How To Get More Bookings On Airbnb
Introduction
With so much competition, getting bookings on Airbnb is hard nowadays.
The platform has recently changed a lot (see Airbnb 2023 Summer Release). These changes make it easier for guests to find exactly what they want.
As a result, listing your property using a solid strategy is essential.
By the end of this article, you will have learned strategies to get more Airbnb bookings.
My research of vacation rental reviews on
Airbnb revealed the #1 factor that weighed negatively
and positively on the guest experience.
*Cleanliness*
Cleanliness goes beyond function. It is personal!
It says I respect and value you as a guest. 🥰
— David Anthony Scott (@DavidAnthonyS) September 26, 2023
Know Your Ideal Guest
Understanding your ideal guest is crucial. Your “Ideal Guest” likes what you offer and helps your business do well.
For instance, if you want families to visit your place, the “Ideal Guest” is the one who decides to book, like “Jenny,” the mom, or “Steve,” the dad.
In doing this, you imagine a made-up person who is like your ideal guest.
Speak to your ideal guest with your listing.
Consider your listing as your dedicated salesperson who sells nights at your property. Using your ideal guest persona, you can talk to your target audience and make your listing hard to resist.
Everything in your listing should suit your Ideal Guest persona.
Doing so will increase your likelihood of getting booked.
Airbnb SEO
Understanding the Airbnb algorithm
Airbnb has a mathematical process that calculates how a listing ranks. This process is an algorithm. The results make Airbnb’s top hosts most visible.
Higher visibility means more bookings.
There are over 100 ranking factors in the Airbnb algorithm, but to get more bookings, it is clear that you need to:
- Make your listing available as much as possible.
- Maintain high ratings from lots of guest reviews.
- Set affordable rates
- Be responsive to inquiries from users.
- Get users to spend more time on your listing.
- Get users to wishlist your listing often.
- Cancel as few reservations as possible.
Airbnb Listing Optimization
A fundamental way to optimize your listings is to get more user engagement with your listing.
If many people click on your listing or add it to their favorites, Airbnb thinks your place is good. So, it shows your place to more people.
To get more clicks on your listing, focus on:
Titles & Descriptions
Title
Your title is the most essential written part of your listing.
It should grab attention and hook your potential guests as they scan Airbnb.
The best way to achieve that is to use wording that matches your strengths to their needs.
Dont just list your amenities or use subjective wording like luxury. Instead state the solution that you offer.
e.g “Zen Glamping Oasis”
Airbnb gives you a 50-character title limit. So, make sure your title is on point and covers the relevant features and benefits of your listing.
Of those 50 characters only the first 32 are visible on mobile which is where most book their stay. So ensure the most important aspect of your title is captured within there.
Do not use emojis in your title or state put the number of bedrooms. Bedrooms people already filter for and that info is readily available elsewhere in the listing.
The title should also have words that people use when searching. That way, people can find your place easier when they search.
Airbnb now lets people search for places based on location, fun things to do, and famous sights.
When you start to type something in the search box, a list pops up to help you find what you need faster.
Descriptions
After someone clicks, the description should make them even more excited.
Be sure to:
- Tell the story of your space: Use storytelling to help guests picture what to expect. Describe the ambiance, surroundings, and any unique benefits your space offers. Talk like you’re chatting with a friend.
- Keep it concise: Guests usually skim through descriptions, so keep it short. Say the most important stuff up front. Avoid talking up your regular amenities. Use the amenities list for that instead.
- Be authentic and honest: Keep it real. Provide an accurate representation of your space, avoiding overselling or exaggerating its qualities.
- Update your descriptions: Always review and tweak your description. This ensures that your description remains accurate and relevant.
Images
Images are the most critical aspect of your listing. So invest in a professional photographer! A good picture is a great sales tool, so ensure your photos look bright and nice.
The order of your images is vital. The lead image is the most important and should reflect the key selling point of your property.
For example, if your place is good for families, a photo that shows how big and open it is could be perfect.
The other photos on your listing’s main page should show more benefits you are trying to sell.
Pricing Strategy
Understanding your ideal guest provides a solid reference point for your base rates.
Your ideal guest data should reveal their average nightly budget and length of stay.
Starting with a fair price and making your place look good will help you earn as much money as possible.
Rankbreeze has tools that help you achieve optimized pricing and improved listing quality.
Optimizing pricing for length of stay and number of guests is easy with Rankbreeze.
You may also like: How Much Does Airbnb Take in Fees?
Length of stay
Rankbreeze offers insights into the ranking of your listing based on nightly stays. It is a handy feature that helps you compare your visibility to your competitors.
Number of guests
Airbnb ranks your listing according to the guest count. If your place is good for families, it might not appear when someone searches for a place for two people. To see where your place shows up based on occupancy, a tool like Rankbreeze can help.
This feature helps you adjust your listing to get bookings for a wider range of occupancies.
Amenities
Airbnb has recently made amenities more visible in search results.
Ensure your listing has all your amenities to maximize visibility and boost bookings.
Rankbreeze Optimization Hub shows missing amenities that you should include.
Quality Experience
Delivering a high-quality guest experience is your key to maximizing bookings on Airbnb.
By understanding the ideal guest, you will find it easier to meet their needs.
High-quality guest experiences translate to great reviews, which means more visibility and bookings.
Reviews and Testimonials
Many hosts fear bad reviews and want to keep their good scores. But bad reviews can sometimes be more helpful than good ones.
You can learn and improve so much more from honest negative reviews.
Such reviews help you understand your ideal guests and what it takes to make them happy.
Show how much you care about being a good host by responding to ALL reviews.
Your response will help other guests better know what to expect and reflect well on you as the host.
Hosts that respond to reviews also gain better visibility on Airbnb.
Your reviews often reveal what your target market appreciates most about your property. Use these revelations to tidy up your wording and create a more robust listing.
Rankbreeze shows the most common words used in your reviews.
Optimization
Your listing should always be dynamic! Most hosts have a “set it and forget it ” mentality.
Optimize your Airbnb listing and test changes to ensure high rankings.
You can use Rankbreeze to tweak and improve your listing. Note the changes in the Rankbreeze Optimization Journal. Then track how your changes to pictures, titles, and other details, affect your Airbnb rank.
The useful A/B testing feature allows you to test variations of your listing to see what performs best.
Dynamic Pricing
Pricing is critical to getting more bookings, and it requires constant attention.
Rankbreeze offers a dynamic pricing tool that automates pricing in real-time.
You choose a base price. Then you make rules for things like time of year or days of the week, and the tool will change your prices for you.
Final Thoughts
Getting more bookings on Airbnb is simple.
Here is my 4-step formula:
- Understand the algorithm
- Understand your ideal guest.
- Tailor your listing to your Ideal Guest.
- Optimize
Steps 1-3 are on you, but step 4 is something you can easily achieve with a tool like Rankbreeze.
