TripAdvisor is without a doubt the number one site people visit to check what others say before booking a hotel. People will see how well you rank amongst all the hotels in a certain area. When looking for the best places to stay at a certain area, people will also be browsing based on rankings. Therefore, ranking well on TripAdvisor increases your visibility, as well as boosts your bookings because you are perceived to be one of the best hotels in the area.
So how is TripAdvisor’s ranking determined then?
According to TripAdvisor, with all other things being equal, the hotel with higher review scores will rank higher. That is to say, hotels with 4 or 5 bubble ratings will rank better than hotels with 1 or 2 bubble ratings. Straightforward and makes sense, right?
How new the reviews are also determines your hotel’s ranking on TripAdvisor. Simply put, TripAdvisor gives more recent reviews a higher value than older ones. This means that your hotel must consistently get positive reviews to constantly rank well. Therefore, an excellent review you received 5 years ago doesn’t matter as much as a review you just received. You shouldn’t worry about this if your hotel is always meeting guests’ expectations. Keep encouraging your guests to leave a review for you on TripAdvisor so that you continue ranking well.
Although quantity is a factor, it doesn’t mean the more reviews you have, the better your ranking on TripAdvisor. Of course it’s not just about collecting reviews. You need enough reviews for TripAdvisor to be able to compare your hotel to other properties in the area. However, TripAdvisor will rank you based on its algorithm which will rank you more accurately once you have a substantial number of reviews. Afterall, customers will want to read several reviews of your hotel before they make a more informed decision.
Travel Reputation Services, LLC