Owning a beautiful property but struggling to get bookings can be incredibly frustrating—and it’s a common challenge many vacation rental owners face on platforms like Airbnb.
Simply listing your property online isn’t enough anymore. To stand out and get noticed, you need to optimize it for each platform it is listed on.
SEO for Airbnb is one of the best ways to get your listing noticed and begin generating bookings.
It starts with understanding what travelers are searching for and showing Airbnb’s algorithm why your property is the perfect fit. This way, you can boost visibility and attract more potential guests all year round.
This blog post will explore what Airbnb SEO is and how you can begin optimizing your listing to generate consistent bookings throughout the year.
What is Airbnb SEO
We know you want more guests to see your listing, and Airbnb SEO helps make sure your property gets noticed.
There are a few key tricks to making your listing rank higher, and it starts with understanding what Airbnb looks for. Common techniques include:
- optimizing your profile
- managing your reputation
- setting competitive prices for your area.
When done right, Airbnb SEO should earn you higher rankings in Airbnb search results and increase your exposure on other search engines, such as Google.
This is because SEO itself stands for search engine optimization. And in many ways, most search engines share several ranking factors within their algorithms.
So, in optimizing for one, you are often optimizing for many. And the benefits of Airbnb SEO become exponential when you begin generating traffic from several sources to your listing.
Airbnb’s Ranking Factors
When you understand how Airbnb’s search algorithm works, you can begin leveraging the information to rank your listing higher in search results.
Airbnb looks at over 100 factors to decide how listings rank. But don’t worry—some are more important than others.
Airbnb hasn’t released every indicator they use within the algorithm. But they do provide information regarding their four most prominent ranking factors:
- Quality: Airbnb prioritizes high-quality listings within their search results. They determine quality based on several factors, including positive reviews, high-quality photos, and unique characteristics or amenities. Complete your profile, offer unique amenities, and provide excellent services that generate positive reviews to improve your listing’s quality indicators.
- Popularity: Everything from how often guests book, message, or save a listing to their wishlist affects its popularity. In turn, popular listings tend to rank higher on Airbnb search results. That’s why having a strong profile and great photos is key to getting more engagement and boosting your SEO.
- Price: When two listings feature similar quality stays, amenities, and popularity, Airbnb is more likely to rank the more affordable option first. As such, how you value your listings is vital to improving your listings visibility. While you don’t want to undervalue your stay, you do want to ensure your prices are competitive for the location.
- Location: You may not be able to change it, but location is a major ranking factor for Airbnb listings. Airbnb is more likely to display listings in areas where guests are more likely to stay, such as near popular landmarks or attractions.
15 Ways to Improve Your Airbnb SEO
Now that we know what Airbnb looks for when ranking listings in their search results, we can begin leveraging this knowledge to optimize our listings for higher search rankings.
1. Conduct Keyword Research
Before optimizing your profile, you want to make sure you are targeting terms people are actually searching for. No keyword research tools have access to the Airbnb database, but you can use the databases for other search engines to gain a baseline understanding.
Try using a tool like KeySearch to find popular keywords people are searching for on Google. While the data does not translate directly to Airbnb, it does give an idea of the phrases and words people use in their search queries.
Additionally, when you optimize your profile for keywords identified this way, you aren’t just optimizing for Airbnb but for Google as well. And if you are able to rank on Google for the target keyword, then you create a new lead generation source and more bookings for your listing.
2. Include Professional Photos
Profile photos are the first impression users have of your listing.
You want to make sure you include images that demand attention and display the best of what your listing has to offer.
You want a user to have a pretty good understanding of your listings amenities and characteristics just by going through your photo gallery.
If you have a beautiful view, include it in your profile. Does your stay promise the comforts of home, such as a laundry room or hot tub? Show it! Maybe your stay is situated near coveted tourist attractions. Prove it through your images.
Great photos let guests imagine what it’s like to stay at your place—whether it’s relaxing by the pool or enjoying a cozy evening in. They can convert bookings before even clicking through to the rest of the profile.
With so much conversion potential, you don’t want to slack on this section of your profile. Spring for a professional photographer to truly encapsulate the essence of your listing.
3. Optimize Your Listing Title
High-quality photos grab a user’s attention. But it’s the listing title that gets them to click through.
Airbnb limits users to 50 characters for their listing title. You, as an owner, need to leverage these characters to their full potential.
In just 50 characters, you need to both optimize the title for search engines and encourage users to click through to the listing description.
Keep your title engaging, highlight a premium feature, and include your target keyword.
For example, if your Airbnb is for a Niagara Falls cottage along the river, you can use the title “Cozy Riverside Cottage Near Niagara Falls.” This title incorporates two selling points: its setting along the river and close proximity to Niagara Falls.
It also includes the target keyword “cottage near Niagara Falls,” which could generate more traffic from Google.
4. Write a Comprehensive Listing Description
Now that you have users clicking through to your profile, you need to wow them with your listing. This starts with writing a comprehensive description.
Airbnb listings have four different description sections:
- About this space: The main section is your opportunity to explain your property highlights. Keep the section engaging and detail what a guest can expect, including specific amenites and features.
- The space: Provide specific details of the property, including the location and room information.
- Guest access: Explain how guests can access the property/check-in
- Other things to note: Here, you can include any other notes you would like guests to know, such as rules of friendly reminders.
Throughout all four sections, you want to give as much information as possible. This will give you more opportunities to rank for different search queries and keywords, increasing your overall visibility.
And if done right, your descriptions should include engaging language that promotes different storytelling techniques to inspire conversions for your stay.
5. Complete Profile
Just as you optimized your listing profile, you also want to complete your host profile. It’s not a confirmed ranking factor, but having a complete profile goes a long way in building trust with users.
When a profile is authentic, it makes users want to book with them. A complete host profile can help you get your first stay and begin boosting your popularity factors, even if you’re new and have no reviews.
Here is how you can begin optimizing your Airbnb host profile:
- Identity Verifications: Using multiple forms makes it clear you are who you claim to be.
- Description: A brief explanation of yourself and your interests. Highlight your travel experiences to connect with users and promote the personalized stays you offer.
- Profile Photo: Use a recent headshot that can help guests identify you when they arrive.
6. Offer Unique Amenities
Include as many and unique amenities as you can.
Don’t lie. That will result in bad reviews and negative Airbnb SEO.
Instead, introduce new amenities where and when you can. You can start small, and add new amenities as your Airbnb business grows. But you want to make sure you have unique features.
Most guests filter their searches based on amenities, so the more you offer, the more often your listing will show up. Additionally, if you have a unique amenity, you may be one of the few in the area with that specific feature.
For example, in popular vacation spots like Grand Bend, Ontario, listings with pools are rare but in high demand. Including this amenity within your list of features can boost your visibility and generate consistent bookings throughout the season.
This is just an example. Other popular amenities you should think about including are:
- Wi-Fi
- A kitchen
- Free Parking
- A hot tub
- A washing machine or dryer
- Air conditioning or heating
- Workspaces
- Pet-friendly
- Self-check-in
7. Offer Competitive Pricing
We understand lowering your price is tough. But if your listing isn’t getting booked, adjusting your rates slightly could help attract more guests.
Now, I’m not saying to undervalue your stay. I am saying to take an honest look at how your stay is valued compared to similar listings in the area.
When everything else is similar, Airbnb’s search algorithm prioritizes listings with the most affordable pricing. As such, look at other listings, and set your appropriate rates slightly below your competitors.
You can play around with different prices and see what works best for bookings. Or you can turn on Smart Pricing and let Airbnb adjust your nightly price depending on demand.
8. Reduce Minimum Stay Length
Sometimes you need to have a minimum stay length set. But this can often result in your listing not appearing in some searches altogether.
A minimum stay length hides your listing from any searches that don’t meet the minimum number of nights. As such, the lower the minimum length, the more visibility you will receive for your listing.
9. Prioritize Fast Response Times
Airbnb loves active hosts on the platform. And for good reason.
Quick responses are a sign of good hospitality. When you are booking a stay, do you prefer to communicate with a host that takes an hour or two days to respond?
Every single person would answer in an hour. And Airbnb knows it and incorporates that information in their algorithm for an improved user experience.
As such, one of the best ways to get on Airbnb’s good side and appear higher in search rankings is by practicing quick response times when replying to inquiries.
All inquiries should be answered within 24 hours. For the best results, keep your notifications on so you can respond to messages within an hour or two.
You may find yourself answering the same question ten times a day. But, being prompt with your responses is one of the best ways to boost your SEO for Airbnb.
10. Enable Instant Book
One of the easiest ways to streamline your response time is by turning on Airbnb’s Instant Book Feature.
The feature allows potential guests to book accommodations without having to be manually approved. Along with quicker responses, the feature increases your visibility within searches filtered for the feature.
Keep in mind that when activated, you no longer have the opportunity to vet your guests before confirming the booking.
If you have strict rules or other limitations, this may not be the best option.
11. Reduce Last-Minute Cancellations
A reason you may not want to enable instant booking is that Airbnb prioritizes factors that demonstrate exceptional hospitality. This is the criteria they use to evaluate Superhosts, and one of them is a low percentage of cancellations.
Think about it. You finally find the perfect place for your holiday, you book it and begin planning your vacation. A few days or weeks go by, and you get a notification your stay has been cancelled. Would you ever book that place again? Probably not.
It’s called bad hospitality.
As such, you want to limit cancellations where you can. And if you have strict rules, this means properly vetting people trying to book your stay before confirmation.
With that in mind, Airbnb also considers the percentage of rejections within their Superhost criteria. It is okay to have a few rejections, but if you are rejecting more than you are accepting, it may be time to reconsider your restrictions if you want to improve your Airbnb SEO strategy.
12. Update Your Airbnb Calendar Daily
To limit the volume of cancellations and rejections you may have, you need to update your booking calendar regularly.
This is particularly important if you have your property listed on other booking platforms.
All reservations should be blocked out on all platforms as soon as you are made aware of them. Not only will this keep you from overbooking a specific day, but it will limit the number of guests you have to reject and boost your Airbnb SEO Superhost credentials.
Airbnb offers two tips on how to improve your booking calendar management.
- Display availability as far into the future as you can to allow early bookings.
- Block out unavailability periods as soon as you can to prevent overbooking.
As a good rule of thumb, you should check your booking calendar daily and ensure your reservations are reflected across all channels.
13. Provide Exceptional Services
Optimizing your profile is great. But the best way to boost your Airbnb visibility is by providing stand-out hospitality.
Airbnb evaluates hospitality in six ways.
- Check-In: Ensure your check-in process is quick, easy, and clear for potential guests.
- Cleanliness: Clean the property thoroughly after every guest. There is nothing worse than showing up to a booking with dirty floors and stained sheets.
- Communication: Maintain lines of communication with guests. Prompt responses are the key to an exceptional stay.
- Accuracy: Ensure the property, amenities, and features are exactly as they were described in the listing. If something is missing or being repaired, be sure to communicate this before check in.
- Location: Don’t exaggerate your location. Make sure estimated distances to popular attractions and services are accurate in your listing.
- Value: Keep your prices competitive to similar stays in the area to avoid dissatisfied guests.
When starting on Airbnb, use guest feedback to determine where you can improve guest satisfaction. Before long, you will become one of the best stays on the platform, which will be reflected in search results.
14. Generate High-Quality Reviews
If you follow these steps, you’ll start seeing those 5-star reviews roll in before you know it.
However, you can still take a proactive approach to generating more 5-star ratings.
For starters, when you know a guest enjoyed their stay, send them an email asking for a review. Don’t wait too long, though. Most guests are more likely to leave a review when reminded within 24 hours of their check-out.
Additionally, if your guest is problematic, avoid sending them an email. Don’t worry if you get the occasional less-than-perfect review—it happens to everyone, and it won’t hurt your ranking as long as most of your reviews are great.
Just as you want to acquire 5-star reviews for your listing, you should also take time to leave reviews for your guests. This builds a sense of community on the platform. Not only will they be more likely to leave you a review, but other guests will be encouraged to book with you in the future.
15. Optimize Booking Rate Percentage
Your booking rate percentage is the rate of guests that have visited your listing profile and booked it. If 100 people have visited the listing, but only seven booked it, then you have a booking percentage of 7%.
Airbnb uses this rate as a ranking factor. As such, you want to optimize your profile to maximize conversions.
Having a complete profile, providing exceptional services, and acquiring positive reviews are some ways to improve your booking rate. However, to get even better results, you should incorporate professional copywriting services into your profile details.
Along with optimizing keywords, copywriting services incorporate elements of persuasive writing that are designed to entice and sell, improving your Airbnb SEO and generating a consistent flow of bookings for your stay.
If you have an Airbnb listing that could benefit from increased visibility, check Kurt’sCopy’s Airbnb SEO and copywriting services. Send us a message today for a free consultation and quote.
Kurt Norris is the founder of Kurt’sCopy, where he helps B2B, e-commerce, SaaS, and local businesses craft compelling content and SEO strategies that deliver measurable results. With over six years of experience, Kurt specializes in creating data-driven campaigns that drive traffic, increase conversions, and establish brand authority.
