The TripAdvisor Popularity Index ranking is a popular metric monitored by hoteliers and restaurateurs. Not to mention the powerful influence it has on consumers looking to book a hotel room or plan their next meal out. Although TripAdvisor does not divulge how their popularity index ranking is calculated, they share on their help desk that the Popularity Index is a pure, fresh, global and unbiased reflection of what travelers think of your property. From this we can deduce several components that influence the Popularity Index. These elements include the frequency of reviews your property has received, the freshness of content (how recent are your reviews?), as well as the overall bubble rating (star rating).
Recently we have learned that TripAdvisor has moved towards a new bubble ratings calculation. This change involves calculating the overall bubble rating based on a simple average of all reviews written rather than placing an emphasis on the more recent bubble ratings. According to TripAdvisor sources, this has affected bubble ratings for 20% of properties by a mere half a bubble.
Although this minor change has been implemented, recentness of reviews and quality of reviews are still factored into calculating the Popularity Index. Furthermore, it’s important to note that the Popularity Index ranking was not affected as a result of this change.
For more information regarding the TripAdvisor Popularity Index, visit TripAdvisor’s Help Center