How to optimize OTA listings so your hotel ranks higher and gets more bookings

The higher you appear in search results, the more visibility you get. More visibility leads to more clicks, and more clicks ultimately lead to more bookings.

What many independent hoteliers might not realize is that your OTA (Online Travel Agency) ranking isn’t random. You don’t need to spend more on commission or rely on luck. Rankings are driven by a handful of clear factors that you can actively improve.

Across major OTAs, higher rankings consistently come down to three things: 

1. a complete, high-quality listing

2. strong conversion and guest reviews

3. competitive, well-managed pricing and availability

When you place a strategic focus on these areas, your property will steadily move up in search results and become easier for travelers to find and book.

Step 1: Complete every field in your OTA extranet

Think of your OTA extranet as a database, not a brochure. Every field you fill in helps the platform understand exactly what you offer and which guest searches your property is relevant for.

Many independent hotels underestimate how much weight OTAs place on completeness. Fields that feel unimportant to you, such as parking details, accessibility options, bed dimensions or check-in rules, are critical for filtering and ranking. If those fields are empty, your property simply won’t appear for guests using those filters, no matter how good your reviews or photos are.

OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia even show a ‘content’ or ‘quality’ score internally, and this score directly influences visibility. Properties with incomplete profiles are harder to sell because guests can’t quickly find the answers they’re looking for. As a result, OTAs prioritize listings that don’t cause confusion for bookers but instead have all the information they need.

Completeness also signals professionalism. A fully filled-in listing tells the OTA that your property is actively managed, reliable and less likely to cause guest issues. That’s exactly the kind of accommodation OTAs want to promote.

Make it standard practice to review your extranet regularly. Even if nothing has changed operationally, refreshing content shows activity and keeps your listing aligned with new fields or features OTAs introduce over time. If you use a channel manager, you can even manage all your OTA listings on one single platform.

Step 2: Use clear, search-friendly descriptions

OTA descriptions should help guests decide quickly and confidently. They are not the place for vague marketing language or long storytelling.

Guests typically scan listings fast and search with intent. They want to know where you are, what makes your property suitable for their trip and whether it fits their practical needs. OTAs analyze your descriptions to match your property with those intentions.

That’s why clarity matters more than creativity. Descriptions should reflect the language guests actually use, such as proximity to transport, parking availability, quiet rooms, workspace options, family-friendly amenities or flexible check-in.

A good approach is to break your descriptions up into clear themes. One part should focus on location and accessibility, another on room comfort and sleep quality and another on amenities and services. This makes your listing straightforward to read and easier for the algorithm to categorize.

It’s also crucial that your written descriptions align with the structured data in your listing. If you mention free parking, pet-friendliness or breakfast in your text but forget to select those options in the extranet, you lose visibility in filtered searches. OTAs rely heavily on structured fields, not just free text.

Clear and honest descriptions build trust with guests and help OTAs confidently surface your property to the right audience.

Step 3: Upload high-quality photos and structure them properly

Photos are often the deciding factor between a click and a scroll past. OTAs know this, which is why photo quality and engagement have a direct impact on ranking.

Strong photos are bright, sharp and easy to interpret, even on small screens. They show space, layout and atmosphere without confusion. Wide shots taken from a corner at eye level perform especially well because they give guests a realistic sense of size and flow.

Every key area of your property should be visually documented. That includes the exterior, entrance, each room type, bathrooms, breakfast or kitchen areas, workspaces, outdoor spaces and any standout amenities. Missing photos create doubt, and doubt kills conversion.

The order of your gallery matters more than most hoteliers realize. Your cover photo should immediately communicate your strongest selling point, whether that’s a view, a beautifully styled room or a unique feature. Inside the gallery, guests should be guided logically through the stay, almost as if they are walking through your property.

Captions add an extra layer of reassurance. They allow you to highlight benefits that aren’t obvious from the image alone, such as soundproofing, blackout curtains, fast Wi-Fi or natural light. Short, benefit-focused captions help guests imagine themselves staying with you.

Listings with higher click-through and conversion rates are rewarded by OTA algorithms, making photos one of the most powerful ranking tools you have.

Step 4: Price competitively and update rates regularly

OTAs don’t rank based on price alone. They rank based on how well your price converts compared to similar properties.

If guests regularly view your listing but choose a competitor at a similar location and quality level, OTAs interpret that as a weak offer. Over time, this pushes your listing down in search results.

One of the biggest risks for independent hotels is static pricing. Demand fluctuates constantly due to seasonality, local events, booking pace and competitor’s pricing strategy. Prices that worked last month – or even last week – might be too high or too low today. With a dynamic pricing tool, you instantly see what the right market price for your rooms is without adding additional manual tasks to your workload.

Regular rate updates signal to OTAs that your property is actively managed and aligned with market conditions. Transparent pricing is equally important. Guests should clearly understand the total price early in the booking process, without unexpected fees later on.

Dynamic pricing allows you to stay attractive during low-demand periods while maximizing revenue when demand spikes. OTAs favor listings that adapt intelligently rather than those that remain rigid and underperform in conversion.

Step 5: Remove booking friction and respond fast

From an OTA’s perspective, the best listings are the ones that turn interest into confirmed bookings with minimal effort.

Instant booking options remove hesitation and speed up the decision-making process. Listings that require approval or regularly decline requests introduce friction and uncertainty, which OTAs try to avoid.

Response time is another major factor. OTAs track how quickly you reply to guest messages and booking requests. Slow responses suggest poor availability management or lack of attention (even if that’s not the case).

Host-initiated cancellations are especially damaging. They disrupt the guest experience and create extra work for the platform, which is why OTAs penalize them heavily in terms of ranking and visibility. By using a channel manager, you ensure up-to-date availability on all booking platforms, so you avoid any kind of overbooking. 

A smooth, fast and reliable booking experience builds confidence, both for guests and for the OTA algorithm deciding where to place your listing.

Step 6: Build strong reviews and stay engaged

Reviews are one of the clearest quality signals OTAs have. Platforms look at more than just your average score. They also evaluate how many reviews you have, how recent they are and how frequently you respond to them. A consistent flow of reviews indicates ongoing performance and guest satisfaction.

For smaller properties, actively requesting reviews after each stay can make a huge difference. A steady stream of feedback helps keep your listing relevant and visible, even outside peak season.

Responding to reviews shows professionalism and care. It reassures future guests and signals to OTAs that you take feedback seriously. Even negative reviews, when handled well, can strengthen trust rather than weaken it.

Review scores also directly affect how much you can charge. In many markets, especially in the 4-star segment, even small improvements in rating can justify higher prices because guests use reviews to assess quality and reduce risk. This link is often clearest within your direct competitive set and is particularly strong in international leisure destinations where travelers rely heavily on reviews when choosing between similar properties.

From an algorithm perspective, engagement equals reliability. From a guest perspective, it makes your property feel human and your guests feel heard.

Step 7: Keep availability accurate and reliable

Availability is the foundation of visibility. If your calendar isn’t open, your listing can’t rank.

Keeping availability accurate and open far into the future gives OTAs more opportunities to sell your rooms. It also helps capture early planners and longer lead-time bookings, which are often higher value.

Overbookings are a shortcut to damaging your ranking. They harm guest trust and create operational issues for OTAs, which is why platforms strongly penalize them. That’s why a channel manager is indispensable when running a hotel, no matter what size.

Pricing accuracy matters just as much. Guests should never feel surprised by additional charges after booking. Transparent, reliable listings are easier to sell and more likely to be promoted. Rate parity also plays a role. While encouraging direct bookings is important, undercutting OTAs on your own channels can negatively affect how platforms position your listing.

With the right tools, you’re able to avoid overbookings, sync availability on all platforms, set the right price without guesswork, and even keep your rates streamlined across all your booking channels.

The takeaway: Help OTAs sell your rooms

Higher OTA ranking is the result of doing the fundamentals well, consistently.

When your listing is complete, your content is clear, your photos convert, your pricing adapts to demand and your availability is reliable, OTAs naturally push your property higher in search results. The algorithm simply follows performance.

For many independent hotels, the challenge isn’t knowing what to do, but finding the time to do it across multiple platforms. 

That’s where centralized pricing, availability and distribution management can make optimization more manageable and more effective, without adding extra manual work to your day.