How search ranking / algorithm works

By default, spots are ranked and sorted in search based on the following primary inputs:

• Distance - spots closer to the search location rank higher.
• Booking score - is "bookings from guests that first visited in the last 60 days" divided by "count of times your spot appeared in the search results." It's basically a conversion rate that estimates how likely a guest is to book if they see a spot in the search. This is the most important factor in ranking.
• New spots - new spots with certain attributes that our guests like will rank higher.
• Photo count - spots with at least 10 photos will rank higher. Spots with 10+ photos earn 10x more than spots with less than 10 photos. This only counts photos uploaded by the host, not photos added by guests. It's easy to get this boost in search; make sure your spot has at least 10 high-quality photos!

Some hosts and guests have asked us to put a heavier weight on distance in the spot ranking. We tested this, but we found that guests who saw spots ranked only by distance were less likely to find a spot and book. This is why we rank spots using relevance rather than distance. If you would like to see spots sorted by distance, you can open the search filters in the mobile app and select to sort results by distance.

Search is only one way that guests find spots. Here are some suggestions hosts to get more guests:

• Be sure to have a great listing.
• Provide a great experience for guests. This will bring word-of-mouth business.
• You can market your spot.
• Add unique features that will show up in filtered searches. Many guests use filters.