How to Improve Airbnb Ranking & Get More Bookings - Airbnb SEO Tips

Do you want to rank your rentals higher on Airbnb searches and stand out? Putting out property on Airbnb leads to no results if you are not optimizing the listings. More and more people are using online mediums to book accommodation, and Airbnb is a perfect solution for them.  

However, if you want to rank the listing on the Airbnb search engine, consider using SEO to improve your online visibility and get more bookings. This guide will provide various insights on improving Airbnb ranking using Airbnb SEO tips.  

What is Airbnb SEO? 

SEO, aka search engine optimization, is the foundational pillar of creating a content marketing strategy. SEO is all about when the user is searching for XYZ topic on Google and the content coming on the top of a search engine is merely because of SEO.  

SEO, in a nutshell, means content optimization from an SEO perspective. 

Airbnb SEO optimization is when the host tries to increase the visibility of listings on Airbnb search results. The prime objective of using Airbnb SEO is that when the guests make a search query for rentals in the area, you want to rank as #1 for that. 

Unlike search engines like Google, where you optimize your website through keywords. On the other hand, Airbnb does not consider keywords as the ranking factor; rather, it understands searcher actions and how the host can meet searchers' needs. 

Airbnb SEO optimization focuses on increasing your online visibility in the Airbnb search engine by satisfying the criteria of the search algorithm.  

Talking about Airbnb, it's a way too competitive platform having millions of listings, and every host is interested in making the property stand out from the crowd. This is possible by doing Airbnb SEO.  

Airbnb SEO strategies are a pivotal element for rental businesses to get the #1 rank on the Airbnb search engine. Most customers do not intend to scroll the pages beyond the first page, so if your property is not listed on the first page of the Airbnb search engine, you are likely losing out on potential bookings. 

How does Airbnb SEO work?

Traditional SEO works differently than Airbnb SEO as the Airbnb algorithm considers various factors such as response time, overall guest experience, booking experience rate, guest needs, trip details, etc.  

While traditional SEO pushes your content on search engines by analyzing other factors such as backlinks, content relevance, and keywords. 

The Airbnb algorithm focuses on providing the best accommodation to the guests as per their needs and preferences.  

Airbnb hosts can never rank as #1 for all properties as the ranking order keeps on changing from one search to another. Of course, you can rank on the first page of the Airbnb search engine for a specific range of properties in your region for certain searches.

A variety of factors influences Airbnb's search algorithm such as -

Quality of listing  

The search algorithm determines the quality of the listing by identifying the following characteristics: quality of photos, how accurate the listing description is, the proximity of the listing, quality and quantity of listing reviews, etc. 

Thus, the Airbnb search algorithm considers ranking high-quality listings on the first page of the Airbnb search engine. 

Popularity  

A listing's popularity highly depends on guest behavior on the website/in-app. By popularity, it means how often guests communicate and engage with the listing such as how often they book and save it.  

In a nutshell, popularity relates to the number of people who are engaging and doing some sort of communication with the host. For Instance – Airbnb looks upon various aspects to analyze the popularity of a listing, such as a book the listing, save the listing to Wishlist, etc.  

Price of listing 

The Airbnb algorithm works in such a way that it compares the price of a listing with similar properties in a particular region. So, if listings are offered at lower prices to guests, they tend to rank higher on the search engine.

Note: Overall, Airbnb follows a user-centric model because its focus is to provide a better experience to the guests.

Want to know cost effective tips to increase hotel revenue? Read this guide to know exclusive revenue boosting ideas that can help you to increase your hotel’s revenue.

Proven tips to improve Airbnb ranking 

As the Airbnb host, your ultimate priority is to rank the listing higher on the search results. Do you know that there are 7 billion Airbnb listings throughout the world? With so much competition, you must cut the noise to rank better and ultimately get more bookings.  

So, let's dive right into this part to learn the 9 Airbnb SEO tips you should know to improve your Airbnb SEO strategy, which results in better visibility, attracts more guests, and boosts your search rankings. 

1. Complete your Airbnb profile

Once you get on the Airbnb platform, it's time for you to familiarize yourself with Airbnb SEO. Firstly, complete your profile and fill in all the details. Similarly, you must update all the listing information as an Airbnb host.  

Updating your listings is not a one-time job; you need to update them as and when there are changes in the demand of guests or when there is a change in supply by hosts. There are times when you forget to offer amenities. 

Hence, it becomes crucial for you to update the listing once every month to let the Airbnb algorithm know that you are continually updating listings to provide the best experiences to the guests. 

2. Update your calendar  

Another way to improve your Airbnb ranking is to update your calendar regularly. When the Airbnb host keeps the calendar up to date, it indicates to the algorithm that you are an active and responsive host interested in renting out property.  

Let's keep an eye on statistics that highlight how important it is for the host to update the calendar-

Listings having updated calendars get 70% highermore bookings than those who do not update their calendar on a timely basis. Moreover, around 30% of guests prefer to book the space with ones having an updated calendar.

Generally, there are 2 ways through which host can optimizethe calendar to receive enough booking requests for upcoming months: 

• You can maximize the booking window to manage your bookings more effectively. For instance – You can keep your calendar open so guests can book the rental spaces now. As a result, you would have enough time to prepare your property accordingly. 
• Secondly, if you are managing multiple properties on various platforms, consider using automated tools to sync your calendar with other platforms such as Google Calendar.  

3. Use professional photos  

You might have heard this saying thousands of times – A picture is worth than a thousand words which holds true for Airbnb listings. Having visually appealing images of your rentals brings you more guests.  

If you want to get more bookings, use professional photographs to provide quality listings for your guests. While uploading photographs, make sure those images are of high quality, high resolution, and completely professional.  

Your images should highlight rooms from different angles and visually present your property's amenities. Properties that look visually attractive have higher chances of conversion and give you better results than your competitors.  

To capture high-quality photos of rentals, Airbnb offers photography services to hosts in selected countries, allowing them to schedule a photography session that increases their earning by up to 20% and increase bookings by 20%, where each photo follows recommended style guidelines.  

If you don't have enough funds to hire a professional photographer to schedule a shoot with you, consider having a good camera and adequate lighting and make sure your rooms look clutter-free.  

4. Get more 5-star reviews

Getting more 5-star reviews is another Airbnb SEO strategy to improve rankings on Airbnb's search engine. The more 5-star reviews you get, the higher the chances for you to increase your rankings on search engines, which increases your booking rate. 

Good reviews are a goldmine for you because it helps build your reputation. Collect as many good reviews as possible if you are just starting.

As a host, you can collect reviews by sending e-mails to your guests right after their stay and seeking feedback regarding their experience. Explain to your guests that you want to improve the guest experience of future guests, so their feedback matters the most to you.  

5. Enable instant booking 

Instant booking is another feature that makes booking easier for guests. Airbnb has been using an instant booking feature since 2016. This feature allows the guests to book the rental without waiting for host approval, and they can go while planning their trip.  

Instant bookings make it possible for the guests to guess and book it on the go, which means there is no friction, delay, or time delay.

Listings that enable guests to instantly book the properties usually occupy top positions in the search results. But, if you feel uncomfortable turning this feature on, you can accept bookings from guests who have submitted their ID proof.  

Thus, activating the instant booking feature signals to the Airbnb algorithm that your listings are reliable and hassle-free, allowing guests to book a property instantly, which promises to increase bookings in the future.  

6. Avoid cancellation of bookings

Having too many rejections can provide a negative indication to the Airbnb search algorithm. The search algorithm will penalize the host and likely lower the search results visibility. If you want to stand out from the crowd, then consider having low rejection and cancellation rates. 

Airbnb regularly checks how often guests book a stay with you and how often you reject their requests. The more guests you reject, the more drop in search rankings you will get. 

7. Make your description scannable

Most guests prefer to skim the description rather than reading each line word by word. Make sure to create a crisp description of your listing as you have few words to describe the rental space(500 characters) to describe your offer.  

So, if there is a change in property or you want to add extra features to it, keep updating your description regularly. 

8. Maintain a high response rate

According to Airbnb, the response rate refers to the percentage of inquiries and bookings hosts respond to within 24 hrs. Responses include declining or accepting reservation requests.

Airbnb wants to provide the best-in-class user experience to the guests, and having a faster response time is vital for accomplishing this goal. 

As a host, you should respond to every reservation request within 24 hrs. or sooner, as responding late to all messages, including spam, indicates to the algorithm that your response to all the requests is timely. To respond to guests, you can use the Airbnb messaging system to communicate with guests, or you can set up automatic responses to let your guests know about your availability.  

In short, there are no shortcuts that you can apply to rank higher.  

9. Use a competitive pricing approach

Airbnb considers pricing an important factor in determining your ranking on search engines. It will compare the prices of your listings with other rental spaces in a similar area and prefer to provide accommodation for the guest at a reasonable price. 

The algorithm understands that when it comes to choosing accommodation, price is something that guests look upon. And Airbnb does not want to lose customers. Instead, it wants to provide the best deals possible to its guests.  

In addition, Airbnb loves pushing those listings that offer special or length-to-stay discounts to their guests. So, create a pricing strategy that will ultimately give you unbeatable results. Use the help of the Airbnb smart pricing feature or an external pricing tool.  

End notes... 

Now, you know how to rank your listing at the top of the Airbnb search engine. 

We have covered various practices that affect the ranking of your listings. Increasing online visibility and getting a top rank on the first page seem overwhelming initially, but once you start following these practices, you will get the hang of it. As a result, you will start seeing results (increase in bookings, more sales, more revenue), etc.  

Remember! The main motto of Airbnb SEO is to provide the best experience to the guests by serving their needs and, at the same time, do better than your competitors.