well. Our listing area-( Nusa Dua, Bali) is disected into 6 different addresses by the search engine that should actually all be one. I go through all of them every week on a random search to see if and where our listing might be shown. A random search more often than not doesn't show our listing at all on any of the 6 of the addresses given for the Nusa Dua area on the search engine, which makes you wonder why?! As soon as the filter options are used our listing eventually  appears with no set pattern or postion in the search engine. However there are listings that appear first in line on a random search over an over again and have stayed at that position indefinitly. I can't help but wonder what they know about the search engine that has them so well positioned like this??