Let’s face it – at this point, you and almost everyone you know has used Airbnb before. And it probably wasn’t long after that before you found yourself wondering: why haven’t I turned my home into an Airbnb yet?
The listing process is clear and simple enough, albeit time-consuming, and doesn’t demand any fancy Airbnb marketing strategy. Since you don’t lose any money if your property sits there unused, you can only stand to earn something if and when you do get a booking.
The real question is not if you’ll profit, but rather how much?
That’s where SEO for Airbnb comes into the picture, which will magnify your presence in their search results. The better you optimize your listings for SEO, the more likely they are to be shown to relevant potential guests.
Every listing has unique potential to solicit bookings and earn profit, but maximizing it is within your control. You’ve already put in the effort of a tedious listing process and getting familiar with your local regulations – now it’s in your best interest to do more than just wait for a few lucky bookings to fall in your lap. So if you’re wondering how to increase Airbnb bookings, you’ve come to the right place.
Trying to find the perfect place to visit has gotten a lot easier.
Okay – tell me how to get more bookings on Airbnb!
The first thing to know is that Airbnb has built an algorithm which rewards certain behaviors and results by boosting your listing in the search rankings, and you need to play by its rules. Here’s how.
Log in regularly
Airbnb tracks your log-in activity, and measures your availability for your guests this way. And while you’re there…
Keep your calendar up-to-date
Airbnb Hosts who regularly update their calendars are tagged by Airbnb’s algorithm as both active and responsive – which will make a listing rise in the rankings. An out-of-date calendar can cause problems for you, for your guests, and for your relationship with Airbnb. Updating it is necessary and it’s easy, so keep it up.
Tip: cheat the system by briefly blocking out future dates before unblocking them again.
Pick the right price
While your listing is still young, attract more bookings by offering lower prices than your competition. During this time, build the reviews, profile, and ranking that will give your listing stability and allow you to modify your prices more to your needs.
Keep in mind that many pricing automation tools are at your disposal to calculate the best options for you based on expert market calculations.
One-night minimums are a good thing…
…for bringing more visibility. More visibility means more bookings, more bookings mean more reviews, and more (good) reviews mean higher rankings.
You do the math.
Turn Instant book on
This booking option will also increases your visibility – in fact, many people filter their search for only listings with this feature turned on. While it sounds risky, most of the risk can be remedied by using the guest screening feature to refine who is able to actually book.
Avoid canceling on guests AT ALL COSTS
No need to elaborate on this one…
Don’t leave your guests stranded because of an easily avoidable calendar problem.
Great – the easy part is over. Now your listing is on track to pass all of the basics with flying colors. But as far as its potential goes, marketing is where you will beat your competition.
Which Airbnb marketing strategy can I rely on?
Don’t worry – there are many!
Airbnb listing titles are gold for the mining
Having the best Airbnb listing titles requires using the best Airbnb keywords, such as orientation (center vs. north), tourist attractions and landmarks, and other relevant popular search terms.
Think about what people are coming to your city to visit and how your apartment can be convenient for this, then fit it into your title as simply and clearly as possible. The listing title is the first thing that people see, so it needs to pop.
Dazzle them in the description
Anything about your property that even one guest might desire should be written down, so leave no furnished stone unturned. Airbnb offers many opportunities through a variety of specific sections to brag about what your place has to offer, so use them to include everything from the number of rooms and exact location, to fun things nearby and household benefits. Check out our comprehensive guide to perfect description-writing.
A picture is worth a thousand bucks
Taking good photographs is a step you can’t skip, and here’s how. Additionally, Airbnb offers free professional photographers in many places, which even come with a fancy Airbnb watermark. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of this?
Note: there may be a prerequisite that needs to be met before qualifying for the free photography. If so, get busy!
Let them work their magic.
Review and ye shall be reviewed in return
Write reviews first, write reviews fast. Make them nice, and you’ll be rewarded twice – with good guest reviews and an even better Airbnb ranking! Here is a great guide to giving and getting that 5-star review.
Socialize on social media
This frequented marketing tool is also a crucial Airbnb marketing strategy. Expand your profile to social media and invite dialogue that will bring attention and traffic to your listing, inspiring the possibility of travel in viewers even before they pursued it.
Become a SUPERHOST!
Yes, this is the ultimate and obvious goal – we’re just here to make sure you make it happen by following all of these steps to having a dynamic profile. A complete profile is required to become a Superhost, and in the meantime is rewarded with an increase in your listing’s Airbnb ranking.
Your SEO for Airbnb just raised the ranking roof
After you’ve mastered the art of Airbnb SEO strategy with the help of these steps, the only job you have left is to keep listing details updated and optimized. But did you know that there’s a property management software that can do half of the work for you?
Many of the strategies you just read about here are tasks that Guesty, the ultimate all-in-one solution for property managers and hosts, is designed to take care of for you. Right from off of this list, Guesty will automate your calendar, pricing, staff scheduling, and guest inquiries. And that’s not all – with the help of our Guest Communication Services, Guesty will be able to provide your guests with 24/7 support as well as access your multi-calendar to help you rearrange problematic reservations and prevent cancellations.
Airbnb only tracks your activity for the last 30 days, meaning you need to do it all again and again each month – unless you use Guesty. Guesty is your shortcut to an increased Airbnb ranking and eventual superhost status.
What are you waiting for? Sign up for a demo today.
Guesty’s talented marketing team is comprised of passionate professionals who share insightful industry knowledge and shape brand narratives. By bringing a diverse blend of expertise to the table, we are the visionary architects behind the Guesty brand and innovative campaigns that help people understand our product.
