No hotelier really needs to be reminded of the essential role reviews play in the holiday shopping process. But just in case you do, the latest stats show that a massive 95% of guests browse the opinions of other travellers before booking a trip, with TripAdvisor still reigning supreme as the first port of call for most consumers with an average of 455 million users each month.
But do you truly understand how TripAdvisor ranks and serves up the properties it lists? In today’s blog, we’ll take a closer look at how the website’s current algorithm works and what you can do to help your property climb the rankings and get noticed by more of your guests planning their breaks online.
How Does TripAdvisor Rank Hotels?
Following an update in 2016, the TripAdvisor algorithm ranks properties in its listings based on the quality, quantity and recentness of reviews.
- Quality
The impact of TripAdvisor’s 1-5 bubble rating system on your ranking is pretty simple and just as you would expect: higher ratings translates to a higher overall ranking in the site’s hotel listings. Your bubble rating is also crucial because it gives travel shoppers an immediate snapshot of what other guests think of the quality of your property.
- Recentness
For travellers weighing up where to stay for their next holiday or weekend away, it’s important to know what your hotel is like today not four years ago.
With this in mind, TripAdvisor’s algorithm favours properties with more up to date reviews over those with older ones. That way, the reviews and ratings guests read are more likely to offer an accurate representation of the kind of experience you offer.
- Quantity
It’s obvious: multiple, consistently positive feedback is a better indicator of quality than just a handful of good reviews. The more glowing reviews you have, the more confident travellers will feel booking with you.
