Listing doesn't show up, despite IB, superhost, and regular updates to guidebook, text, calendar, et

[Ashley197]

Hi all, 

I have noticed repeatedly that my listings are not showing up in my city (or neighborhood) whether via search or the map search. This is occurring despite having my listings (which are all in the same 2 blocks) listed on Instant Book, being a superhost and daily updating my guidebook, listing text, and calendar. I've checked into with AirBnB a couple times and the same "bug" keeps appearing. Over several months now. Any ideas?  It's almost like my listings show up for a couple days, then disappear. 

[Emiel1]

Hello @Ashley197 ,

All 4 listings are active and integrated in the system:

Map Display

Please note there are several algorithms in the search result software to decide who is in the top initial top 300 of displayed listings.

If the link provided gives results, then the listings are OK and can allways be found at least by zooming in on the map, from another device then the one you use to manage the listing.

Best regards, Emiel

[Ashley197]

Thanks @Emiel1, 

I'd be curious what the algorithms for search were, because IB, superhost, high ratings, etc. don't seem to be producing good results for me (though when I rose this concern with AirBnB help last time, they seemed to do some searching and adjustments that put me back on the map). I'm heartened to hear that my links pull up the listings. However, I'm more concerned that a potential guest (who does not have my link) may not find my listings without significant amounts of work and searching. The more "clicks" on the map or filters, etc, that a guest has to make to find me, the less likely they'll find or book with me. So, that concerns me. I've tried to do IB, superhost, get high ratings (94% 5 stars, 4.9 average), continually add to the pictures and guestbook, update the listing, check the calendar daily, make adjustments to price, follow Smart Pricing, .... but it isn't getting me the consistent visibility I would like. 😕    

I appreciate your suggestion to use another device than the one I manage the listing with, too -- I've found that if I use "incognito mode" or a friend's device, I get a more clear picture of how my listings come up in the search results. 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my original post, Emiel! 

[Matthew285]

@Ashley197 that must be very frustrating!

You might need to provide more information about under what circumstances your listings are not visible when they should be appearing.

I found all four of your listings without trouble.

"Cherry Blossom Bed & Lite Breakfast" was right on the first page at #18 of 196

"Emerald City at Night: Bed and Lite Breakfast" was on page 2 at #21 of 196

"Sleep in Seattle! Gr8 Location, Coffee, Lite Bkfst" was also on page 2 at #35 of 196

"Seattle Getaway for Groups: UW, Greenlake, Dwntwn" was on page 4 at #70 of 196

As I understand it, there are a lot of Airbnb listings in the Seattle area, so it is not surprising if your listings do not appear in the top 300 for many people. Are there times when the listings should definitely appear and do not?

[Ashley197]

@Matthew285, thanks so much for your reply! I had contacted AirBnB help a few days prior to my post here and then all of a sudden, my listings were visible again. A few weeks passed, and despite daily work on my listing, guestbook, adding pictures, etc, they fell back again. I've put in another request to AirBnB help and their answer is to direct me to a webpage with tips (all of which I've followed already) and to suggest that I use more filters in my search. My concern is that out-of-town potential guests are likely not going to use more filters than superhost, IB and # of guests. And even when I use those things, or map, my listings tend to be invisible until I've done about 20 clicks between filters, zooming in on the map, etc. A marketing person would say that the likelihood of a guest finding me and booking goes down the more of those "clicks" and adjustments that have to be made.  

I've reached out to AirBnB's help again - sigh - so hopefully whatever buggy thing is going on will be found and adjusted, again. 

What confuses me, is that I am a superhost on instant book, with great ratings, competitive pricing, and am doing daily work on the listing and calendar --  so why would AirBnB's algorithm or programming have me cycling back to being less visible after time?  My suspicion is that it is because they are trying to keep all listings visible enough to get enough bookings to keep them hanging on, then switching the visibility around --- rather than really having visibility around performance.  I'm reconsidering my acceptance of the insinuation that IB, superhost, great ratings, etc would lead to highlighted listings over time. It seems to me that despite consistent effort and performance, my listings cycle in and out of visibility. Consistent visibility is key to getting bookings that make the income for this short term rental come even with that of a long term rental (especially when considering added wear and tear, risk, utilities cost and labor of AirBnB relative to LTR).  I've noticed I have to be on top of regularly tracking the visibility of my listings and then being the noisy wheel reaching out to AirBnB help when they go less visible, which means persisting through layers of "customer service" that gives me two messages of "cut n' paste" responses and links to webpages to "help" me before they'll actually look at the issue and see I've followed and done all of those suggestions. Worth noting. 

[Kelly149]

@Ashley197 yep, for all of ABBs suggestions it really doesn't matter what our listing looks like unless people are searching (here weekends are always booked but the platform just isn't popular with mid-week stays) and unless your listing is shown to those who are searching then you won't be found. I think your assessment that abb randomly cycles through various listings regardless of parameters is spot on. They have lots of hosts (in some markets) and only so many lookers, so they spread the views around among all the hosts trying to keep everyone in the game (makes you wonder about the pricing advice about people booked at lower prices, ok, but did they even see my listing or just other stuff???). I do not think that they keep a hierarchy of "best" listings but just try to keep all the balls in the air. This is also why I'm on multiple platforms