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?

[Clare0]

@Huma0 At the LA Open in November, Airbnb announced that London has the second highest number of Airbnb listings at 50,000. Paris was first with 80,000 and New York was third with 44,000.

As far as I can tell, a general search for a specific property type (i.e. Entire Home, Private Room, etc.) results in random listings.  The search function really kicks in when a guest enters their preferences by using filters.  Since guests have different requirements, the results in search will vary from guest to guest with the listings matching those preference being displayed first.  These may be Super Host listings or not...depends on what the guest is looking for.  If a guest is looking for a listing with a Hot Tub, for example, listings with that feature will be displayed.  All things being equal listing wise, those listings with the best attributes, including response rate will be featured above others (except possibly for new listings which Airbnb gives a leg up to get them started).

Here's a great link that explains how the search function works when a guest enters the details of what they need: 

http://blog.airbnb.com/how-search-makes-the-best-matches/

If you are technically minded and like to know how the software is developed, there's a You Tube video of Aibnb engineers who talk about how they program the search function.  Warning! Its pretty long and somewhat boring, but I found it interesting to see what their priorities were in developing the search function. Here it is: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ywLWyRjA8&t=1441s

Happy New Year!

[Huma0]

Thank you @Clare0! That's a really useful link and one that I didn't come across when searching for info on this topic. I knew that when a guest enters certain criteria in their search it would determine the results that showed up, but not that the previous booking habits of both the guest and hosts would factor.

I also had no idea that a general search would produce completely random results and assumed things like popularity and reviews would still factor.

I feel much better informed after your response. I couldn't find anything as helpful when I searched for the topic.

the only thing I still don't understand is why probably the worst listing I've seen for a room in London comes up first. Sure this could be a random coincidence, but it is so bad and yet getting loads of views (although I assume no bookings!)

[Clare0]

@Huma0 Yeah, the searches without filters are a mystery as to how the listings are selected. With 50,000 listings in London, Airbnb can't possibly list them all without filters.

 As you probably have already found out, listings which are not quite in the location that a guest selects are further down the list.  For example, my listing is out in the country side and will never show as #1 whenever a guest searches for one of my nearby towns.  I'm consistently on page 5 or lower since the search programs consider me as an alternative.  This is inspite of having 100% response rate, 50 5* reviews and I'm a Super Host. 

Nonetheless, people find me!

If Airbnb photography is available to you, get it! I think most of my guests fall in love with the pictures. 

[Huma0]

Hi @Clare0, yes I agree that the location the guests use must make a big difference. The trouble with this in London is that it's such a huge place and unless a guest has an idea of the area they want to stay in, I assume they just search for London listings in general.

I don't know if it's possible to do this, but it would make sense if they could search according to zones, as London is divided into six zones, with Zone 1 being the most central. I imagine most would want to stay as centrally as possible, but a lot of hosts describe their listings as 'Central London' when they re clearly not and don't even have an underground station. Having an option to search for properties that are within a short distance to an underground station would also be helpful to most. I doubt many guests would like to spend 45 minutes or more getting to the centre when they thought they were staying in the centre! I guess though that it's far too complicated to customise searches according to each city...

Also, yes I think the professional photography makes a huge difference. I have used it and my enquiries and bookings shot up as soon as the images went live. I think it did boost my position in the listings, but only for a short time. However, most guests have booked because they like what they see in the photos, so it is still worth doing in the long term.

[Clare0]

@Huma0 Not having ever been to London (but it's on my bucket list!) I'm not familiar with the neighborhoods, but I think it's a really good idea to have them in the search filters.  I believe Paris has several districts which are searchable in the neighborhood section of the filters page.  Both of these cities have such huge Airbnb presence, this would be very useful for guests. 

You should suggest this to Airbnb either here in the Host Voice area or in Feedback: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

[Huma0]

By the way @Clare0, your cottage looks lovely: characterful and homely without being fussy or cluttered and very well maintained and clean. I would definitely want to stay if I was visiting your part of the world! It also makes me think I need to declutter!

[Clare0]

@Huma0 Ha! You must have been one of the two views I had!  It's so darn slow this time of year! Thank you for your nice compliments. 

Also, at the LA Open, they gave Super Hosts a book called Your Keys, My Home written by a retired couple who have been travelling the world on Airbnb.  It's a great read and should be required reading for all hosts and guests.  They really give great insight to what guests look for in a listing and tips for being a great host.  Here's their web page:

http://www.beseniornomads.com/

Now that I've finished reading it, the book is going into my listing for my guests. 

[Huma0]

@Clare0 What an inspiring couple! I love this. Thank you for sharing.

[Helen3]

Hi @Huma0

Your place looks amazing  - I have added to my wish list.

I can't answer you question about rankings - it is somewhat of a mystery 🙂

However what will put a lot of people off booking your place is that you mention you smoke.  Perhaps if you smoke you could not smoke in the house when you have guests and make your guest room non smoking?

This would help non smokers to consider your place.

If not, this will definitely limit those who would consider your place.

[Huma0]

Hi @Helen3, thanks for your kind words. It would be lovely to host you when you are next in London!

Yes, I am sure a lot of people wouldn't want to stay because of that (I often get a lot of views compared to enquiries and I imagine that is the main reason). The guest rooms are non-smoking (only one set of guests have ignored this so far), but I haven't specified that in the description or house rules. I will do so now - thanks for the tip!

Re only smoking outside, that also makes total sense and we do have both a garden and terrace. However, I also have a housemate who smokes and she was told before she moved in that she could smoke in certain areas of the house. I can't really go back on that now that I have Airbnb guests as she has already had to adjust quite a lot. I'll certainly keep it in mind for the future if the situation changes, but in the meantime, I want to be up front about it so any potential guests know what to expect.

[Huma0]

I also forgot to mention in my original post (thanks @Helen3 for reminding me!) that some hosts say that the more wish lists you are on, the higher your position in the search results. No idea if this is true, but it makes sense.

[Peter124]

Thank you to Huma, Clare and others who posted on this thread!

I found it extremely helpful and reassuring to learn that I am not alone in my befuddlement of how search listings work. My wife and I are happy and proud to have become Superhosts. Yet our property continues to show up quite low in search - below many properties with few (if any) reviews. 

I incorrectly thought that once you became a Superhost you would be rewarded with higher placement in searches. After all, when your guests have a terrific time in your home, you're burnishing Airbnb's reputation as well as your own.

I've found out otherwise after several unsatisfactory conversations both over the phone and via email with Airbnb "case managers." Your comments on this thread have been so much more helpful, and for that I am very grateful!

[Lizzie]

Just mentioning in @Huma0 and @Clare0, so they receive a notification about your reply @Peter124. I am sure they would love to hear your kind words. 🙂

[Huma0]

@Lizzie Thanks for the heads up!

@Peter124 thank you! Yes the forums can be really helpful for this sort of information. What I have gathered from reading them is that superhosts might have previously got higher rankings in the searches but this is not necessarily true today when Instant Book properties get priority. Guests do have the option to search for superhost properties only, but I'm not sure how many do or even if many are aware of this.

I think good reviews are supposed to help. I initially had a long term guest in one of my rooms and therefore no reviews for quite some time. My enquiries did seem to go up for that room once I had a few reviews for it. However, as new properties get a boost in their first month, it would not be unusual to see ones with little or even no reviews near the top.