Classifying my listing within a “category”

Classifying my listing within a “category”

Can someone please help me optimize for the new category search feature? We have a very high end unit with a chefs kitchen. It’s displayed in photographs, mentioned in descriptions and captions, and we get stellar feedback from our guests. When I go to view the new category “chef’s kitchen”, it does not come up. In fact, no listings in our city (Pittsburgh) come up. I would understand maybe if there were better more equipped “chefs kitchens” in my area.. but there are zero being advertised, and we have one! Can anyone help me get our place classified? We have another unit that is a tiny house. It’s not coming up under category “tiny house”.

 

I would love some guidance! 

49 Replies 49
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Molly396 

 

it is difficult to advise you, as you do not mention which listing you are referring to.

(you have 5 active listings).

I assume listing with nr 53200376 (the carriage house) is the tiny house ?

It is not classified as "tiny house"

@Emiel1  Thanks so much for your help!!! Yes that’s one of the listings I was talking about. I just removed “tiny house” because I wasn’t sure it actually classified. I think we are actually 600-700 sq ft and I’m hearing that tiny house is more like 500.

I’m confused why our other listing titled “luxe 1br” wouldn’t have classified as a chefs kitchen. Could you take a look and tell me what you think? Personally I also think it would qualify under design but I guess that’s more objective. The other local listings in design category are not as high design as ours is, and they aren’t even very local (1 or more hours away!) Of course you can’t just fit into every category but with this new feature I’d love to optimize the ones I’m really fulfilling but cannot figure out how 

Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Molly396 

 

The 'luxe 1br" listing is the one with number 557925116106383087

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/557925116106383087 )

 

Please provide URL's so we do not have to browse your homepage first to find out.

 

I could not locate how and where this new category "chef's kitchen" can be set in a listing.

Maybe it is not (yet) implemented and we just have to wait !

 

BTW "Tiny home"  is a property type, which can be set in a listing. If selected it should show up when searching for it.

 

 

Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Molly396 

 

I noticed there is also some explanantion about the new catagories here:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Airbnb-2022-Summer-Release-What-you-need-to-know/...

 

 

 

Enri1804
Level 10
North Topsail Beach, NC

@Molly396  I’m having a similar problem, but keep getting the runaround answers from AirBnB Admin. 

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

@Molly396  According to one of the admins here, a host has no control over the categories. They are based on a photo algorithm! So, you have to pray that the Airbnb bot detects a "chef's kitchen" in your listing, in order to be placed in that category. The system is flawed.

Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Suzanne302 

 

Then adding this photo will be the solution ! :

 

Emiel1_0-1652303365295.png

 

@Emiel1  I'm hearing that muppet voice in my head now, lol!

Martin91
Level 5
Green Valley Lake, CA

One of the listings I manage has an amazing chef's kitchen and it is also not shown when someone uses the "chef's kitchen" category. The listing has the description of the kitchen, all the kitchen amenities are selected, and the photos of the kitchen are AMAZING, and... they are the photos UPLOADED BY AIRBNB, from the Airbnb-assigned photographer! LOL Yet, we aren't even listed in that category. I really wish Airbnb made a fail safe back up like a form for hosts to request to change or request to be included to certain categories. Leaving it all up to the AI is proving to be faulty. 😞

Sybe
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
Terneuzen, Netherlands

Hey everyone @Martin91 @Molly396 @Enri1804 @Suzanne302 @Emiel1 ,

 

To clarify, all currently active listings are analyzed using machine learning to find out if the listing fits in one (or more) of the categories. This algorithm looks at things like the listing's title, description, pictures and photo captions, amenities, reviews, and structured data from Hosts.

 

You can't choose or edit the categories yourself, though making sure all your listing details are up-to-date and having pictures of high quality that show the key features you want to highlight does increase your chances of being included in a certain category.

 

If there's any remaining confusion or anything I forgot to address, please let me know! 🙂

-----

 

Please follow the Community Guidelines // Volg de communityrichtlijnen

@Sybe  Thanks so much for your response! Unfortunately it doesn’t really remedy my concern. 

for example, when I search “creative spaces” in the whole of US and actually even wider, 673E71D5-415B-4036-9EA7-7459EF39AA31.pngi am shown 68 listings. With all respect, I refuse to believe there are just 68 creative spaces listed in that large search area. There is a major problem with the AI being used to categorize. And it’s hurting the business of those who haven’t been included. This new feature that lists only select houses in random locations is DOMINATING the Airbnb experience… 

I will try to post a photo so you can see what I’m describing. 

James2743
Level 9
Norfolk, United Kingdom

Hi @Sybe

 

I appreciate the message that you have been given to pass on but It's just not working very well.

 

My property is in a national park. It is in the countryside. It also has a windmill on the property.

 

In my pictures and description I reference being in a national park, being rural and the name of the property is Mill House Bungalow (which I'd hope an algorithm could identify as having something to do with windmills).

 

Can you or anyone have a look at my listing and explain why it isn't in the National park, Countryside or Windmill categories please? Can you advise what I need to add to correct this (please not just the 'up to date and quality picture' comment).

 

Can you also explain why properties that are not in National parks in the UK are showing under the national park tab? There are also several properties that I have seen that I wouldn't class as countryside that are in that category as well.

 

It just doesn't make much sense to me at all so I'd appreciate any help.

 

Here are two of my listings pictures.

 

Web-1.jpg

 

Web-9.jpg

@James2743 There 50 cabins in our little lake community. Some have really cool architectural designs and very interesting and unique. Yet, when someone clicks on the "design" category only 3 pop up and one is a square pre-fab house that is far from "design." There is nothing in the title, description, reviews, or photos that an AI would detect as something to add to the "design" category. It sounds more random than anything, not actual thought out placements. Sounds like your cool windmill property is having the same issues and has fallen victim to the randomness. Sorry to hear. Hopefully it gets fixed soon. 😞  

Martin91
Level 5
Green Valley Lake, CA

@Sybe Unfortunately, the "machine learning" isn't learnin' good. LOL It definitely needs some tweaking. It is leading guests astray which will result in a negative guest experience. 

Your advice is "making sure all your listing details are up-to-date and having pictures of high quality that show the key features you want to highlight does increase your chances of being included in a certain category" which sounds great. However, that's exactly what I've done and still not categorized properly.

 

One of the places I manage has an amazing view! It has superhost status and hundreds of reviews. The amazing views are in the TITLE, it is in the DESCRIPTION, it is in all the reviews from the past 100 guests mentioning the exact same words "AMAZING VIEWS" and most importantly the photos (including the first photo) is a photo of the AMAZING VIEW and the photo was and Airbnb photo uploaded by Airbnb from the Airbnb-assigned photoshoot! It is clearly an AMAZING VIEW property but when you select the amazing view category for the 50 cabins in our lake community, only 4 cabins show up and 3 of them have no view at all. Clearly the AI is missing the I. A simple temporary solution would be to have a request form for hosts to fill out to request being added to a specific category. Then an actual human can verify that the AI is off and fix the problem. 

 

Another place I manage is a plain square cabin with no vaulted ceiling. Yet when you select the "A-Frame" category it shows up even though it is NOT an A-Frame style cabin. I really hope this doesn't lead to buyer's remorse and negative reviews from guests who thought they were renting an A-Frame since that is what Airbnb categorized it as... 😞 Meanwhile, our two cabins that ARE A-Frame style are not listed at all under that category. 

 

I hope Airbnb improves this feature soon.