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
Martin91
Level 5
Green Valley Lake, CA

@Sybe Is there a way we can send you the listing links so you can look at them to recategorize them properly or override the AI that is not picking up the clues properly? The most important would be all of the 12 mountain cabins I manage being categorized as "cabins" even though a few of them are not showing up under the "cabin" category even though they clearly are. Can we send you listing links to have them reviewed? Thanks much, Martin

Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

This is a really great idea @Martin91 , will share it back and see what can be done.

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Please follow the Community Guidelines 

How often does the AI run if we update our info now....when could we expect it to be next analyzed?  Any idea why ABNB would not just review each profile for accuracy of self described categories? I find it funny that I cant simply categorize my cabin as a cabin, but instead need a machine to look at pictures to determine if its a cabin. 🙂

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@Molly396 I looked at your  Luxe - some of the photos show how awesome it is..... if I can be honest the first photo is your least attractive, if you are seeking Chef's Kitchen....make that photo # 1 with great descriptions under each photo. I was surprised when I read Luxe and that bedroom photo popped up, just saying. Make your listing description read about all that you want to show as special....also, your guests will review and say stuff that you want about the Chef's Kitchen and other special things and that will help. somehow focus on what makes it pop like design, style and that fab Kitchen. Good luck, plus the algorithms take a minute to be figuring it all out I would guess. It is all new and we want to learn along with all the newness. Peace, Clara

@Clara116  thanks so much for your time and your feedback! The release said I could be in two categories. I’m not sure how updating my cover photo to achieve one would also satisfy a second category, without some ridiculous collage. I definitely agree re descriptions so I will work on enhancing those in the meantime. Thanks again! 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Just out of interest, how does one classify a chef's kitchen, as opposed to just a nice, big, well equipped kitchen.

 

I looked this up, and there is no formal definition, but a few things that came up over and over were:

 

- A kitchen that a professional chef could cook in (also that multiple cooks could use simultaneously)

- A sub-zero refrigerator (I wonder if that's included in Airbnb's amenities list?)

- Gas range or cooker

- State of the art (or high end) appliances

- Lots of counter space and maybe a kitchen island

 

Other things I saw were:

 

- Ample storage

- Multiple sinks

- Multiple ovens

- Large dishwasher (or even more than one dishwasher)

- Warming racks

- Smart layout

 

Here's a useful article: https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/what-is-a-chefs-kitchen/

 

Just wondering if listing as many of these things as you have in your amenities, on the listing, including them in the photos etc. would result in inclusion in Airbnb's chef's kitchen category. I doubt it, as the categories search seems really, really glitchy, but you never know.

 

@Molly396 

 

Although you have mentioned it in your listing description, it's not obvious to me from the photos that this is a chef's kitchen. I think you could include some more 'detail shots' of what that kitchen includes and don't forget to caption them accordingly.

@Huma0  Thank you so much. Basically, that is the description I have also found for chefs kitchen. I am going over to the property today and will try to take some great shots of the sub zero, hidden appliances, cookware. I tried to investigate properties that are currently being listed under chefs kitchen category for inspiration—- it does not appear they are doing something so different or have more descriptive photographs but I am going to give it a try! My confusion is that they also want “high end” type photos— I don’t know if the in-cabinet snaps I’m about to add will dumb it down and make it less high end! 

@Molly396 I think when you call your place Luxe it is expected to have top quality photos. Also many folks do not search on mobile phone but laptops and they automatically make a collage with the first 5 pics so pick those wisely. Just some other thoughts 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Molly396 

 

Yes, that is an issue RE photography, because I'd also be reluctant to add my own non-professional snapshots to the professional photos already on the listing.

 

I have added a couple to my listings, e.g. of one of my cats to make it crystal clear to guests who do not read that there are cats! I have also added one of the roof terrace because the professional photographers came in late Autumn/early Winter when it was a bit grey and not much was in flower.

 

However, I have additional, new bathrooms as well as some other updates that I have not added as I've been unable to take good photos myself. I think I will just have to pay for another photoshoot at some point.

 

So, I would suggest you just take the best photos that you can and then have a look at them alongside your others. If you don't think they are up to scratch, you can then decide if being in the chef's kitchen category is more important than good looking photos or not. Like I said, I am not even sure that having the right photos guarantees to put you in the appropriate categories anyway.

 

I mentioned on another thread about these updates that my listings are not showing up in the search for the 'shared homes' category in my area, even though I have photos taken by professional Airbnb photographers. Meanwhile, the listings that are showing mostly have poorly lit, amateur photos and don't look that great.

@Clara116 and @Huma0 

 

I am here taking some more photos! Would you mind looking here to tell me if any of them scream chefs kitchen better than others? I really appreciate your feedback and time so much. I am inserting some new photos here! 

01B7AD07-AD64-4972-B8E7-5E62D1445A43.jpeg

BA8F416A-ABD1-4EBF-B302-DD09BFD8580D.jpegShoot it will only let me upload two at a time! I’m going to place two more below I think reflects a pretty different angle. Thanks!! 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Molly396 

 

I will wait until you have had a chance to upload more. Apologies if I don't respond soon though as it's nearly 10pm in London now...

 

You do have a very nice kitchen though!

7496B042-4C8A-484F-96EF-B3791844FBC7.jpeg

8A0CB251-2198-4E99-898F-93774905B3E1.jpeg

@Huma0 @Clara116 

 

 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Molly396 

 

Well, it looks very well equipped, but I am still not sure about the photos. They are not bad, but they are also not as slick as one would like. I know it's difficult. I'm a magazine editor so it's part of my job to 'judge' imagery but that doesn't mean I'm a great photographer myself. I will wait for @Clara116 's judgement on it!

 

How important do you think it is to you to be included in the chef's kitchen category? Do you think that guests looking for that constitute a large portion of your bookings or that you would attract more guests if you were in that category?

 

Personally, I am starting to think that it will make little to no difference to my bookings to be included in categories or not. At the moment, they are so clunky and inconvenient to use that I think guests will just get frustrated and give up on it unless they are looking for something super specific, e.g. they want to stay in a teepee and nothing else will do.

 

Based on the feedback so far, and it has only been one day, I think Airbnb will need to radically overhaul this new feature or scrap it entirely.

@Molly396 @Huma0 I'm with you. Huma...pics aren't bad but they don't scream anything extraordinary. I think what's more important is perhaps the description on photos and in your listing descriptions.  I'd trust Huma as a magazine editor all day long about pics and her advice. I'd just make sure you're stuff is up-to-date....I think the algorithm works off that.  

I have never looked thru mags for chef's kitchen pics....see what they focus on for tips if you feel so compelled. 

 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Molly396 

 

When I just read @Clara116 "s response, I thought, great idea!

 

Then I googled the following:

 

Chef's kitchen residential

Chef's kitchen amenities

Chef's kitchen Airbnb

 

and pretty much all I got was pictures of the overall space, which you already have, or pictures of some random chef cooking. The problem (which shouldn't be a problem) is that you have a very slick, minimally designed kitchen where all the gadgets are hidden out of site, which is great. However, that just conveys nice kitchen rather than chef's kitchen because you can't see all the fancy extras that are on offer.

 

I couldn't find much in the way of photos showing the details. These are some of the few that came up and they are okay I guess, but nothing amazing, so there really seems to be a lack of inspiration on that front. You could try Pinterest instead though.

 

13_true_AOC_kitchen_beautiful_secondary-1.jpegabimis-cucine-professionali-casa-08-1.jpegfranke-chef-center-chillout.jpeg

 

Perhaps @Clara116 is right and that the description is the area to focus on.