How are suppliers ranked in search?
The order of results on any search page is a mix of relevance and a few quality signals. This article explains what we consider, and what you (as a customer or a supplier) can do with that information.
The short version
- Relevance to the search. Category, sub-type, event type, genre, tags, and the match between your location and the supplier's travel area.
- Proximity. When you search with a location, the default sort puts nearer suppliers first.
- Listing quality. Suppliers with complete profiles (photos, audio, video, descriptions, FAQs, reviews) rank above near-empty listings.
- Account status. Only active suppliers appear, never paused, inactive, or unactivated ones.
If you're a customer
Results are already ordered to suit your search. If you want a different order (for example, furthest first, or alphabetical) there isn't currently a sort dropdown, but adjusting the filters will often surface a different first page. See Using search filters effectively.
Don't rule out results lower down the page. The top results aren't objectively "best", they're the closest mix of relevance and location to your search. A supplier on page two may be the perfect fit for your event.
A supplier that's been active for years tends to rank above a brand-new listing, which isn't a comment on quality, it just reflects that we have more data (reviews, completed bookings, track record) to place them accurately.
If you're a supplier
Three practical things push your listing up:
- Complete your listing. Fill every tab. Add photos, audio, video, FAQs, prices. See Setting up your listing for the first time.
- Get reviews. Strong, recent reviews are the single biggest differentiator. See Requesting a review from your customer.
- Reply quickly. Suppliers who respond fast build a track record for responsiveness that helps over time.
For the full ways to stand out in search (including widgets and badges), see the Improve & promote your listing page.
Why results differ between searches
The same supplier might appear on page one for a search in one town and page three in another. That's because location is in the mix, along with how specifically the search matches the supplier's profile. It's normal, not a bug.
What we don't do
- We don't sell top positions to suppliers. There's no "pay-to-rank-first" option.
- We don't hide suppliers who have a single bad review. One bad review out of many is normal.
- We don't rank on pricing. A cheap supplier isn't pushed above an expensive one, or vice versa.
Try a search
If you have any trouble, please contact us.
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