If youâre an Airbnb host, youâve probably heard about Airbnb SEO (search engine optimization), the Airbnb algorithm, ranking factors, and listing quality. But what do these things have in common, and why should you care?
Well, they all come down to boosting the visibility of your Airbnb listing to help you get more bookings, making them crucial to the success of your business.
Here, weâll cover why Airbnb listing quality matters and how it can help you rank higher on Airbnb. Weâll also get into specific tips on how to improve your Airbnb listing quality, SEO, and ranking all at once.
Looking for something specific? Use the table of contents below to navigate directly to it.
Donât see the form to download our Airbnb Host Guide? Click here.
Why Airbnb quality matters
Letâs start at the beginningâwhy should you be concerned about your Airbnb listing quality?
We might take it for granted that having a higher-quality listing is better, but thereâs actually more to it than that. Letâs take a look at some data provided by Airbnb:
- Each five-star review can lead to an average additional growth of 3.2% in gross booking value (GBV) and a 4.6% increase in bookings the following year.
- Listings with a reported issue experience a 10% lower gross booking value over the following year compared to listings without any issues.
Whatâs more, Airbnb takes quality seriously: The platform introduced new hosting quality standards in 2023, and has since removed 300 thousand listings that donât meet those standards. So ensuring Airbnb quality should be a top priority for hosts moving forward.
How Airbnb rewards quality listings
So, what will focusing on your listing quality get you? Airbnb rewards the highest-quality listings with:
- Higher rankings in Airbnb search results, ensuring more visibility
- A Guest Favorite badge, awarded to listings that consistently deliver high quality and meet guest expectations
- A Top 1%, 5%, or 10% badge, highlighting the top properties on the platform
Focusing on Airbnb quality will also help you avoid the Bottom 10% badge, which highlights the lowest-performing listings on the platform to inform guests about listings that might not meet their expectations.
SEO for Airbnb
Those of you familiar with search engine optimization may have realized that improving Airbnb listing quality sounds a lot like SEO. But is there SEO for Airbnb, and does it actually have anything to do with listing quality?
The answer is yes. Airbnb SEO is search engine optimization for Airbnb listings. Just like regular SEO, Airbnb search optimization involves making updates to your pageâin this case, your listingâto help it appear higher in search results.
So if youâre wondering how to rank higher on Airbnb, your first step is to understand what Airbnb takes into account when ordering listings. And weâll give you a hint: It has a lot to do with listing quality.
How does the Airbnb algorithm work?
Ever wonder how Airbnb decides which listings to give the most visibility to? It all comes down to the Airbnb algorithm.
Airbnb uses an algorithm to help prioritize the listings it thinks will appeal most to guests. According to Airbnb, the algorithm takes into account many factors, but those that have the most impact are quality, popularity, price, and location:
- Quality: The Airbnb search ranking algorithm examines various factors to determine the overall quality of a listing and trip experience. These factors include listing photos, guest ratings and reviews, property features and amenities, as well as customer service and cancellation policies. Listings that receive higher ratings and positive feedback are more likely to appear at the top of search results.
- Popularity: A listingâs popularity is assessed based on guest interactions. The Airbnb search algorithm considers engagement metrics such as how often a listing is saved to wishlists, the frequency of bookings, and how many guests reach out to the host. Listings with higher guest interest and activity tend to rank better in search results.
- Price: To gauge the competitiveness of a listingâs price, the Airbnb algorithm evaluates multiple pricing factors, including the total cost and how it compares to similar listings in the area for the selected dates. Properties that offer more competitive pricing relative to similar options with comparable capacity and amenities often achieve higher rankings.
- Location: The geographical setting of a listing plays a significant role in its search ranking. Accommodations situated in areas that attract guestsâsuch as those near popular attractions or key landmarksâare more likely to appear prominently in search results.
How to boost Airbnb SEO
Now, for what youâve been waiting for: how to boost your Airbnb listing and put Airbnb search optimization to work.
Keep your calendar up to date
First thingâs first: Always make sure your Airbnb calendar is fully updated. Not only will you be considered an active and responsive host, but youâll also immediately improve your SEO for Airbnb.
Pro tip: The best way to ensure your calendars are up to date across all your listing channels is to use a vacation rental channel manager.
Avoid trip issues
Another way to optimize your Airbnb listing, according to Airbnb? Avoid trip issues.
Trip issues refer to any problems or concerns that a guest has during their stay, and can include issues related to cleanliness, accuracy, amenities, check-in, communication, security, and so on. Guests typically report these issues directly to Airbnb customer service.
Think about it: If a guest has an issue so big that they canât resolve it with you directly, thatâs a problemâand it will end up impacting your ranking.
Avoid cancellations
In order to stay at the top of search results, you should aim to keep your number of cancellations as low as possible. When you cancel a booking, youâre not only disappointing a potential guestâyouâre also damaging your visibility in Airbnb search results and your likelihood of getting the Guest Favorite badge.
The same goes for refusing requests to book. The ratio of clicks to bookings is vital for your search ranking, so the more requests you refuse, the worse your search ranking will be.
Pro tip: To reduce refusals and cancellations, make sure your Airbnb house rules are as clear as possible in your listing.
Get good reviews (and lots of them!)
Maybe it goes without saying, but the reviews your guests leaveâand more specifically, the percentage of five-star reviews you receiveâare one of the biggest factors affecting your Airbnb ranking. Even the percent of reviews you receive from your total number of bookings makes a difference, so try to get as many reviews as possible.
How? The best way is simply to ask. And donât worry about getting bad reviews. If a guest had a bad experience, chances are, theyâll leave a review. But the same doesnât go for good experiences, so donât miss any opportunity to encourage your guests to leave a review.
Respond quickly
Respond to guest comments and questions as soon as possible. Airbnb closely monitors host response times, so you can improve your ranking merely by being responsive.
Pro tip: Stay on top of all your guest communications by managing them all from one centralized platform with Lodgifyâs Unified Inbox!
Enable instant bookings
As its name suggests, Airbnbâs Instant Book feature allows guests to book instantly. And while you might not expect it, offering Instant Book is a great way to improve your Airbnb search ranking.
Thatâs because it offers your guests more convenience, improves your response rate, and can help you achieve Superhost statusâall things that influence your ranking.
Pro tip: To enable Instant Book, log in to your Airbnb account and click Your Listing, Manage Listings, Booking Listings, and Turn Instant Book On.
Optimize your listing title
Your listing title is the first thing potential guests will see when considering your Airbnb. Ensure your title is attention-grabbing and highlights your propertyâs best features to improve your Airbnb ranking and get more clicks.
Pro tip: Use our free Airbnb Description Generator to create a personalized title and description for your listing.
Be as accurate as possible
One of the best tips for how to improve your Airbnb ranking? Be accurate.
Before you roll your eyes (after all, why would you lie in your listing?), consider that we got this tip directly from Airbnb. According to the platform, one of the best ways to meet guest expectations is, unsurprisingly, to help set realistic ones with a hyper-accurate listing.
So, ask yourself: How closely does the information in your listing represent the reality of your Airbnb? For example, consider the following:
- Photos: Are the photos updated? Do they represent your propertyâs current state?
- Details: Are the listing details thorough and relevant?
- Location: Is the location specified? And is there anything your guests should be aware of related to the location?
- Amenities: Are all your amenities listed? Are any of the amenities listed missing or no longer in good working order? Keep in mind that 50% of reported accuracy issues are due to broken or missing amenities!
Be as complete as possible
Itâs not just about being accurate, but also about being complete. According to Airbnb, listings with more details can get up to 20% more bookings.
Donât confuse being complete with creating a listing thatâs as long as possible, thoughâinclude all (and only) the details that are relevant. And keep in mind that 75% of users donât click on the Show More button, so youâll want to include the most important details at the top of your listing.
Use high-quality photos
Be sure to include high-quality, professional pictures in your listing. Guests may not read your entire listing description, but they will definitely check out your photos, so be sure to highlight your Airbnbâs best features and amenities.
Add photo descriptions
In addition to having high-quality photos, Airbnb recommends writing captions that describe what each space offers, including the features or amenities you think will interest your potential guests.
Incorporate keywords
Anyone familiar with traditional SEO will know the importance of keywords, and the same goes for Airbnb search optimization.
So, when writing your listing title and description, be sure to include keywords you think travelers will use when searching for an Airbnb. Think about what sets your Airbnb apart: It could be your location, amenities, property type, nearby attractions, or the like.
Price competitively
Remember, competitive pricing is one of the top four factors contributing to the Airbnb algorithm.
Sometimes, a slight change in price will leave your listing out of certain searches, so implement a good price strategy to get the best results.
Pro tip: Use a dynamic pricing tool to ensure your Airbnb is always competitively priced. Lodgify Dynamic Pricing uses an algorithm that factors in 40+ attributes, market conditions, and local trends to automatically optimize your nightly rates.
Focus on cleanliness
Cleanliness is one of the six subcategories guests are asked about when they leave a review. And according to Airbnb, itâs the most important one.
Consider this quote from an Airbnb guest: âIf thereâs an $80 cleaning fee, then I expect the cleanest space Iâve ever been to.â The point here isnât that you should reduce your cleaning fee, but that you should be sure to meet guestsâ high expectations for cleanliness.
Guests focus most on the high-traffic areas where they spend the most of their time, specifically the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. So this is where you should pay most attention during turnover.
Pro tip: Create an Airbnb cleaning checklist with our free template to ensure your staff never misses anything! Additionally, consider scheduling periodic in-depth cleaning sessions to address things you donât do during regular turnover.
Fill out your profile
You might not think it matters, but filling out your personal profile is actually a very important Airbnb listing optimization tactic.
A nice and welcoming description of yourself will help potential guests decide between two similar listings. Also be sure to get verified by adding all the information and official documents Airbnb asks you to. After all, building trust is a good technique in any business, so why shouldnât it apply here?
Use guest feedback
The best part of guest feedback? It often tells you exactly what you need to do to improve.
Did a guest complain about the lack of parking? Clarify the available options in your listing. Or maybe they praised your amazing views, in which caseâbe sure to show them off in a photo!
Whatever the case, when you focus on what guests want, youâll improve your reviewsâand your Airbnb ranking.
Achieve Superhost status
Being a Superhost shows Airbnb that youâre responsive and reliable, helping to boost your Airbnb ranking as a result. Thankfully, the things you can do to become a Superhost are the same things you need to do to improve your listing (such as responding quickly, getting positive reviews, and avoiding cancellations), so this doesnât require any extra effort!
Lower your minimum length of stay
The minimum length of stay may not be an Airbnb ranking factor, but it does influence how many search results your property can show up in. So, be sure to reduce your minimum stay length as much as possible to boost the visibility of your listing.
Add amenities
Your Airbnb is likely stocked with lots of great amenities your guests will loveâso make sure to show them off in your listing! This is especially important given that guests often filter their searches for key features like air conditioning, free parking, and a washer or dryer when choosing a stay.
Thankfully, Airbnbâs listing editor makes it easy to add amenities. Simply:
- Go to the Amenities section and tap the plus sign (+). Browse through nearly 150 amenities, organized by category or listed alphabetically, or use the search bar to find a specific one.
- To include an amenity, tap the plus sign next to it.
- Use the View button to preview how your updates will appear to guests on your listing page.
Make sure to list all available amenities and keep them in good condition! According to Airbnb, the top 10 amenities reported broken or missing are:
- Air conditioning
- Electricity
- Shower
- Water
- Door lock
- Wi-Fi
- Elevator
- Heating
- Hot tub
- Blankets
Promote your listing
Our final tip for how to increase your Airbnb search ranking is toâŠpromote it in other channels. Weâre talking:
Listing page views are an important Airbnb ranking factor, so you want to get as many eyes on your listing as possible.
Best of luck with your Airbnb SEO!
It may feel like thereâs a lot to keep in mind for Airbnb listing improvement, but trust us: Follow these tips, and little by little youâll improve your Airbnb SEO (and ranking).
Best of luck, and may the bookings pour in!
Donât see the form to download our Airbnb Host Guide? Click here.
