Airbnb SEO: discover the algorithm

In this post, we tell you how you can apply Airbnb SEO techniques. The goal is for your listing to rank better in user searches; for users to click on your holiday rental and, ultimately, to book.

If your listing is not well positioned in searches – meaning your listing is deficient in terms of Airbnb SEO, Booking, or HomeAway – potential guests will not see it. And with that, you will have no clicks; no bookings, and no income.

It seems clear that ranking as high as possible in Airbnb searches is crucial for the success of your business. How can you do it?

⚠️ Initial warning! Airbnb – nor Booking or any booking platform – does not openly publish the elements they consider when calculating search ranking (i.e., the algorithm that Airbnb, Booking, or HomeAway have developed). These SEO tips for holiday rentals are merely good practices that improve it.

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Airbnb's algorithm is designed to make money (for Airbnb)

Airbnb is a business, and it's there to make money. If you agree with this premise, then we can already deduce some factors included in the Airbnb algorithm that impact your listing's SEO. And how these can help you improve your search ranking.

The question seems clear: How can you help Airbnb make money?

The answer is also clear: Get your guests to pay you more and more often for staying in your accommodation.

Although for the Airbnb algorithm, the key is not so much how much you can charge per stay; but rather how much a user will pay as a guest throughout their cycle (this is called a customer's lifetime value).

Therefore, the objective of the Airbnb algorithm is to show listings that tend to be booked more today and in the future. To better understand what we can do to improve search ranking, we will divide the guest's stay into three parts:

1. From search to listing: in this part, the vital KPI is the click-through rate (CTR). That is, what percentage of times is your listing clicked on out of the total number of times it is viewed?
2. From listing to booking: the KPI in this phase is the conversion rate (CR). The question it answers is: what percentage of times is an Airbnb listing booked out of the total number of times it is viewed?
3. Satisfaction with the booking and future bookings: In this phase – after the stay – many metrics are included (reviews, for example), however, all are related to satisfaction. How likely is the guest to book that same accommodation again?

Therefore, to improve Airbnb SEO, you need to optimize these three aspects: CTR, CR, and satisfaction.

Ready? Let's begin!

From search to listing: How to increase your CTR on Airbnb?

This phase covers everything that impacts the first part of your holiday rental's SEO and that the algorithm takes into account. However, only some variables are controlled by hosts: those related to the Airbnb listing.

Missing something? Indeed, the number of reviews and whether you are a Superhost are elements that can be seen on the search page. However, these are not things you can control immediately. We'll see that later.

• The main Airbnb photo. Make sure to use a high-resolution photo, at least 1024 x 683 pixels, and maintain a 1.5 ratio.
• The Airbnb title. Ask yourself, as a user: What makes you open an email? Most of us only read the subject line. With the listing title, it's not very different. Potential guests will only scan the title. Here are some tips to optimize your Airbnb title.
• The Airbnb price. All else being equal, a listing with a lower price has a higher probability of being booked. This doesn't mean you have to give away your accommodation. That will depend on how you position your Airbnb. Having a clear idea of where your listing stands compared to the competition (is it low-cost? Luxury?) is vital for pricing.

From listing to booking: How to increase your holiday rental's conversion rate?

Once your potential guest has clicked on the Airbnb search result and opened your listing (Well done: you've improved Airbnb SEO! The algorithm loves you!), now it's all about how you can increase your listing's conversion (i.e., how you can improve your booking rate). There are dozens of factors you should consider, including your profile or guest reviews. However, we will only highlight those you can change today:

• Accommodation photos. It's not just about having a stunning main photo. All photos of your accommodation should be great. Listings with more than 30 photos get 40% more bookings than those with fewer than 10 photos.
• Good Airbnb description. Detailed and authentic descriptions allow potential guests to resolve doubts. Any concern or doubt that your listing description doesn't resolve will make them leave for another.
• Enable instant bookings. Having instant bookings enabled will increase your conversion rates, which will significantly improve Airbnb SEO.
• Ease of booking. Try to reduce as many additional barriers as possible that would lower your conversion rate. This includes minimum stay, Airbnb cleaning fees, deposits, cancellation policy, etc. You must find a balance between the level of security you are comfortable with and the ease of booking.
• Response rate. When guests are actively searching on Airbnb, they are very likely to book within the next hour or hour and a half. Hosts who respond within five minutes get many more bookings. If speed worries you, you can check out vacation rental software.

Satisfaction and search ranking or Airbnb SEO

Once your guests have booked, the work to improve Airbnb SEO is not over. Everything you've done so far goes towards getting five stars in Airbnb reviews.

However, ensuring a good degree of satisfaction is a arduous task: it requires hard work! Providing a quality experience for your guests (with consistently high ratings) will significantly improve your Airbnb search ranking, which in turn will increase the number of bookings.

But how can you ensure guest satisfaction?

• Your accommodation delivers what it promises. This is the most important thing. The reality of your accommodation should be as shown in the photos.
• You must be available but respecting your guests' privacy.
• Perfect welcome. Even if you do remote check-ins with a smart lock for holiday rentals, you can greet your guests with a nice touch (for example, chocolates) and be attentive to them through text messages or WhatsApp.
• Be flexible. Things happen. From flight delays that require keys to be delivered very late; early check-in or late check-out, etc. Take it patiently.