Boost your listing's search ranking

Boost your listing's search ranking

This page explains how to optimize your listing. 

Summary

Ranking higher in booking searches boosts visibility, bookings, and revenue. With many competing properties, understanding ranking algorithms and optimizing your listing is crucial. This guide covers key ranking factors and actionable tips to improve your position.

A good ranking on the channels depends largely the content you provide and guest reviews.

Our tips apply to your direct booking page as well to all OTAs. For Airbnb, Booking.com, the Vrbo group and Hometogo you can manage the complete content directly from Beds24.

Hosts who applied tips have improved their conversion rate on leading OTAs by up to 140% in only 30 days.

Airbnb

With Airbnb its all about quality and convenience for the guest.

Aim to become a guest favourite

On average listings with Guest Favourite badge receive 30% more bookings than other listings and have more room for a higher price.

Guest Favourites are updated daily and are identified based on a mix of factors related to overall stay and listing quality and reliability, including

• Overall ratings and feedback in guest reviews
• Category ratings for check-in, cleanliness, accuracy, Host communication, location, and value
• Host cancellation rates
• Quality-related incidents reported to Airbnb customer service
• A minimum of 5 reviews

Offer non-refundable discount

The non-refundable option lets guests book at a discounted rate that’s not subject to your standard cancellation policy. If they cancel, they won’t be refunded.

Have flexible cancellation policies

Flexible policies drivemore bookings and higher revenue.

Use Instant Booking

Using instant booking removes uncertainty from the reservation process, fostering trust and convenience for guests. Instant booking is the default on Beds24. If you have asked us to change this for you you might want to reconsider this.

Booking.com

Use Occupancy prices

Offering prices for different occupancies increases visiblity and drives bookings. With Beds24 you can send prices for different occupacies directly form Beds24.

Offer multiple price options

With Beds24 you can manage multiple rate plans.

Participate in Booking.com’s Programs

Enhance your visibility by enrolling in the Genius Program or the Preferred Partner Program. These programs provide special tags, custom banners, and listing badges designed to boost your page views and bookings.

Vrbo

Strive for Vrbo Premier Host Status

Vrbo awards Premier Host badges to hosts who consistently deliver outstanding guest experiences, with evaluations conducted quarterly.

Have Relaxed or Moderate cancellation policies

Vrbo recommends Relaxed or Moderate cancellation policies to boost bookings. Flexible policies drive 26% more bookings, 53% higher revenue, and 39% better conversion than Strict, building guest confidence and increasing your success.

Use Instant Booking

Using instant booking removes uncertainty from the reservation process, fostering trust and convenience for guests. Instant booking is the default on Beds24. If you have asked us to change this for you you might want to reconsider this.

Vrbos top-amenities

• Pool
• Private pool
• Hot tub
• 4+ stars
• Beach
• Kitchen
• Free cancellation
• Air conditioning
• Internet/Wifi
• Outdoor space
• Pets allowed

Location

• Beachfront
• Oceanfront
• Waterfront

Property type

• House

Click here for more information.

General Recommendations

Pictures

Pictures are the first impression that guests have. You should provide as many pictures as possible in high resolution.

Recommended are 20+ pictures. Make sure all have caption and make sure your first (key) picture and your headline work together.

Managing Pictures in Beds24

You can add and manage pictures in (SETTINGS) BOOKING ENGINE > PICTURES.

Make sure the pictures have the right order. Picture 1 will be the top picture sent to the OTAs which they will use as hero or header picture.

Some OTAs support tags. If you add tags directly in Beds24 there is a dropdown with commonly used tags but you can also add other tags manually. Booking.com recommends adding seasonal pictures and tag them with the season. They will then display the season picture according to the season the guest want to travel.

Features and Amenities

Having the right amenities will ensure your listing is not excluded from filtered searches. Some channels also support "Location Type" and "Nearby" features to allow guests to narrow down search results.

Prioritise those amenities that match your property’s location and guest profile, such as children’s amenities for family destinations.

Each channel has their own set of features and amenities which are listed on the channels help page.

On Airbnb some amenities, such as pools, hot tubs and washer/dryers, can significantly improve listing performance. Allowing pets and providing a kitchen, WiFi and TV can have a more moderate but still noticeable effect on the performance on Airbnb.

Setting up Features and Amenities in Beds24

You can add them via a copy and paste. Beds24 supports both property features and room features:

Property features and amenities

Amenities which apply to the complete property and and Location Type can be set up for the property (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION

Criteria which apply to all rooms in the property should be set up with the property. They will be automatically applied to all rooms in the property.

Room features and amenities

If you have multiple rooms criteria which only applies to one room should be entered in the room in {#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > ROOMS > SET UP).

Example 1: All rentals or rooms have internet. In this case you can set up the Internet in {#fas:cog}} (SETTINGS) PROPERTIES > DESCRIPTION. The number will be applied to all room/units.

Example 2: You have one unit with Internet one and another unit without Internet. In this case set the Internet up in SETTING > PROPERTIES > ROOMS > SET UP.

How to add features and amenities.

1. Click on the "Edit " button next to the "Features" field.
2. In the pop up click on "Amenities".
3. Tick the amenities you provide from the preset list. These features will show on your booking page if you have the "Features" module activated.
4. If you have features and amenities which are not in the preset list copy and paste them from the "All Features" section on the channels help page
5. Close the pop up and then press SAVE.

We aim to support all features the channels support If some features are not yet available, please reach out to us via a support ticket.

Rules and Policies

Travelers value the ability to get a refund if their plans change.

• Having a flexible cancellation policy can significantly increase the number of bookings.
• Listings where guests do not have to pay the full amount upfront tend to perform better.

Descriptive texts

Some channels allow for a "headline" rather than a property name. Choose your headline carefully and make sure your first (key) picture and your headline work together.

Make sure your descriptions are accurate so guests know what to expect. Guests who find what they expected are less likely to leave a bad review.

Communication

Successful hosting requires excellent communication between hosts and guests. Effective communication is essential for happy guests, 5-star reviews, and repeat bookings.

On our blog we provide additional information and an example messaging flow.

Communication via Beds24

Beds24 allows you to set up automated messages so you can provide your guests with all relevant information when they need it.

Direct integration with Airbnbs, Booking.coms, Expedias and Vrbos messaging system allow you to communicate with their guests directly and securely from Beds24 via the channels messaging system.

Reviews

Most travelers rely on reviews before booking.

Guest feedback helps you spot problems early and guests can offer perspectives you may not have considered.

If possible you should make it a habit to review all guests directly after departure because hosts who leave a review for their guests are likely to receive a review back from their guests.

Managing reviews in Beds24

Direct integration with Airbnbs, Expedias and Vrbos reviews allow you to manage your reviews directly from Beds24. You can view your reviews directly in Beds24, reply to them and review the guest.

We suggest you actively ask tor reviews via an Auto Action.

Communicate proactively

Use Auto Actions to give your guests relevant information at any stage of their stay.

About a week before check-in guests start thinking about their arrival. Send them a message informing how the check-in works and if they will need additional information when they will receive them.

Check your listing regularly

To stay on top you should actively manage your listings. These are the key tasks you should perform on a regular basis:

Pricing Strategy

Implement competitive pricing that reflects market demand, seasonality, and local events. Consider using the Yield Optimizer (PRICES > YIELD OPTIMIZER) or dynamic pricing tools for real-time adjustments.

Guest Feedback

Proactively seek and review guest feedback to identify improvement areas. Update your listings to address common concerns and showcase enhancements.

Listing Audit

Regularly examine your listings to guarantee accuracy and completeness. Verify that no outdated information is present, all amenities are listed, and high-quality visuals are included.

SEO Optimization

Enhance search visibility on the channels and search engines by integrating relevant keywords into your titles and descriptions. Research popular search terms related to your location and property type.

Minimum requirements

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	Airbnb	Booking.com	Vrbo
Pictures			6
Amenities