How to rank higher on Airbnb

Competition on Airbnb is fierce: since it launched in 2008, the platform completely changed the vacation and travel industries. If you want to get business out of it, you must have a good listing and position on its ranking. But how to rank higher on Airbnb?

The platform’s algorithm is not playing any specific games, but only trying to match the most suitable property with the guests’ searches. If your listing is not showing up at the top - or at all - it only means you need to improve your content.

Have a descriptive and comprehensive listing

Your guests need to have as much information as possible by simply reading your listing’s title. If you have a West Loop Chicago area property, ensure your title says that. That makes it easier to attract customers. 

List many details on your listing about the neighborhood, amenities, and house rules. Think ahead of your guest and try to respond to any questions on your property right there to avoid them having to contact you.

So, what is the distance to local transportation? Is your neighborhood walkable? Do you offer any breakfast basics, bathroom amenities? 

Complete it with information regarding your neighborhood: what is around, stores, restaurants, bakeries, shops, parks, etc. What is something different the guests should see, or any exciting spots? All of this information contributes to ranking higher on Airbnb. 

‍Be responsive

There is no ranking higher without being a good, responsive host. Understand that guests are considering multiple properties during a search, and if they have messaged you and don’t get a reply quickly, they might be swayed towards another listing. 

You should respond at least within 24 hours and do it attentively and kindly. Hospitality matters! A proactive, available host gives guests the security they seek in a vacation rental property. If you can’t respond in detail at the moment, let them know you received the message, and as soon as possible will reply to their inquiries. 

The Airbnb app is your best friend here - no excuses! 

Have competitive rates

Guests are looking for a fantastic deal on Airbnb. That’s why it became so popular – of course, the homey feel helps, but the price per guest is the most significant advantage against hotels. So to rank higher in the platform, you need to offer competitive rates. 

Do yourself a search for properties in your area and understand what your competitors are charging for similar listings. That also helps with a little benchmarking: what are your differentiating factor, and what can you add to stand out? 

If you are just starting and don’t have a lot of reviews yet, for example, you might want to lower your price until you have welcomed some guests. Once the positive reviews start piling up and you are an established community member, you can raise them. 

A photo is worth a thousand words

Good photos matter. They can make it or break your listing. You can have the most fantastic rental, but guests will choose other listings over yours if your photos are blurry, dark, pixelated, or anything like that. 

Getting professional photos done is the best way to go. In fact, Airbnb can arrange that for you and debit the cost from your next booking, but if you can’t afford to, try to follow some simple rules:

1. Use a tripod whenever possible
2. Natural light is always best
3. No backlighting photos 
4. Highlight your strong points: big windows? Great! 
5. Photograph all details

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Treat your listing like the business it is

To rank higher on Airbnb, you have to treat your rental like a business. That means logging in frequently, being responsive like we mentioned before, avoiding canceling on guests, and marketing the property.

There are several property management systems that can help you run your rental, including marketing it, and TIDY can help ensure your property is always clean. It syncs with Airbnb or property management tools, automatically requests your cleaners for the job, helps you track, inspect, and organize everything remotely. Need a new professional cleaner? We can help with that too. TIDY helps ensure that there is always someone on the way to take care of the cleaning before your guest's arrival.

Learn more about TIDY: book a Perfect Turnover Call with one of our experts.

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