Two other hosts and I have four properties in Port Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). I have been listing multiple properties on Airbnb for several years, so I understand very well how listings and search results work. (When testing this issue, make sure that you only do an incognito search, so that you don't bring up cached listings).
The three of us have been complaining to Airbnb for more than a month that a search for Port Melbourne, Victoria brings up only 4 Port Melbourne properties in 17 pages of search results; even though there are 72 Airbnb listings in Port Melbourne.
The results show dozens of results from adjacent suburbs and and from suburbs that are miles away. We have all had extremely few enquiries in recent months.
Our point is that a search for Port Melbourne should firstly show Port Melbourne properties. Adjacent or 'popular' listings in other locations should not be appearing when actual Port Melbourne listings do not appear at all. (We don't care if they appear further down in search results).
There are only two ways searchers can find any Port Melbourne listings:
1) They have to zoom in on the map to the Port Melbourne location, which many people would not think of doing because they have already searched for the suburb by name, and would just assume there are not many properties in that location. Secondly, some searchers may not know where the suburb is located on a map and would not know where to zoom into.
2) Click on the filter to select the suburb name, which many searchers also won't think to do because they have already searched for the suburb by name.
(Try doing an incognito search for your own suburb and see what happens. This is also happening in one other location where I have listings).
Is anyone else having this problem?
Airbnb support has stopped replying to the hosts who raised this issue about six weeks ago, and they continue to reply to the other two hosts with irrelevant responses to our pleas for help. They just don't seem to grasp the problem.
Can anyone help us, as the hosts of the 72 properties in this location will be having the same problem, but are simply not aware of why they are not receiving enquiries?
Thank you.
Chris, Angelo and Debra
