About that map

[Maxine33]

I am new here and am trying to figure out the lay of the land... when I first put my listing up, I had to block out two months because requests were coming in faster than I could handle it and AIrBnB really seemed to discourage not using Instant Booking.  So now that i have everything all set up and in place, I opened spots back up and now I of course am not getting any requests.  So I checked out my listed from the public and noticed that, when you look at the city of Charleston, SC (where my property is) all of the listing are in a central part of the map, with nothing in the lower (and best part) of the city... until you start zooming in and you have to get pretty close for my place to show up on the map.  

Does anyone know how these map settings work?  

Thanks. 🙂

[Gordon0]

@Maxine33
It's fair to say that the mapping (and location) alogorithms when searching for a place are very tricky to fathom out. Additionally, when you are 'new' you are given a boost, so more bookings come your way. Now that you're normal, it's just a case of waiting (maybe lowereing your price to get a few bites) for those all important guests and subsequent reviews.  

[Maxine33]

Well that kind of stinks!  You go from being flooded to minimal exposure...  Thanks for the feedback.  I appreicate it.  I should have read a book on AirBnB before I started so I could have known how to best work the system.

Thanks again!

[Matthew285]

@Maxine33 it isn't really about the map.

What makes your listing appear (or not appear) on the map is your search ranking. When guests look for a place to stay on Airbnb, the search system picks the "top" 300 listings that match well with what the guest is looking for. High ranking listings are included very often in the top 300, and lower ranking listings are often excluded.

Certainly the map has an affect. When the map is zoomed in, there are fewer listings to compete with, so it is easier to appear in the top 300 list. But if the guest isn't searching by scrolling to your area, the best thing to do is to try to move your listing up the search rankings.

You can search in these discussions for "search ranking" or "improve ranking" and you will find a lot of discussion about how to get your listing placed higher. (Spoiler alert: it is mainly about being a great host, getting lots of good reviews, and having a competitive price.)

[Maxine33]

I am just an individual owner so I will never be top 300 - it is deceptive though on the map, as it looks like there no rentals in the lower Charleston area when there are really a bunch.  

Thanks for your feedback, it helps to understand how the system works.