How to Improve Your Ranking in Airbnb Search Results

It’s no surprise that Airbnb has an internal algorithm that filters search results similar to Google. By understanding the rules, we can optimize our listings so that they gain more visibility and make us more money.

Before I begin, I want to mention that we’re not doing anything unethical here. We’re simply upgrading our profile so that it’s in alignment with what Airbnb has decided will make a great user experience for our guests. The end result is we will have a much better product to offer the end user.

How to Optimize Airbnb Listings

Airbnb Essentials

If you click “Progress” in the navigation bar (as seen below) on your Airbnb dashboard you will find an option called “Opportunities.” Under this section, you will notice “Basic requirements,” which details the minimum amenities that Airbnb requires of its hosts.

Minimum amenities include:

Toilet Paper
Linens/Sheets
Soap (Pro Tip: Get a nice looking refillable soap container and fill it with cheap soap.)
One Towel Per Guest (Pro Tip: Use cheap hotel-style towels.)
One Pillow Per Guest

There are also a few more basic requirements that Airbnb encourages you to abide by.

Airbnb likes hosts who:

Quickly respond to inquiries and reservation requests within 24 hours.
Avoid cancellations on current reservations.
Accept reservation requests when listings are available.
Maintain a high overall rating.

Remember that these are the basic minimum requirements for being an Airbnb host, so if you’re not doing at least this, then you’re probably going to run into trouble at some point. If you want to take your business to the next level, then you will need to go above and beyond what’s considered standard.

Achieve “Super Host” Status

Super Host classification is reserved only for hosts who provide an exemplary guest experience consistently, across all of their listings. It’s not something you have to apply for, so once you reach certain criteria you will automatically be awarded this title. Super Hosts get higher rankings in search results and get more guests because of their added credibility.

There are four criteria for becoming a Super Host:

Have a minimum of 10 stays booked on your profile.
Maintain a 50% review rate with an overall rating of 4.8.
Maintain a 90% response rate or higher.
Have zero cancellations except for those that fall under extenuating circumstances.

Super Host status is something that you can lose if you don’t maintain the quality of your listings, so remember to always strive to exceed the standard. This will not only pay off in the end, but it will also make for a better experience for you and your guests. As an added perk, you’ll have better peace of mind and less issues down the road, as well.

What other questions do you have about Airbnb?

Ask me in a comment below!

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.