Recently, Airbnb rolled out a fresh batch of HTML widgets and badges, allowing hosts to gain better visibility beyond their platform. But there’s more to this move than simply handing out aesthetic badges. Airbnb’s strategy closely mirrors SEO methods previously utilized by various websites to amass relevant links on a large scale. In this piece, we’ll delve into Airbnb’s history with widgets, the value they bring to the platform, the associated SEO advantages, and potential risks tied to this new endeavor.
A Glimpse into the Past
Veteran Airbnb users may recall that the company once provided widgets related to its affiliate program. These widgets, essentially bits of code that could be embedded on websites, showcased live data like recent reviews, without requiring manual updates.
Airbnb aimed to use these widgets to boost traffic to its site by incentivizing users through a revenue-sharing agreement. Although the company implemented various successful growth strategies in the past, the affiliate program never truly scaled as they had hoped. As a result, the program was eventually abandoned, and the associated widgets were phased out, though some remnants remain on Airbnb’s site.
Refining Their Strategy
The original Airbnb widgets were available to all but lacked active promotion on their site. In 2015, Airbnb revisited the idea with a fresh perspective. Instead of focusing on monetization via the affiliate program, they explored more engaging ways to interact with their community. Recognizing that many hosts receive most of their bookings through Airbnb, the company collaborated with Embed.ly, introducing a new “embed listing” feature. This addition encouraged users, especially hosts, to showcase specific properties and thereby increase traffic to those listings.
Beyond the Prototype Stage
Utilizing Embed.ly allowed Airbnb to launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) without exhausting tech resources. After a trial period, Airbnb chose to develop the feature in-house to ensure greater control and reduce reliance on third-party services. By the close of 2015, they had transitioned away from Embed.ly, unveiling their own embedded technology while introducing additional features based on the same tech.
Embracing the Community with Badges
Airbnb’s current strategy is to tap into the strong community engagement and sense of belonging of its users. As an extension of the embedding feature, Airbnb unveiled badges that users can display on their sites, indicating their association with the platform.
Three badge types are available under Account > Badges:
- Your Reviews;
- Listing Ratings;
- Superhost Badge.
Each badge updates automatically based on Airbnb data and is compatible with any website that supports HTML.
What’s in It for Airbnb?
For many hosts, these new tools serve as a badge of honor, representing official endorsement from Airbnb. But for Airbnb, these tools offer significant benefits:
- Bolstering brand recognition;
- Tapping into new audience segments;
- Redirecting traffic from well-established websites without additional marketing expenditure.
Additionally, embedding content from Airbnb on external sites can substantially improve its SEO rankings, enhancing the brand’s visibility.
The SEO Angle: Widgets and More
Airbnb has always enjoyed positive PR, and many websites naturally link back to airbnb.com. But most of these links typically point to the homepage or popular listings, which doesn’t necessarily improve their ranking for specific non-branded search queries. To address this, Airbnb has drawn inspiration from TripAdvisor’s successful widget-driven SEO strategy.
Airbnb’s Clever (Yet Controversial) Use of Widgets
Airbnb’s badges contain links pointing back to user profiles, listings, and crucially, search results pages. This approach is smart but also raises eyebrows. For instance, embedded widgets contain links that boost Airbnb’s SEO, which users may not be fully aware of. Moreover, the embedded javascript isn’t just for aesthetics; it also tracks activity on the host page.
A Bold Leap by Airbnb
In the past, TripAdvisor utilized similar techniques, which worked wonders for their organic searches. But the SEO landscape has evolved, and such practices are now deemed risky. For instance, Matt Cutts, former head of Google’s web spam team, cautioned against using widgets as a link source, suggesting they could be misused for SEO advantages.
By combining widgets with other elements like missing “nofollow” tags and keyword-rich anchor texts, Airbnb is undoubtedly taking an audacious SEO stance. While they’re undoubtedly aware of the guidelines, they’ve chosen this path to amplify their organic reach. With many sites now adopting Airbnb’s embedded listing feature, Airbnb is not just getting direct references, but also broader exposure to search results pages. Recently, Airbnb rolled out a fresh series of HTML widgets and badges aimed at enabling hosts to better advertise their properties and boost their online visibility beyond Airbnb’s website. But this isn’t just about enhancing user experience; there’s a strategic angle to this move.
A Stroll Down Memory Lane
Veteran users of Airbnb might recall that in its early days, Airbnb offered widgets associated with its affiliate program. These widgets, which are small pieces of code, were meant to be embedded on other websites, allowing these sites to showcase Airbnb’s latest reviews and offerings.
The primary intention behind these widgets was to tap into the already established Airbnb community to funnel more visitors to the platform. In return, users were incentivized with a revenue-sharing model. But while Airbnb has been known for some ingenious growth strategies, like their unique Craigslist integration, their affiliate program and the widgets didn’t achieve the expected traction. Consequently, the affiliate initiative was shelved, and access to these widgets was halted, though some remnants can still be spotted on Airbnb’s site.
Pivoting with a Renewed Focus
Airbnb’s earlier widgets were made accessible to everyone but weren’t marketed proactively. By 2015, Airbnb revisited this idea but with a renewed perspective. Instead of primarily seeking user monetization through the affiliate program, Airbnb’s strategy evolved to more organically engage with its growing community. Recognizing that many hosts rely heavily on Airbnb for bookings, even if they maintain independent websites, Airbnb collaborated with Embed.ly to introduce an “embed listing” feature directly from the property listing page.
The goal? Encourage users, especially hosts, to embed Airbnb listings on their external websites. For hosts, this was marketed as an opportunity to garner more visibility and, in turn, more bookings.
Beyond the Basics
Collaborating with Embed.ly meant Airbnb could launch this feature with minimal technical investment, providing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to gather insights. However, after a few months of analysis and positive feedback, Airbnb decided to develop this feature in-house. By the close of 2015, Airbnb transitioned from Embed.ly and rolled out its proprietary embedding functionality, continually expanding its offerings.
The Significance of Badges
Today’s Airbnb is not just about financial incentives. Instead, it focuses on harnessing the genuine engagement and sense of community among its users. In line with this, Airbnb unveiled badges that users can integrate into their personal websites, signaling their affiliation with the Airbnb community.
Under the account settings, users can find badges that vary based on:
- Total reviews received;
- Number and average rating of specific listings;
- Superhost status.
Moreover, each listing comes with its embeddable widget. All these badges are dynamic, updating in real-time as corresponding data on Airbnb changes.
The Win-Win Situation for Airbnb
Airbnb’s new widgets and badges aren’t just for show. For many users, particularly those who rely on Airbnb for income, these features offer an opportunity to gain validation outside Airbnb. For Airbnb itself, the advantages are multifaceted:
- Amplifying brand recognition;
- Tapping into audiences unfamiliar with Airbnb;
- Boosting traffic without inflating marketing costs.
However, the most significant, yet less apparent advantage, lies in SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Embedding content can potentially boost a brand’s SEO ranking by increasing backlinks to its website. While this may be overlooked by the average Airbnb user, this SEO enhancement is precisely what Airbnb aims to achieve.
Widgets: An SEO Gamechanger?
While Airbnb has always enjoyed substantial media coverage, most backlinks direct to their homepage or popular listings. To rank higher for organic, non-branded search terms, Airbnb needs more diverse backlinks. Offering embeddable content is Airbnb’s answer to this challenge, a strategy reminiscent of TripAdvisor’s successful SEO approach.
Historically, widgets have been an SEO tool, allowing websites to generate organic links from varied sources. This strategy also ensures control over link creation, including the URL and anchor text.
Airbnb’s Smart Yet Risky Move
Upon closer inspection, it’s evident that Airbnb is tactically using these widgets to garner links to site sections that wouldn’t naturally attract as many. Links to user profiles, property listings, and crucially, search results pages are all embedded within these badges.
The ingenuity lies in the fact that these links feel natural to the widget’s functionality. However, some links, like those leading to search result pages, might surprise users. These not only link to the specific property but also to all listings in that vicinity. From an SEO perspective, Airbnb has enhanced its approach. Links now incorporate keyword-rich anchor text aligned with top target keywords for various regions. When the widget’s HTML code is generated, anchor text varies, optimizing Airbnb’s SEO for a broader range of search terms.
Yet, there are considerations that might deter some users. Widgets pass SEO benefits to Airbnb, a strategy that allowed platforms like TripAdvisor to outrank many websites using their widgets. Additionally, custom scripts not only update the widget’s content but can also track user interactions on the hosting page.
Airbnb’s Bold Play
Airbnb’s widget strategy echoes techniques that once hugely benefited TripAdvisor. However, the SEO landscape has evolved, and what was once standard practice is now viewed as risky. Google’s guidelines have cautioned against using widgets purely for link-building, particularly if users aren’t fully aware of the embedded links.
Matt Cutts, Google’s former web spam chief, has previously advised against using widgets as link sources without “nofollow” tags, particularly if users aren’t aware of the links.
Airbnb’s decision to combine widgets, absent “nofollow” tags, and keyword-rich anchor texts is audacious from an SEO standpoint. Such practices have seen other companies face penalties. However, it seems Airbnb, fully aware of these risks, is strategically leveraging widgets to augment its organic reach and domain authority.
The Digital Landscape and Airbnb’s Strategy
With an increasing shift towards digital platforms and the competitive nature of the online travel and hospitality industry, it’s vital for brands like Airbnb to keep innovating. This isn’t just about technological advancements; it’s also about understanding the digital landscape and anticipating where the industry is heading.
A Deeper Dive into Airbnb’s User Behavior
Airbnb’s users, both hosts and guests, represent a diverse range of tech-savvy individuals who are frequently online and active on various digital platforms. From Instagram to personal blogs, Airbnb’s community members often broadcast their travel experiences or showcase their properties.
By introducing widgets and badges, Airbnb capitalizes on this user behavior. Hosts who have personal websites or blogs can easily integrate these widgets, and by doing so, they provide a seamless experience for their visitors. Instead of redirecting them to another platform, potential guests can quickly view property details, read reviews, or even initiate a booking process.
User Trust and Brand Credibility
User trust is paramount in the online world. By equipping its community members with badges, Airbnb isn’t just facilitating more visibility for its listings but is also fostering a sense of trust among potential guests. When they see a badge, indicating a host’s Superhost status or the number of positive reviews they’ve garnered, it reinforces their decision to book through Airbnb.
Furthermore, these badges act as a stamp of credibility. For new users unfamiliar with Airbnb, seeing these badges on a host’s personal website can offer reassurance, showcasing Airbnb’s widespread acceptance and the trust it commands within its community.
Diversifying the User Experience
While Airbnb’s platform offers a standardized experience, hosts are diverse, each bringing a unique touch to their properties and guest experiences. This diversity is what attracts many guests to Airbnb instead of traditional hotels.
By allowing hosts to embed widgets on their websites, Airbnb is inadvertently promoting this diversity. Each widget, while retaining core design elements, can be customized based on the host’s preferences. From color schemes to layout options, Airbnb’s widgets offer a degree of personalization that resonates with the individuality of its community.
Implications for Competitors
Airbnb’s move isn’t just about enhancing its platform; it’s also about sending a clear message to its competitors. Platforms like Booking.com or Vrbo also compete for the same audience, and with Airbnb’s innovative strategies, the competition intensifies. For these competitors, Airbnb’s widget strategy could serve as a wake-up call. It signifies Airbnb’s dedication not only to enhancing its user experience but also to remaining a dominant player in the industry. As a result, we can anticipate more innovations from other platforms as they try to match or surpass Airbnb’s strategic moves.
Reflecting on the Bigger Picture
Beyond the immediate benefits and the SEO implications, Airbnb’s decision to re-introduce widgets showcases its ability to pivot and adapt. Given the changing dynamics of the digital world, brands need to stay agile, and Airbnb’s move is a testament to this agility.
Airbnb understands that in the digital era, growth isn’t just about increasing user numbers. It’s about deepening engagements, fostering community, and ensuring that users remain loyal to the platform. Widgets and badges, while seemingly simple tools, play a crucial role in this strategy.
In conclusion, as we navigate the digital age, it’s clear that platforms like Airbnb are not just thinking about the present, but are also strategically positioning themselves for the future. By understanding user behavior, anticipating industry shifts, and leveraging tools like widgets, Airbnb is ensuring its continued success and dominance in the online travel and hospitality industry.
