Introduction
There is an ongoing hospitality revolution right now. People are tending to book a more personalized space to help them tell their story while they travel. People are booking spaces of all sizes and varieties: condos, whole homes, a bedroom, a houseboat, and villas able to accommodate 40 people. You can find these spaces in all corners of the world, from the Klondike Gold Rush town of Dawson City, Yukon, the remote Easter Island, to Kigali, Rwanda. The best part is there is always space for more homes and properties to jump in to be a part of the global trend, not to be excluding from it.
As more people join this revolution and start operating vacation rentals, more people are looking at sites like Airbnb first to choose their stay. Having more people look for a vacation rental does not always mean your property will be full all the time. There is constant competition within the booking sites and locally with the other hotels and accommodation providers.
Listing Optimization
Airbnb uses a metric to track the number of clicks a listing gets from the search results, the Click Through Rate (CTR). It tracks how long a potential guests spends reading each part of the listing. It will then grade each category separately to generate an overall CTR number. The higher the number, the higher your listing will rank in the search results for your area.
This all makes sense when you consider that the properties that have better click through rates because of their pictures and information are more likely to convert those views into reservations. Hosts that maintain a higher guest rating from being good hosts will always be shown higher, so improving the click through rate will help you rank higher than them in the results.
Photos
The first and most important part about photos for the listing is that they must be taken by a professional. Photos are the very first thing that a potential guest will see when browsing the search results and one of the biggest influences in helping a guest make a decision about a space. The cameras in phones have improved quite a bit, but they still pale in comparison to a professional’s work when getting the space properly lit, composed/staged, and the best angles to highlight the best features of the property.
Not only do the photos sell the space to the guests, but Airbnb’s search engine algorithm will scan the photos to check for their quality. In addition to having quality photos, each photo needs to have a caption attached to it. This helps describe the space more fully to the potential guest and adds to the algorithm score.
The first photo is shown as a thumbnail on the search page. It should be the main selling feature of the property to help it stand out from the rest. The pool, hot tub, access to the beach, etc. Less focus on the living spaces that would be featured more with a house sale, and more emphasis on what makes the space special. The next four images appear on the listing’s homepage and should feature the next four best features of the home.
For each photo, make sure they have captions attached and make the captions unique. The different phrasing will help with the algorithm to increase the listing’s score.
Title
While most hoteliers are not spending a lot of time thinking about what to name a hotel room, a lot of care is spent with naming a vacation rental. Cascadia, The Cavell, Dos Balcones. All these names help create an image of the property in the guest’s mind before they click on the listing. It helps market the property when people start talking about their experience. They talk about staying at The Cavell, and people can search for that name in that city. It will help direct future guests your way if the property has a special name, rather than, “Search for the home near Gyro Beach.”
In addition to the name being a marketing tool, the full title adds to the algorithm score. The title can only be 50 characters and of those only 36 are visible in the search result. Keep the name short and mention something of more value to entice the guests to click. Some examples of good titles include, “Luxury 1-bdrm with home theatre and mountain view,” or “Lakefront Retreat: Sauna, Hot Tub, Fishing, Hiking.” Titles like, “Sundance Sweet,” or “Mid-Century Modern Dream Retreat” probably aren’t going to work very well.
Workshop the name and title by creating a list of 5-10 options. Do not feel married to the first idea you come up with, and take a look at the competition in the area. See what others are doing and what you could do better or differently to stand out.
Once you have the name, make sure it is mentioned in the listing and all your marketing materials on Facebook, Instagram, Google Business Profiles, and more. Name recognition will start to happen and people will be searching for your property before looking for just any property to stay in.
Summary Description
The summary description is the part of the listing that really closes the sale. The title and pictures draws the guest in, and then after they click, the summary is the first thing they read. It helps build upon the initial interest from seeing the pictures and helps encourage people to keep reading to then book a stay.
The section is limited to 500 characters, which is not a lot of space to capture everything. The summary should be focused on highlighting the reasons to stay in the space and the amenities included in the building or nearby. If you have any policies that must be enforced, the summary is a good place to remind people that the space is non-smoking, pet-free, limited to a number of guests, etc.
Within the summary, it will be important to structure it so it is readable for both guests and the algorithm. Split the section into two parts. The first can be about the property’s design and location, while the second can be a bullet list of the amenities in the property or nearby. Finish the summary with a call to action to encourage people to continue reading and exploring the listing.
The Space
There are no restrictions on character limits with this section like the summary. It will be important to keep building the interest in the space in order to have people book. If you have a longer description here, the higher you will rank on Airbnb. Of course, the guests will find the information more valuable and are more likely to book at your space as well.
Since all the sections are visible in a separate scroll from the listing, it will be important to not repeat the language too much. Find different ways of describing things, and don’t copy and paste the same chunks of text into the space. Like the summary section, bullet points can be your friend and will be helpful in organizing the description.
Describe the property more thoroughly (i.e. what is located on each floor, what type of beds and mattresses, are there pull-out sofas available) and keep it readable to maintain interest. An easy way to do this is by using separate headings for each area with a short description underneath. This will help keep the reader scrolling and reading more.
Make sure you fill this section with valuable information because listings can be penalized for empty spaces.
Guest Access
The guest access section can describe how the guests will be able to access the property (i.e. a secured doorway from a condo building or a keypad on a separate suite or house). It should also include details on what the guest will have access to if the property is shared. This is especially important if the vacation rental is only a bedroom in a house, but is also important for rentals that share an amenity like a pool.
Other Things to Note
This section is for more information to supplement what has been shared previously. No need to go over the property highlights, but instead make note of anything that would be helpful for someone travelling to your property. General information about your condo/building complex that may not be appealing (i.e. a restaurant/bar that is attached and noisy at night), whether off-street parking is limited, new construction in the area, no elevators available in the building, and so forth.
The section could also include useful tips about where the garbage/recycling areas are located generally, how far away the parking area is, and other general information. The specific information can be saved for the guest guidebook (which you do have, right?)
It is also a useful area to explain the guest expectations while they are staying at the property, including duties upon leaving (throwing garbage away, stripping beds, running dishwasher, etc.) Again, the specifics will be included in the guidebook as guests are generally not going to refer to the original listing to get information once they have checked into the property.
This area does count towards points for the algorithm. At the very least, the cleaning protocols could be mentioned along (cleaned professionally, the products used) to give some peace of mind to the guests that are concerned about it. This is especially true as we all navigate the post-pandemic times and require different levels of cleaning to be done.
Interaction with Guests
This area is for showing the potential guests the steps after they make the booking request (if the instant booking feature is turned off). Do you require additional information to do a check on the guests? Will you be meeting them at the property when they arrive? What is your availability like during their stay, or will there be a different contact person available? The specifics can be provided later, but it will be important to let the guests know what to expect in case there is something they are not comfortable with.
The Neighbourhood
Quite possibly the easiest section to write about is describing the general area and the city the guests will be staying in. The Overview area allows you another opportunity to separate your property from the others by providing information about your close proximity to the special places that the guests will likely venture to. How close are you to the beach/waterfront or ski village? If you are in a city with a lot of live sporting events that people will be travelling to, is it easy to reach those stadiums and arenas? If your property is focused more on the business traveller staying for longterm, they will want to know how far away the property is from the business areas, fitness gyms, grocery stores, etc.
The Getting Around area is self-explanatory. Describe the distance from the airport, from the major highways/interstates that guests may be driving on, and expected cab fares to/from the airport or other port that they will be arriving at. Provide information about public transportation and the closest spots to catch the bus or subway. You could also offer suggestions on different car rental companies or alternative forms of transportation like the e-scooters and bikes that are becoming more common.
For these two areas, readability will be important so use bullet points to express the different options available and subheadings to keep things organized.
Amenities
The amenities should be filled out as much as possible and be accurate. Marking something as being available at the property but then having the guest discover it is not available will lead to negative reviews. The amenities also add to the overall rank for the property.
The basic amenities that should definitely be included with any property to rank higher include:
- Internet
- Dedicated Workspace
- Essentials
- Hair Dryer
- Hangers
- Iron
Only six items and all fairly basic to have available.
Host Profile
The host profile may seem to be the least important part about a listing since it’s at the bottom, but do not underestimate its importance. There are three simple things a host much do in order to get a boost in the search rank and also help sell the listing to a potential guest:
- Profile Photo – a professional shot (not selfie) would be preferable and a headshot only, no need for a full body shot. Be friendly and professional, avoid lazy clothing and poses.
- Host Profile Description – write about your experiences with hosting, how long you have been a host, and your background in the hospitality field. Did you used to live in the space? Did you create any of the artwork or take the photographs? If the listing is a shared space, talk about your personality and daily schedule so people are aware of when you will be at the property and any noise they may hearing from any children or pets you have.
- Verification of Your ID – self-explanatory. Not being verified will not lead to more bookings.
Additional Tips to Rank Higher
The above items are considered the essential steps in helping your listing rank properly and not get buried in the search results. There are a few more things you can do to be ahead of the competition, but also several other things out of your control.
The items out of your control relate to the guest’s history with Airbnb. If the guest has booked in the past, Airbnb will use their historical stays to influence the results that appear to help them rebook through the platform. That may include the types of properties they have stayed in, the amenities they generally prefer, and the location within a city/area. The guest’s history of properties viewed will also help influence the next properties viewed when they are starting to click around on the results. The other major item, which is going to be obvious, is if the person is looking at certain dates and your property is booked, it isn’t going to be shown.
There are other things within your control of the listing, but they come with some warnings and caveats.
Airbnb wants spaces to get booked. It’s going to position the listings that are more accessible and ready to be booked ahead of the others. The items within your control include:
- Having Instant Book turned on – this may make sense if you are in a very competitive market and have a listing that will not be able to accommodate a large group. With it turned on, you will not be able to review the potential guests to create a perfect match. That creates a bit of a security risk in terms of compatibility with the guests and the listing to ensure the property is safe and to make sure there won’t be any issues for the guests. If you operate a high-end property, it will be best to have this setting turned off. You will be able to cancel the bookings still with the setting turned on, but cancelling too many reservations will decrease your ranking.
- Minimum Number of Nights set to 1 – depending on the space, this may be okay for you. If it’s a bedroom/suite in your house and you are able to get down to clean it right away, this will make sense. On the other hand, if you have a property located across the city or it’s a large home that takes a lot of time to clean, it will be better to have the minimum set to an appropriate length of time.
- Same Day Last Minute Bookings – similar to the items above, this only make sense if the space is accessible to you and you are not too concerned about checking the guest’s background.
- Enable Long-Term Bookings – longterm discounts for weekly or monthly stays may make sense for the slower seasons in your market or if the time required to prepare a space is lengthy. By having a guest stay 7+ nights, you eliminate having to clean the space multiple times in a week. Cutting back on the changeovers saves time which is likely going to be worth the lower money generated. For peak seasons, one strategy would be to have higher rates and then discount from them, so it appears to the guest that they are getting a discount, but in reality they are paying the same rate as everyone else in the market.
- Self Check-In – this may not be possible for all spaces, but there is a strong preference for travellers to be able to check-in without having to meet someone. Some people like being to walk around the space and explore on their own, others will want to be shown some of the extras without having to look through a guestbook. It could be set to on and allow guests the option of being greeted at the property.
- Cancellation Policy – having a flexible cancellation policy, where guests can cancel reservations more easily for free, mainly benefits the guest, which is why the listings that offer them are put at a higher ranking. They are more risky for the hosts depending on how popular the market is. If the market tends to have a lot of last minute bookings, it may make sense for you to have it turned on. Most listings use a Strict cancellation policy, so if you choose to not offer a flexible one, it won’t hurt you.
- No Cancellations – the fewer bookings you cancel instead of the guest, the better. Always select the option about you not being comfortable with the guest to avoid being penalized in the rankings.
- Response Time – the rule of thumb is to always respond to guests no matter what, and to do it in a timely manner. Within 24 hours is acceptable, but aim for 12 hours. If you have a full-time job, you will want to spend time responding before work or lunch hour for any inquiries that happened overnight. If you aren’t able to respond within 24 hours, it may be time to consider having a co-host to be able to respond more properly.
- Be Active – the more time you spend on the site tweaking your listing descriptions, rates, calendar, responding to inquiries, the better. The more active a host is, the higher their listings will rank. Aim to sign in at least once per day.
- Update the Calendar – this is included in the above but deserves a special mention. The more you adjust the calendar, the better. Be sure to close off dates as soon as you can, and conversely open them up with cancellations. Airbnb’s Smart Pricing feature is going to help the guests more than the hosts. If it is your first year with the vacation rental, it will be a helpful guide for you, but keep in mind that the rates suggested will likely be below the market rates by a good margin. There are other products out there that will manage your rates better, including Turbosuite and Wheelhouse. If you manage multiple units, definitely consider looking into those options. They will save you a lot of time. Otherwise, there are a lot of resources online to help you with revenue management for vacation rentals.
- Be Open to Bookings – a listing that is available year-round is preferable to one only available during a summer season. Aim to have a calendar open for at least six months of the year in order to receive the highest ranking.
- Conversion Rate Matters – in order to be promoted more in the search results, your listing needs to be booked. If people are viewing your property and not booking, the listing is less likely to be promoted. If you have professional photos done, take the time to tweak your listing description, and offer competitive rates, your listing will get booked.
- Listing Links and Mentions – it is very important to market your property outside of Airbnb and the other vacation rental sites. A simple website can be done easily through Carrd.co with links back to your Airbnb listing. Social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram) are highly encouraged to showcase the property, video tours, and promote activities in the area. Another thing that should be done is creating a Google Business Profile. It’s one of the main things to help boost a listing in the Google search results if people are looking for reviews of places outside of Airbnb. The best part about it is it is completely free.
- Reviews – the final thing to mention is make sure the guests that do stay at your property leave reviews. The aim is to get as many 5 stars as possible, of course, so try to resolve as many issues as possible with guests while they are at the property and try to make sure they leave it in a positive way. Because reviews are so valuable to the listing, there is nothing wrong with trying to encourage guests to leave a review every chance you can without annoying them. For example, sending a message after checkout is common, but don’t send multiple messages asking for a review. Leave a note at check-in asking them for an honest review after their stay. Do your best to be a polite and responsible host and the guests will return the favour by leaving positive reviews. The higher the average star reviews, the better.
All the additional tips are optional but strongly encouraged for greater success.
If you have any questions, please contact me, and I will be more than happy to offer some suggestions. If you would like a thorough review of your listing or would like my help in creating it, consulting services are also available.