Booking.com is one of the largest accommodation portals in the world and an essential tool for many accommodation professionals. It has over 28 million properties advertised in over 270 different countries. However, with so much on offer, it is harder than usual to stand out from the competition. This is why it is crucial to understand Ranking Booking.com method for your accommodation.
In fact, the reality is that it is no longer enough to simply advertise your accommodation and be a charming host. You need to go further, to improve your accomodation’s ranking on Booking.com.
The key point to get more bookings is to understand how the search algorithm of this platform works. That is to say, to understand what criteria Booking considers to show your accommodation to users.
To help you understand how Booking’s algorithm works, and get a better positioning, we have written this article. Read on and find out how Booking’s algorithm works.
What is it and how does Booking.com ranking your accommodation work?
The ranking is the order in which the platform shows the results of the accommodation after a search by an internet user. Obviously, the higher your accommodation is in the ranking, the higher your visibility will be. This can also translate into more booking opportunities.
But now comes the million-dollar question: How does the platform determine which properties should appear at the top of the search results?
Well, the answer lies in Booking’s algorithm. It orders the results to be the most relevant based on each user’s preferences, market trends and the overall performance of their accommodation on the platform itself.
Find out how much does it cost to rent through, Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia and HotelsBeds
What factors does the Booking.com ranking algorithm take into account?
We explain which are the factors that the algorithm takes into account to improve the Booking.com Ranking of your accommodations. We will present them in order of importance.
- The first criterion that the Booking.com ranking takes into account to determine the position of your listing is the search preferences. For example, if your holiday rental has a Sauna and a user has specified that he/she is looking for a winter rental, Booking’s algorithm will rank you higher.
- The second factor is cancellations. For most OTAs, this is a key criterion in the algorithm. They do not like hosts to cancel their guests’ bookings. Therefore, it is penalised very severely in the ranking.
- Another essential criterion is the performance of your properties against the competition. This factor is calculated through the conversion rate of your holiday rental. That is, the number of users who see your advert compared to the number of users who end up booking your property. Therefore, it is very important to always look for solutions and alternatives to improve your conversion rate within Booking.
- Another key element for your positioning is the response rate and the response time of the host to your guests’ queries. It is very important to answer all enquiries as quickly as possible. As mentioned above, Booking wants to offer the best possible experience to its users, so it will favour hosts who offer a good service to users and customers.
- Finally, another factor is the use of Booking payment tools. Using the tools provided by Booking will allow you to climb in the rankings and get a better positioning.
How can I improve my Booking.com Ranking?
Improving your conversion rate will allow you to keep Booking.com’s algorithm happy. A happy algorithm will improve your ranking, which will increase your conversions, and therefore your bookings.
Better conversion rate = Better ranking = More bookings = More profit.
So how do I increase my conversion rate? There are several techniques to get more bookings on Booking.com and increase your ranking position.
1. Quality photographs
The photographs of your holiday rental in the advert represent your property, and as we all know a picture is worth a thousand words. They are the only proof and image that the user has at the moment of booking. Therefore it is essential to get quality photographs.
Travellers will want to visualise what their experience will be like in your accommodation. So photographs will be the perfect way to show them.
2. Update the calendar of your accommodation in Booking
You must always keep your calendar up to date. Your holiday rental has to be available on the dates that users are looking for, otherwise the algorithm will not rank you. Therefore it is essential that you don’t forget to update it. If a booking is cancelled, and you forget to update your calendar, your property will not appear in the ranking.
3. Categorise your offer with tags
Given the immense competition on the platform, the offer can be overwhelming even for travellers. For this reason, Booking.com insists on the use of filters to achieve results as close as possible to the user’s needs.
These filters refer to the type of property (flat, rural house, villa, etc.), or for example the services included (swimming pool, jacuzzi, washing machine, etc.), the type of accommodation (pets allowed, free cancellation, breakfast included, etc.), nearby activities, etc.
Therefore it is essential to apply the filters that correspond to your properties, in order to obtain the best possible positioning, and improve your visibility. In this way your property will appear in the most appropriate searches for your offer.
4. A good description of your accommodation on Booking
The description of your holiday rental shown in the search results is written and automated by Booking.com. For this reason, it is essential to write a good description within the Booking profile of your property. It should be thorough, detailed and clear.
The most important thing will be to highlight the main aspects of your accommodation, as well as the places of leisure or activities near your property. The most effective method is to put yourself in the shoes of your guests and think about what features or services they may appreciate more or less.
Discover our article on: How to increase your bookings with a better description of your accommodation.
5. Advertise all your services
Try to include in your advertisement all the features/services of your property, whether they are audiovisual and technological equipment (television, flat screen), or bathroom items (towels, hairdryer, shower, toilet paper, etc.), kitchen appliances (washing machine, oven, fridge, coffee maker, etc.). etc.
Don’t forget all those aspects that can make your holiday rental more attractive to your guests. It can be elements such as a SPA, swimming pool, jacuzzi, fireplace, a ping pong table, an outdoor solarium. Pay attention to the smallest detail.
You can advertise your services automatically, through an online check-in. Discover our online check-in solution here.
6. Reviews
According to a recent Booking.com study on holiday accommodation, 75% of internet users believe that reviews from other travellers are the most important basis for finding the best holiday homes on the platform.
So you have to accept the fact that the vast majority of users will look at reviews from guests who have stayed at your property in the past. They will be interested in how well the traveller’s experience matches the images and descriptions in your listing.
As soon as your guests leave your property, we recommend sending them an email to thank them for their stay and ask for a review.
Our article on: How to avoid bad reviews from your guests
Conclusion
Booking.com is an excellent platform, but due to its huge supply of accommodation, it is very difficult for hosts to stand out from the crowd.
It is therefore essential for the smooth running of your accommodation business to constantly look for ways to improve your ranking on Booking.com, to get more visibility, and more bookings.
