BNB refuse to help long term hosts disappearing or dropping down listings

[Helen3]

For the last month my listing disappeared from page 1 or 2 to page 8 - 10 of the listings. With the result that for the last month I have had absolutely no inquiries despite hosts with shared properties in my city being busy. BNB says its because no-one is looking for space in my city but this is not true. I am in contact with lots of hosts with similar places who are all booked out.

After chasing them BNB admitted that there was a technical fault and promised to fix it.

I was so relieved and delighted when they told me this week it had been fixed. My delight soon disappeared. Rather than being resolved it had got worse and I had dropped down to Page 15 - how many guests bother to search that far?

I know BNB prioritises new hosts and IB and that is fine but I am way below those way outside the city, with lower ratings even though I have great reviews, 5 star ratings and am a superhost.

To try and fix this issue even though I am really worried about using it I decided to turn on I.B. I was horrified to find when I did this, I completely disappeared.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/Bristol--United-Kingdom?guests=2&checkin=19-12-2016&checkout=21-12-2016&i...

This  isn't just happening to me but to many other long established hosts. I think there are two issues. One - these hosts have dropped far down the pages if they don't have IB turned on. If they do have IB turned on their listing disappears completely.

The customer services rep I talk to seems to think everything is ok because when she looks for my listing it shows up, because she is logged into her profile and BNB software remembers previous searches.

I have explained to her she needs to log out and do the search as if she was a guest search for a listing in Bristol for the first time and then she would see what I see.

I flagged this with them again four days ago and have heard nothing back.

I know that @Lizzie admin is trying to help but BNB seem reluctant to invest time and resources into resolving this issue.

Please could some other regular hosts log out of their profile and try and find my listing on IB for the dates 19 - 21 December and see if you can find me. It's a shared home for two people. When I look, my listing doesn't appear on the map or on the list of available properties.

This is my listing https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/7942002?preview -

can you see it when you do a search when you have logged out of your profile using the criteria above.

Really appreciate any help/feedback

Thanks Helen

[Lawrene0]

Hi, @Helen3. Signed out, using no filters, and in a little-used browser, your place does not appear in the 17 pages of listings I was offered for Bristol. You are beaten out by a yurt, and an unfinished barn, and a few new listings that appear twice. I wouldn't worry about the first two, but it must be galling that some places are listed twice and yours is not at all. Did you read what @Robert says here: https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/Not-appearing-in-search-results-Potential-remedy/m-p/264632#M6...

?

Could it be that? 

I find it strange that it happens only to certain listings. Certain wonderful listings. I know you will write when it is sorted, and I'm looking forward to that. 

[Helen3]

Thanks @Lawrene0

I will try this and let you know what happens.

It's so strange I really can't get a handle on what is happening, particularly as the two posters below could find my listing.

I tried again myself when I was logged out and still can't see it.

I have found my Google co-ordinates and sent them over to BNB.

Thanks @Steve143 @Victoria57 for checking out my listing and trying to help me resolve this.

Helen

[Victoria57]

@Helen3 when centred on your part of the city and filtered on dates you are available your listing came back first for me with no problem:

[Steve143]

Hello @Helen3,

Having logged out and using firefox I was able to find your place when I searched using the dates 19th to 21st of December.

It came up on the fourth line of the first page.

[Helen3]

Thanks @Steve143

This really is a mystery. It seems some people can see it and some can't.

[Lawrene0]

Yes, @Helen3, very strange. I used to think just signing out was enough for a search like this, but, again as Robert advised, it has to be double-blind. Even signed out, the browser remembers and shows you what you want to see. And double-blind, I couldn't find you. It is nice that specific dates worked double-blind for @Steve143, though. All is not totally lost...

Cannot fathom why random longterm brilliant hosts are dropping out of the geolocation sync, if that really is the problem. "Stay with inexperienced hosts!" is surely not the new tagline? 

[Ange2]

@Lawrene0   "Cannot fathom why random longterm brilliant hosts are dropping out of the geolocation sync"

From a purely marketing point of view, to keep new hosts, it makes sense. Newer hosts are not going to stay if their listing is way down and they only see longterm hosts and brand new hosts being listed on the first xx, or so pages. Maybe there is a revolving door algorithm where longterm hosts periodically go to the back of the line and newer hosts are shunted up the line. It happened to me, my listing disappeared from searches for three months confirmed by Airbnb, it was odd, as it was for three future months and the months before and after it was page  1,2,3 or 4.

[Ange2]

@Helen3     "To try and fix this issue even though I am really worried about using it I decided to turn on I.B. I was horrified to find when I did this, I completely disappeared."

I tried the IB route to see if it would raise my listing I was on page 4.  When I turned on IB I  also disappeared completely.

[Ange2]

@Helen3   I am sorry to say I didn't see your listing either, even when I zoomed into the area where your listing is. I hope Airbnb get it sorted soon. Good luck!

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

Without using too many filters, your listing came up for me on page 3 of 17 pages.

I only put in Bristol, UK and the dates (Dec 19-21) and 2 people and private room.

If I zoom into the specific area of the city where you are located, it shows on page 1.

Also, I noted that on page 1, ten of the listings are not IB and eight of them are. So IB is not a determining factor. It may improve your listing some, but it may not be necessary.

If I add the filter "super host", your listing appears on page 1, on the second line.

Your have a very nice listing!

[David126]

There is something wrong, I did find the listing by searching the address, would be interesting to know what the normal search by prospective guests is, if it is by City and Price then there can be a large number of listings to look at.

[Serena1]

@Helen3

Searching from Rome, Italy your listing came up for me on page 4 of 17 pages... using only price filter max  € 65 night...

[Raffaele-and-Astrid0]

Hi @Helen3

I see your listing if I move the map on top of your area, you are always in the first page, also with my history/cookies/whatever deleted in my pc, and logged out.

You live in a subarea, if someone look for Sydney obviously I don't come up in the search, but if some write my name area, I'm in the first page.

I think that everything working just fine. relax 🙂

Cheers Raf

[Karen-and-Will0]

@Helen3: When I searched using the parameters you gave using the Microsoft Edge browser I found of the 13 pages that came up you weren’t there. An RV was though. So then I added the Super Host filter and you still weren’t there. Very concerning!