Have you ever been frustrated that, no matter how many guests you hope or how great your ratings are, your Airbnb listing never seems to be at the top of the search results?
So how is Airbnb’s search algorithm set up? A recent post on the Airbnb blog explains.
Search Result Factors
Airbnb says its search engine uses over 100 factors to help rank search results. The goal, they explain, is to help guests find their ideal location as quickly as possible.
Some factors include:
- Whether you use “Instant Book”
- How often guests view your listing
- How often guests who view your listing actually book with you
- Your listing price
- Your booking acceptance rate
- How often your listing is “wishlisted”
- A clean, bright, horizontal first photo
These are only a few of the factors Airbnb considers. To make things even more confusing, not all search factors are created equal.
Rejections Count
If you’re concerned about the “booking acceptance rate” factor for search rankings, you’re not alone. However, Airbnb said that rejecting a potential guest who does not meet your “House Rules” won’t automatically lower your search engine ranking. What matters, they said, is that your rejection rate isn’t majorly above that of other hosts in your area.
Does Airbnb Superhost Help?
One factor that isn’t on the list for the Airbnb search algorithm is the “Superhost” designation. Airbnb stated that while the factors that would lead to one becoming a Superhost also tend to help rankings, the actual designation does not bump up your listing.
Why Instant Book?
Instant Book listings almost always rank higher, which can be problematic for hosts who are tied to the “Request to Book” type listings. While the ability to approve a request might be attractive to you, guests are understandably frustrated when their listing is rejected.
If you’re really attached to the “Request to Book” style listing, just remember that it’s still just one factor in many that affect your search rankings.
Boosting Your Ranking
You can’t pay to boost your ranking on the Airbnb search engine at this point. However, reconsidering your price, photo options, and other factors can help. If you run a search for your own listing and can’t find it (or consistently find it really far down), here are a few things to try.
- Consider turning off your listing’s requirement for a quest to have positive reviews before booking your space.
- Remember that searches are tailored to each guest’s specific criteria, so unspecific search criteria may not lead to your listing showing up.
- Remember that new listings do not appear online for about six hours after they are created.
Airbnb also does not have a keyword search at this point. The company is working to build in that feature in the future.
