Airbnb has become a leader in the vacation rental industry. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, there were 133 million bookings for stays and experiences. Moreover, the number of Airbnb listings has surpassed 7.7 million. As you can see, this market presents both challenges and opportunities. Standing out among millions of competitors and trying to get more bookings on Airbnb is no easy task.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t make your property shine. In this article, we will explore how to make your listing more appealing and attract more bookings!
How Does the Airbnb Algorithm Work?
Before diving into how to increase bookings on Airbnb, it’s essential to understand how to get your Airbnb booked. The Airbnb algorithm plays a crucial role when travelers browse listings. It sorts millions of properties and recommends the best matches based on user preferences. Therefore, mastering the Airbnb algorithm gives you a head start.
Although Airbnb does not disclose its algorithm, we can identify several factors that influence this process:
- Property Quality. Airbnb prioritizes guest experience. Thus, property quality is vital for ranking. This includes detailed listings, high-quality photos, guest reviews, ratings, and available amenities. The better you perform in these areas, the higher your ranking.
- Property Popularity. Similar to other search algorithms, Airbnb favors popular listings. What defines a popular property? Factors include your booking rate, click-through rate, wishlist saves, and how often users search for your listing name.
- Response Rate. How quickly you respond to inquiries and booking requests affects your ranking on Airbnb. The platform calculates the response rate as the percentage of new inquiries and requests answered within 24 hours over the past 30 days.
- Pricing. Competitive pricing can boost your listing’s visibility. Airbnb compares your rates with similar properties in your area. Listings with attractive pricing tend to rank higher.
- Cancellation Policy. The algorithm favors listings with flexible cancellation policies. Airbnb offers filters for users to find properties with free cancellation options.
- Diversity of Listings. The Airbnb algorithm aims to provide diverse search results. It avoids showing similar properties repeatedly. Instead, it showcases various types of listings with different amenities, price points, and accommodation formats.
10 Ways to Get More Airbnb Bookings
No matter your feelings about it, if you want to increase profits, you must put in the effort. Now, let’s get to the point and explore some effective ways to maximize your Airbnb bookings.
1. Capture Professional Photos
It is crucial to showcase your property to potential guests in the best way possible. This point has been emphasized in various discussions before. If you have taken the time and money to prepare your property, don’t skimp on this step, please.
- Use All Available Photos: Airbnb allows up to 50 photos, so make sure to utilize as many as possible!
- Highlight Reel: The first five photos are especially important; they should serve as your property’s “highlight reel” to attract guests.
- Well-Lit Spaces: Display the entire space in bright, well-lit photos. Be sure to include every room.
- Best Angles: Capture your home from its best angles, but avoid making your photos resemble real estate listings too closely.
- Comfort Details: Include close-ups of features that enhance comfort, such as branded mattresses or well-stocked bookshelves.
- Outdoor Spaces: If your property includes a garden or terrace, be sure to include photos of those areas as well.
- Seasonal Beauty: Showcasing seasonal beauty can be a bonus, for instance, adding winter snow scenes before Christmas bookings.
- Lifestyle Shots: Have friends, family, or pets model in lifestyle photos to help guests understand your property and “imagine themselves” there before booking.
2. Create a Unique and Engaging Description
When creating your Airbnb listing, it’s essential to write a personalized, engaging, and detailed description. This approach will help you get more Airbnb bookings by appealing to potential guests and showcasing the unique experiences your property has to offer.
- Highlight Unique Features: Describe what sets your property apart, whether it’s stunning views, cozy decor, or a convenient location.
- Provide Detailed Information: Ensure your description includes all essential details, such as the number of bedrooms, bed types, amenities, and the surrounding environment.
- Use Vivid Language: Employ lively and interesting language to bring your property to life, allowing guests to feel the experience through your words. Avoid bland descriptions.
- Emphasize Amenities: Outline the various amenities available, such as kitchen appliances, laundry facilities, and Wi-Fi.
- Mention Nearby Attractions: Highlight nearby attractions, shopping centers, and restaurants to help guests understand the convenience and entertainment options in the area.
- Incorporate Keywords: Use relevant keywords in your description to improve search visibility, including location, property type, and amenities.
- Include a Personal Profile: A well-crafted personal profile allows guests to get to know you, which can help establish trust.
- Evoke Emotion: Share stories related to your property. This creates an emotional connection, making your space feel like a warm and inviting home.
3. Optimize Your Pricing Strategy
Pricing is crucial; it’s one of the key factors Airbnb considers when ranking search results, making it essential to get more Airbnb bookings.
We have previously discussed how to optimize your listing’s pricing strategy. Here are some important points to keep in mind when setting your prices:
- Competitive Pricing: Research the prices of similar properties in your area, as they are your direct competitors. Pricing lower than them can increase your chances of getting bookings.
- All-Inclusive Pricing: Transparent pricing is essential for improving booking rates. Avoid unexpected fees, such as cleaning fees or guest fees, so guests won’t abandon their reservations due to surprise costs.
- Utilize Pricing Tools: There are many established dynamic pricing tools available that use big data to help hosts optimize their prices for maximum booking potential.
- Take Advantage of Platform Promotions: Airbnb offers various promotional strategies, such as early bird discounts and last-minute booking deals. These can boost your visibility under specific search filters, attracting more guests.
- Adjust Prices in Real-Time: Modify your pricing based on seasonal trends, demand fluctuations, and local events. Tools like Hostex can help you quickly adjust prices across all OTA listings, streamlining the process.
4. List All Amenities
Every detail in your property enhances the guest experience and helps your listing stand out in a competitive market. By showcasing everything, you can get more Airbnb bookings!
Don’t only rely on Airbnb’s amenities checkboxes; use your listing description to elaborate on the details.
- Check-In Support: Smart locks, self-check-in options, welcome gifts, etc.
- Essentials: Travel chargers, premium shampoo, hairdryers, irons, full-length mirrors, etc.
- Bedding: Quality mattresses, futons, extra pillows and blankets, etc.
- Outdoor Amenities: Backyard, barbecue grill, private pool, hammocks, etc.
- Entertainment Options: High-speed Wi-Fi, Netflix access, Xbox, board games, etc.
We previously wrote an article summarizing essential gadgets for Airbnb listings. These can attract guests who need them and encourage more bookings.
5. Quick Response to Inquiries
When potential guests inquire or request to book, Airbnb clearly requires hosts to respond promptly, as this significantly impacts your listing’s ranking.
Airbnb is committed to ensuring the best experience for every guest, and a quick response time shows that you are an attentive and professional host. This builds trust with both the platform and guests, ultimately helping you get more Airbnb bookings.
It’s highly recommended to activate automated messaging, which can save you up to 70% of daily communication tasks.
- Automated Responses: Automatically reply to all inquiries 24/7, achieving a 100% response rate on Airbnb.
- Booking Confirmation: Send a message upon booking to thank guests and confirm check-in/check-out times.
- Pre-Arrival Message: Two days before arrival, send detailed information about the property location and arrival instructions, expressing your excitement for their stay.
- Check-In Day Message: On the day of check-in, provide detailed accommodation information and set expectations.
- Post-Check-In Follow-Up: The day after check-in, ask if guests need any further assistance.
- Pre-Check-Out Reminder: One day before check-out, inquire if they would like to extend their stay and remind them to take all their belongings.
- Thank You Message: The day after guests leave, thank them, ask for any feedback or suggestions, and invite them to leave a review on Airbnb.
- Review Reminder: If guests haven’t left a review after five days, send a reminder message encouraging them to share their thoughts.
6. Enable Instant Book
It’s well known that Airbnb encourages hosts to enable Instant Book, which can boost your listing’s ranking and increase your chances of becoming a Superhost. On the other hand, potential guests may lose enthusiasm during the back-and-forth of inquiries and approvals.
By enabling Instant Booking, you eliminate this friction, allowing qualified guests to confirm their stay immediately. This is undoubtedly a win-win situation: guests no longer wait passively, and hosts can secure bookings before indecision sets in.
All you need to do is ensure that your listing description and photos are flawless, your cancellation policy is clear, your availability calendar is accurate, and your cleaning tasks are well-organized to avoid unnecessary issues. This way, you can avoid any unexpected issues and focus on welcoming your guests!
7. Obtain 5-Star Reviews
Undoubtedly, every positive review boosts your Airbnb ranking, and plays a crucial role in helping you get more Airbnb bookings by influencing potential guests’ decisions.
We’ve previously written an article on how to secure more 5-star reviews, and we highly recommend reading it. Here are a few key points that can particularly boost your ratings:
- Set Realistic Expectations: Your vacation rental doesn’t need to be flawless, but it should be accurately described to prevent any unexpected surprises for guests.
- Give Thoughtful Gifts: Consider leaving small tokens, homemade treats, or local souvenirs as parting gifts at check-out. A handwritten note expressing gratitude for their stay adds a personal touch.
- Provide a Feedback Box: This allows you to gather guests’ opinions and can help prevent negative reviews. By showing that you’re open to improvement, guests will feel valued and be more likely to leave positive feedback on Airbnb.
- Review Your Guests: Writing reviews for your guests will send them a notification, inviting them to leave a review for you in return. This is one of the most courteous and effective reminders. You can also use the automated review feature to streamline this process.
8. Flexible Minimum Stay Requirements
By flexibly adjusting your minimum stay requirements, hosts can better adapt to market demand and guest booking preferences, ultimately increasing Airbnb’s booking rates and attracting more potential guests.
For instance, allowing guests to book your property for just one night can attract those attending events or on short business trips.
- Market Research: Understand the local market and competitors’ minimum stay requirements, and make adjustments based on demand and trends.
- Seasonal Adjustments: Modify your minimum stay requirements according to different seasons, holidays, or local events to attract more guests.
- Regular Evaluation: Periodically assess your booking rates and guest feedback. Use this data and your experiences to adjust your minimum stay policies, maintaining competitiveness and appeal.
- Gap Management: Optimize the dates between bookings. With Hostex’s gap management feature, you can automate these adjustments to maximize occupancy.
9. Flexible Cancellation Policy
Strict cancellation policies can deter potential guests from booking in advance. In contrast, a flexible cancellation policy offers guests more leeway to cancel their reservations, reducing their concerns and perceived risks, which in turn makes them more likely to book.
Guests tend to prefer listings with flexible cancellation policies because they know they can cancel more easily without facing harsh penalties in case of unexpected circumstances or changes in plans.
Additionally, a flexible cancellation policy enhances guest satisfaction and loyalty, as it shows respect and consideration for their needs. When guests feel that their needs are acknowledged and valued, they are more likely to rebook the same property or recommend it to others.
10. Become a Superhost
The Airbnb Superhost program aims to highlight and reward the best-performing hosts. Becoming a Superhost is not just about adding a shiny badge to your short-term rental; it positions you as an experienced host who consistently provides reliable and exceptional experiences for guests.
Being an Airbnb Superhost is a testament to your hosting skills and is a crucial factor in enhancing your short-term rental business. By joining the ranks of Superhosts, you can increase your property’s appeal, encourage more guests to choose your accommodation and drive continuous revenue growth.
We have previously discussed practical ways to become an Airbnb Superhost in detail, where you can find more comprehensive information.
3 Strategies to Boost Bookings Beyond Airbnb
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
As a savvy host, you must master the ability to secure more vacation rental bookings beyond Airbnb to expand your market and enhance profitability. This is crucial for the sustained growth and development of your business.
1. Listing Vacation Rentals on Multiple Platforms
Different OTAs (Online Travel Agencies) focus on various aspects, attracting different types of guests. If you only list your vacation rental on Airbnb, many potential renters might never discover your property.
Consider showcasing your listing on platforms like Booking.com, Vrbo, and Expedia to ensure that your property is visible to everyone searching for vacation accommodations. This is one of the most effective ways to increase your booking rate.
By adopting this strategy, you also reduce reliance on a single site. This means that if one platform experiences a drop in traffic or other issues, you can still rely on other channels for bookings and income.
We have previously discussed Tips for Listing Vacation Rentals on Multiple Channels, and here are some key points to consider:
- List on as Many Channels as Possible: The more platforms you list on, the greater your chances of securing bookings.
- Ensure Quality Listings: Every platform should feature clear photos and detailed descriptions. Keep your listings updated and strive for positive guest reviews, as these are crucial for attracting new guests.
- Choose High ROI Channels: Prioritize platforms that yield better returns on investment. Some sites may have lower fees but attract lower-quality guests or have higher cancellation rates. Carefully consider the ROI, especially with limited resources.
- Respond to Guest Inquiries Promptly: Managing multiple channels requires the ability to keep up with increased inquiries. Communication can take up a significant portion of your day. Utilize Hostex’s automated response feature to ensure timely replies to every inquiry, maximizing your booking opportunities.
- Synchronize Calendars Across Platforms: Failing to sync calendars in real-time, even by a few minutes, can lead to double bookings, which can be disastrous. Use a platform like Hostex, which offers a dedicated channel manager to sync all your calendars and prevent double bookings from the start.
2. Create a Direct Booking Website
More and more hosts are realizing the risks of over-relying on OTAs, which can lead to various issues. For more professional hosts or property managers, having a direct booking website is essential. It can save you significant OTA commissions and free you from the constraints of platform algorithms.
According to VRM statistics, direct bookings accounted for over 30% of total bookings in the first half of this year, contributing around 50% of profits for hosts!
Fortunately, creating a well-designed and functional website is not complicated. Hostex provides user-friendly tools for building a direct booking website and offers the option to embed Hostex booking widgets into your existing site. This allows you to display availability and accept bookings directly on your site, while seamlessly syncing with OTA calendars.
3. Actively Promote Your Property
“You can’t just sit back and wait for the fish to bite.” In the vacation rental business, you really have to put yourself out there to attract guests.
- Social Media Promotion: Increase awareness and appeal of your vacation rental by posting attractive images and engaging content on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Interact with potential guests in community groups to build connections.
- Utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Improve your direct booking website’s ranking in search engine results. Ensure that when someone searches for local short-term rentals on Google, your listing appears on the first page.
- Email Marketing: Collect email addresses from previous guests and use targeted email offers, along with regular newsletters and helpful tips, to boost occupancy rates and secure more repeat bookings.
- Collaborative Marketing: Partner with local tourism agencies, travel agents, attractions, or other businesses. Promote your property through joint marketing campaigns, package deals, or mutual referrals to reach a wider audience.
The strategies outlined above may seem straightforward, but many hosts still struggle to implement them effectively. By taking action and applying these methods, you’ll gain a significant edge over your competition. Those who can successfully execute these tactics will undoubtedly secure a more favorable position in the market.
Don’t just follow the crowd — lead the way!
English