Anatomy of the perfect Airbnb or Booking ad

What elements of the Airbnb or Booking ad are key to your guests? How can you make the most of the maximum characters to encourage visitors to take action on your tourist accommodation ad? What to keep in mind when taking impactful photos? How many photos to upload?

If you want to know what the anatomy of the perfect ad is, you're in the right place! After reading this post, you'll be able to:

• Consider what elements of your ad are most valued by your guests.
• Use a language that captures attention in the titles and increases the click-through rate in your tourist accommodation ad.
• Use expressions that encourage action in the ad descriptions to increase your bookings.
• Discover how to take photos that highlight the best attributes and how you can turn them into advantages for your guests.

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Photos of the Airbnb or Booking ad

Photos are key to attracting potential guests and convincing them to book your accommodation. The platform allows you to add many photos of your Airbnb. But be careful not to overdo it! The best option is to add between 8 and 10 photos to avoid overwhelming your potential guests.

The photos of your tourist apartment should highlight the advantages for your potential customer

Regardless of the number of photos you upload, you have to keep in mind that the first 3 are the most important. Why? It is usually the number of photos a potential guest browses before clicking on your accommodation after a search.

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This is one of the main reasons why using high-quality photos will make you stand out from your competition. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to showcase photos of your Airbnb with as many services as possible.

Finally, some ideas you can include in these three photos of your Airbnb are: shiny and carefully detailed rooms or unique services of your accommodation (for example, a pool or jacuzzi if available).

Technical characteristics of the Airbnb ad photos

At a technical level, Airbnb recommends using large, good-resolution photos - at least 1024 x 683 px. In addition to:

• Take photos for Airbnb in a horizontal perspective, as this makes it much easier to understand the space.
• Use natural light. To do this, open blinds and draw curtains
• Prepare your accommodation to take photos for Airbnb: the order and arrangement of the elements is key to catching the potential guest's attention.
• Don't use sports cameras like GoPro: they distort the space.

You can take them yourself or use Airbnb to contact a professional photographer to request a quote and schedule a perfect date and time for the session.

Technical characteristics of the photos in the Booking ad

Booking only shows photos of quality higher than 300 x 300 px. Keep this in mind when uploading them to the ad. Also:

• Use .jpg or .png formats.
• More is more. The higher the resolution, the better. The recommended size is 1280 x 900 pixels.
• Use metadata and indicate the category of the photo (for example, if the photo is of the double bed, label it as "bedroom").

7 + 1 tips for having stunning photos in your tourist apartment ad

Ads with professional photos usually earn 40% more, get 24% more bookings and charge nightly rates 26% higher than those without.

These figures come from a study conducted in 2016 involving more than 100,000 accommodations with and without professional photographs. Remember that each ad is different, so the results may vary depending on the case.

Take your time planning photos for Airbnb. Photos help increase your CTR (clicks per impression) on the search page.
A bad Airbnb photo means your potential guests will ignore your ad.

Once you've selected a photographer, either through Airbnb or on your own, here are some tips to get the most out of them.

#1 Who is your tourist accommodation aimed at?

This is your Airbnb target audience.

Is your accommodation intended to attract couples? Families with young children? Professional profiles traveling for work?

Each of these profiles wants to see different things in their photos.

Professional travelers want to see desks, printers, comfortable beds to relax after work.

Families with children prefer to see a lot of space for clothes, large kitchens to prepare meals, etc.

#2 What functional needs do your potential guests have?

Here is a list of the needs that your guests may have based on their profile. Show this prominently in your Airbnb photos!

• Couples: comfortable beds; sofas to relax; dining area
• Families: spacious areas to store clothes and luggage; a place to cook
• Professionals: Wi-Fi; an extra monitor with cables; coffee and tea
• Groups: space for suitcases; proximity to public transportation

#3 What emotional benefits do your potential guests want?

Emotional benefits are the feelings that arise in your guests when they enter your tourist accommodation.

Below you will find some examples of emotional benefits that some types of guests are looking for and how you can inspire them with your Airbnb images or photos.

• Couples: feeling of luxury; champagne and something to snack on; large pillows and a good bed.
• Families: feeling of security; secure doors; show in your Airbnb photos children playing in front of the accommodation
• Professionals: feeling of reward; extra premium services; good views
• Groups: feeling of excitement; nightlife; highlights the proximity to popular sites

#4 What is your positioning? Demonstrate it in the photos of your tourist apartment ad

You have a TV: What brand is it? Is it flat? Is it CRT?Halo effect premium.

The halo effect is when that first initial impression answers questions from the subconscious or creates assumptions.

Promote elements in your Booking or Airbnb images that can create a positive halo effect for your guests.

#5 What are the unique features of your accommodation?

There are elements of the property (both the apartment and the community) that no other surrounding area offers. Highlight them in your photos.

Does your building have a beautiful garden? Is there a great view of the mountain? An unbeatable Andalusian-style courtyard? A jacuzzi?

Show them in the photos of the Airbnb or Booking ad and finish convincing your potential hosts.

#6 What does your accommodation really offer?

What will your accommodation look like when a new guest walks through your door? Be brutally honest!

If you don't offer certain things or are going to remove some objects that appear in the Airbnb photo "just in case they break", then... it's better not to show them!

Most of your guests will visually remember what they saw in the Airbnb image and compare it to reality.

Most people expect you to be honest with the photos of the tourist apartment.

💡 Remember: You don't have to be the most beautiful place in your building... just be honest

#7 Make it easy

A picture is worth a thousand words... but nobody has time to read a thousand words.

Don't fill your profile with photos of every service your tourist apartment has. Instead, take photos from different angles of the same room.

You can also highlight parts of the living room, but not every single element you have.

You can upload several photos. However, we recommend between 15 and 20.

Bonus: Communicate with your Airbnb photographer

The photographer you hire may never have set foot in the property. That's why it's essential to give them all the information they need to bring the right equipment.

If you can't have a pre-shooting meeting, take 20-30 photos with your mobile and send them to your photographer before they start shooting.

Some photographers travel with just the basics and may not bring all their equipment. The photos you send them in advance will help them decide which lights, lenses, and other equipment to bring on the day of the shooting.

Don't leave anything to improvisation. Make sure they understand where they're going so the photos turn out great.

Also, make sure of two fundamental things:

• Number of Airbnb photos you need.
• Whether they will be edited or not by the professional photographer.

Again, make sure you have at least 15 photos. Although having more is better. You can always rotate them and check which ones attract more potential guests... and bookings!

Ad title: The name for your Airbnb

Did you know that a potential guest only browses for 2 seconds the ad on Airbnb or Booking to decide whether to click on it?

Optimizing the title of your tourist apartment ad is key to making it more competitive. In fact, it is one of the elements used by the algorithm of Airbnb to position accommodations. Therefore, following these guidelines is essential to increase clicks on your title –and, with it, the number of bookings for your accommodation.

The name of your Airbnb ad should be a clickbaiting

You should think of the title as the first impression as the first impression for your potential guests. The maximum size is 50 characters. Although, it's recommended not to exceed 35. Use them to capture attention and personalize it as much as possible to convey why your Airbnb is unique.

Try to use evocative and warm adjectives to convey the same warmth with which you will treat your guests. But keep in mind that to optimize the Airbnb title you need to condense all this into a very small space.

At the end of the section, we show you some structures and title templates so that those 50 characters shine brightly.

Before starting, ask yourself if your Airbnb title grabs attention like a newspaper headline. Is it a bit clickbait? Yes, but that's exactly what it's about. The title of your ad should grab the attention of your potential guests and make them want to click on it.

6 techniques for writing the best Airbnb title

So, how do we get the best Airbnb title in our ad? And how do we compress it into 50 characters?

It can be a bit complicated, but it will help you understand how to have a title that works.

Follow these tips to improve the title of your Airbnb ad.

Don't just describe your tourist accommodation in the Airbnb title

"One-bedroom apartment" is the type of title that doesn't grab attention at all. Besides, do you think your guests haven't filtered by those variables before?

Of course, in that Airbnb title there is not much to attract clicks on the ad, is there? Imagine two identical ads (in photos, features, services...) with these two titles: "One-bedroom apartment" to "Apartment bright in the heart of Madrid". Which one would you choose?

💡 Tip: Put something that is both descriptive ("bright", in our example) with something that catches the eye ("in the heart of Madrid").

Don't repeat information about the location

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential hosts. How do they search? Your potential guests have probably reached your ad by filtering by location and available dates. In addition, the ad already shows the approximate or even exact location of your tourist accommodation.

Don't be redundant and give this type of information in the Airbnb title - your guests can find it one line below.

Use this type of information about the location to be super specific. Choose a nearby picturesque place - or a monument-: it's much more attractive than naming the neighborhood!

For example, "Royal Palace" is much better and more descriptive than simply "Madrid". Do you think your potential guest doesn't already know they're looking for tourist apartments in Madrid?

Update Airbnb titles frequently

If your tourist apartment doesn't have a low season or special events, you can skip this technique.

For the rest, change the Airbnb title to include relevant contextual information if there are special events.

Is it a 10-minute walk from the Santiago Bernabéu? It's definitely interesting for someone who wants to see the next Madrid-Barça!

Think about what attracts your target audience –and use it

Talk about what elements or features attract your target audience or the type of travelers you attract. If you're attracting a certain type of traveler with specific needs, use them in the Airbnb title.

For example, your area may have more young travelers looking for nightlife. Having something like «10 minutes walking from Huertas» in the Airbnb title answers a question that your guests ask themselves in advance.

Think about what are the biggest needs of your clients when they travel and respond to them in the title of your Airbnb or Booking ad.

Find and choose the key adjective

Is your apartment bright, modern, cozy, classic, spacious...? Find the adjective that best defines your apartment and resonates with your target audience. Use it in the Airbnb ad title. Be honest. If you choose an adjective that is not faithful to the photos you will later show... In all likelihood, your visitors will be disappointed and will not book with you.

Use the 50 characters of the Airbnb ad title

Hosts only have 50 characters to complete the Airbnb title. Use them all! If you only use 20 or 30 characters, you'll be underutilizing a wonderful promotional space. Here you can see what requirements the title must have.

Infallible formulas to say goodbye to the insipid title you have in your tourist accommodation ad

Here are three Airbnb title templates to help you increase your bookings today:

1. [Type of accommodation] [Adjective] with [Extra services] Example: Spacious apartment with parking and extra-large bed.
2. [Type of accommodation] [Adjective] [Distance] [Popular destination] Example: Enchanting cabin 1 minute from the river + boat
3. [Type of accommodation] [Adjective] great for [Type of experience] Example: Private villa for a quiet getaway.

Attracting the attention of your potential guests through the ad for your tourist apartment is a complicated task.

However, putting keywords in the Airbnb title will attract more guests. Try to be relevant to your target audience. Also, use precise descriptive words.

Finally, omit abstract terms like «great» or «unique». Great is an opinion and can change between guests… Don't waste characters.

Description of your tourist apartment ad

Only 30% of guests read beyond the first 250 characters.

As for the general description of the ad, Airbnb recommends that you use less than 500 characters

Although we focus on Airbnb here, this tip is just as valid for ads on Booking or HomeAway.

Potential guests love it when accommodations overflow with personality, so make yours shine… Without forgetting that you must be terribly concise in explaining the benefits of your tourist accommodation. Use bulleted or numbered lists – they make reading easier!

Add additional information to your Airbnb or Booking ad

If you click on “Add additional information” (the one that only 30% of guests read), a dropdown with 6 text fields will open:

• About the accommodation: Include extra information that you consider secondary but relevant. Remember to focus your main competitive differences in the first section. You can indicate if there are stairs, the size of the bed, the kitchen utensils available, or anything else that may be useful. Remember to add photos of your Airbnb!
• Areas to which guests have access: Clearly explain which common areas your guests have access to if they book with you. You will need to develop those that you have indicated in the Airbnb registration section, which we told you about in the first section.
• The relationship with guests: Some hosts are always available, while others relax more in this aspect and give more freedom to travelers. Describe how you will treat your guests. Be sincere, it's an important element for Airbnb guests!
• Other notable aspects: What else should guests know before their stay? You'll have time to talk about the house rules later, so use this space to add any other details that come to mind.
• About the neighborhood: Describe the area where the accommodation is located. Include any special aspect of the neighborhood, such as the bar where they serve the best coffee or the perfect spot to sit and read for a while.
• How to get around the area: Describe how to get from one place to another in the neighborhood. Talk about public transportation, give tips on parking or walking.

In conclusion, to optimize the description of the Airbnb ad, you must use a personal and attractive language. In addition, you have to be concise to convey all the features that make your accommodation unique.

The hacks that Cervantes would have used in the description of the ad (if he had a tourist apartment)

When there's so much to say -and so many ways to say it-, it's easy for the unique value of your accommodation (your competitive difference) to get lost.

Easy to read

A good Airbnb description makes the most of the structure and formatting options available. Use bullet lists with short sentences and use bold to emphasize your strengths. Internet users don't read, they scan. That's why it's essential to visually draw attention to certain aspects.

Use UPPERCASE for the headings of each section. Don't overdo it with capital letters – they're synonymous with shouting on the internet–. Use special characters like * or + for each bullet point.

Your goal is for the Airbnb description to be easy to read and not be a source of stress for your guest. If you need more information on how to use the description, take a look at what Airbnb says on its website.

Be precise in the Airbnb ad description

Synthesis is not contrary to precision. Take a look at these two examples:

1. The bedroom has a TV
2. The bedroom has a 55″ LG HD TV with Netflix

Both options represent the same reality, but which one would you choose?

Add specific details to your Airbnb descriptions, but don't add clutter. Irrelevant points for the reader only make navigation difficult—and with it, reservations—.

Sell experiences in the description of your tourist apartment

If your tourist accommodation has a special service or feature, describe the experience it can create - don't just list it. Try to answer what your guest can do with it. Let's look at two more examples:

1. Free coffee
2. Freshly made espresso coffee in the mornings

Again, which one would you choose?

Inform about what you do to make your guests' stay easier

In addition to adding all the ways your guest will enjoy their experience in your accommodation, a good Airbnb description also makes sure to include the elements that will make your guest happier. For example, «easy parking in the area» or «washing machine in the accommodation» are two very common elements in urban areas.

Personality

Beauty catches the eye -that's why it's so important to take care of the photos-, but it's personality that captivates the heart… Also for your tourist accommodations. Undoubtedly, having a wonderful photo will make your guests click on your ad (yay! One step closer to closing the reservation). However, a good title and description will make your potential guests stop being potential.

Make sure to capture the essence of your tourist accommodation in the description, not just in the introduction. Technically, it's the same, but the what and how you say it will vary. For example, describing the dining room of a bungalow on the beachfront will be quite different from that of a penthouse in the center of Madrid. In the former, you can talk about 'shaking off the sand from your feet at a pleasant post-beach party'. While in the latter, you may be able to describe how pleasant it is to serve snacks with a cocktail while watching the rooftops of the city.

The main tip for making your Airbnb description convey personality is honesty. Don't try to pretend to be something you're not. It'll be a direct ticket to a bad review… And those bad reviews greatly affect the SEO of your tourist accommodation.

Tip for the title: The ad title is very restricted in terms of the number of characters. Try to skim the essence of your Airbnb. Is the rural house more of a cozy cottage with a fireplace or a mountain chalet? Is the apartment in the city more of a comfortable place for weekends or a design apartment

Attention to detail

The trick to describing your Airbnb ad is to know how to differentiate what the photos will say and what the text will say. There are some elements that are a given: the bed for the photos and the proximity to points of interest for the description. However, don't forget small details like appliances, TV, or accessibility.

Paying attention to detail doesn't mean counting the hangers in the closet or the number of bulbs in the chandelier of the living room. However, don't hesitate to describe elements that can make the difference between booking -or not-.

Don't you have an elevator in your accommodation and the stairs can be an architectural barrier for the elderly or disabled? Are there enough resources in the kitchen for a family of 5 to prepare meals?

Sometimes, things as simple as being able to make coffee make guests end up booking. Attention to detail is one of the tips to improve the description of the Airbnb or Booking ad… and get bookings.

Tip for the title: The title is where your sales arguments shine. Whether it's because of the wonderful Andalusian courtyard you have; being on a pedestrian street or the sublime decoration, think about what reasons move your guests to stay in your tourist accommodation. And, of course, make sure you mention at least one in the title.

No one knows more about your accommodation than you do

Guests want to be treated like what they are: guests. All marketing for your tourist accommodation you do should focus on what you're really selling, which is an experience. Not just a place to sleep.

Personal touches, such as mentioning the best place to watch a sunset, your favorite tavern, or the best cocktail bar in the area, build trust with your potential guests. In the end, you offer them more than just a place to sleep. Conveying this information is one of the best tips for describing your Airbnb. In fact, it's something that guests are willing to pay for –just ask the platform and its Experiences–.

In summary, the more time you save your guests on Google Maps or TripAdvisor (i.e., the more relevant information in the Airbnb ad), the better for your business.

Tip for the title: Give it an irresistible punch. To do this, choose the most popular tourist attraction or point of interest and subtly include the distance from your accommodation. For example: «5 minutes walk from the beach».

Airbnb or Booking Reviews

If the average of your Airbnb reviews is not 5 stars, you're losing money.

Building and getting good Airbnb reviews in your ads will increase bookings for your tourist accommodation. In fact, having reviews is key to improving positioning in searches on any platform (whether it's Airbnb, Booking or Homeaway)

Here are some tips to improve Airbnb reviews, both in quantity and quality.

4 tips to get more reviews of your tourist accommodation

Get your first Airbnb reviews quickly

If you have very few Airbnb reviews in your accommodation, then that ad will get very few bookings. Your goal with a new ad should be to get reviews as quickly as you can during the initial phase. How to do it? If you're just starting out, then you should set an introductory Airbnb price, below the market price

Ask your guests for reviews

For all your guests, especially at first, write reviews as soon as possible. Better, if it's hours after the end of their stay. Once you've done this, explicitly ask guests to review their stay. Simply by asking them, you'll be building your Airbnb review history faster.

Be rated… as a guest

When you're a guest on Airbnb, you have the opportunity to be evaluated by other hosts as a guest. This also helps to build your profile as a real person on Airbnb. The more validations you have from others in the community, the more you'll reduce the barrier to establishing trust as a host with potential guests.

Plant the seed for themes of your tourist accommodation reviews

Make it easy for your guests. Don't make them think too much about what to put in the five-star evaluation of their stay in your Airbnb ad. Surprise your guests with a unique and memorable experience. This way, you'll be sure they'll talk about it in their Airbnb review.

In addition to including this list of things in your accommodation, you can leave them a detail. For example, you can leave them cookies or chocolates at check-in or help them with a reservation at a restaurant.

When your guests have concrete examples of why their stay was fabulous, the subject of the Airbnb evaluation is clear: it will be exactly that!

Bad reviews on your tourist apartment

Some customers can write really hurtful, malicious, and damaging things. On other occasions, they can even leave false reviews on your tourist apartment ad.

However, as a host, you should keep in mind that bad Airbnb reviews have some truth to them –excluding those guests who go too far with personal attacks, of course!

How to avoid them? And if there's no other way... How to respond to them?

What host hasn't had a negative review or disagreed with one? Responding to bad reviews and learning from them is a smart way to deal with them. But without a doubt, the main advice –as obvious as it may seem– is that you must avoid these negative reviews at all costs.

Let's see a real complaint from an Airbnb host on the forum:

Sometimes it happens that "something didn't work as it should". We've all been there, or we might be, that despite putting in all our effort, the air conditioning breaks down, a frying pan is missing or the extractor makes noise. It can happen that a neighbor makes noise because they're doing renovations, or that an apartment had leaks when it rained.

Why is it important to avoid bad reviews on your Airbnb ad?

In addition, this hostess continues because the platform has recently implemented the "Lower ratings" tab: "For a few days now, Airbnb has been "helping" us to make negative comments more visible than ever with the "Lower ratings" tab.

It seems clear that avoiding them should be a priority in the work of any host. Especially important if it's your first tourist accommodation –it's key to positioning in the Airbnb search engine!

Tips to reduce Airbnb's lower reviews

Low ratings usually have a reason and are not usually pure inventions of the guests. It's true that, as the hostess of the example said, we can all miss some detail!

Here are some tips to reduce bad reviews on your Airbnb ad.

Be proactive

Being proactive in communication with your guest is key to avoiding bad Airbnb reviews… Before they happen!

Some users use the platform as a traditional booking site. In fact, Airbnb encourages this –for example with instant booking–. To manage their expectations, include a call to action in the ad description saying to send you a message before booking.

With this, you achieve two things:

• You ensure that your potential guests have read the ad for your tourist apartment –and are therefore ready to book.
• In addition, it allows you to meet your host and judge for yourself whether you think it fits with your target customer.

This is a unique opportunity to impress your potential guest.

Finally, you also make sure that they have not been left with doubts about your accommodation –to avoid bad Airbnb reviews when they leave you a review–.

Leave a review for your guest quickly

Set an example for your guest. Leave a review on their profile as soon as possible… But make sure you've seen how they've left the apartment and if there have been any damages or deterioration.

A review without meaning is also a bad review. Try to write a detailed and accurate review.

Use a suggestion box

The suggestion box can eliminate negative comments on Airbnb like «had horrible sheets» or «the toilet paper was not soft» before they happen. It offers your guests a private and discreet way to suggest improvements.

And most importantly, if you can't avoid a bad Airbnb review, take it philosophically: people usually just want to be heard.

Conclusion

If you finally can't avoid bad reviews on Airbnb, you must respond to them. Also, respond to the good ones! But be smart. Don't write a response with your heart on your sleeve. Take the time you need to respond professionally and with respect.

Keep in mind that your response to the bad review will appear right below it in the 'Lower Reviews' tab... and it will be public. If there's something that happened where you're partially responsible, you might consider giving them a refund.

How to respond to a bad Airbnb review?

Given that you can't delete them, the best advice is not to have bad reviews on Airbnb.

But shit happens.

If your guests finally leave a bad review on Airbnb, take it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and become a better host –even if it's not your fault–. For example, imagine a guest complains that your accommodation is too far from the center when you already specify it in your description. Could you be more specific about the location and say that it is "30 minutes by car from the center"?

In most cases, guests won't lie and their bad Airbnb reviews reflect reality. Learn from them!

When you have feedback or suggestions, listen to them, think about what should be improved and implement those changes if necessary.

Some causes of bad Airbnb reviews are beyond your control. Think, for example, of the weather. During their stay, guests experienced a heatwave –and it was reflected in their review. Maybe you should think about changing your air conditioning?

Guests want to be heard

A bad Airbnb review is nothing more than a guest demanding attention. It's that simple. Here are some tips to try to redirect a review of your tourist accommodation... before they post it on the platform:

• Provide an excellent overall service. Try to comply with what guests may ask of you –as long as they are reasonable–.
• Send messages to your guests during their stay. Ask if you can offer something to make their stay better.
• Give a small detail. This helps to smooth out possible check-in problems, where most of the bad experiences are concentrated.
• Have a suggestion box.

Too many guests? Does responding to bad Airbnb reviews (or good ones) consume too much of your time?

Come on! How great! You are certainly in an enviable position. Not many hosts can say they have too many Airbnb reviews to respond to personally.