How Expedia’s and OpenAI’s Platform Teams Use Metadata, Tagging, and Analytics to Manage Discoverability

Discoverability is a crucial element in ensuring that users can easily find the right digital products or services within a platform. In the case of Expedia and OpenAI, the process of optimizing discoverability is handled not by individual GPTs or assistants themselves, but by the platform teams that manage technical systems, data infrastructure, and algorithms. These teams use a combination of metadata, tagging, and analytics to make search and recommendation systems intelligent, accurate, and user-focused.

Metadata Management

Metadata is structured information that describes and categorizes content. It allows platforms to understand what a product, service, or GPT is about and how it should be displayed in search results.

Expedia applies metadata extensively to its travel products. Each hotel, flight, activity, or car rental listing contains rich metadata—such as location, price range, amenities, guest rating, and availability. This structured data helps Expedia’s search and recommendation engines connect user queries with the most relevant options.

Similarly, OpenAI applies metadata to GPTs within the ChatGPT platform. This includes information such as the GPT’s name, description, purpose, category, and intended audience. The metadata ensures that when users search for a GPT related to travel planning, for instance, the Expedia-powered assistant appears appropriately in the results.

In both systems, metadata acts as the foundation for accurate indexing and retrieval, ensuring that users find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently.

Tagging and Taxonomy

Tagging complements metadata by adding more flexible and user-oriented keywords that describe a product or GPT. Tags improve how content is grouped, filtered, and surfaced across different user journeys.

On Expedia’s side, properties and experiences are often tagged with descriptive terms such as “family-friendly,” “romantic,” “beachfront,” “budget,” or “luxury.” These tags allow the system to recommend experiences that match a traveler’s intent rather than just their literal search query.

OpenAI’s platform uses tagging to classify GPTs in the GPT Store. Tags like “travel,” “planning,” or “AI assistant” help users browse categories more effectively and allow the discovery algorithm to associate GPTs with related topics.

Together, tagging and metadata create a taxonomy that structures and connects information logically, improving both accuracy and user experience in search and recommendation systems.

Analytics and Performance Tracking

Analytics provide the feedback loop that drives continuous improvement in discoverability. Platform teams at Expedia and OpenAI collect and analyze user behavior data to understand what users are searching for, which results they engage with, and where improvements can be made.

Expedia tracks key performance indicators such as search impressions, click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction metrics. These insights guide adjustments to ranking algorithms and recommendation models, ensuring that the most relevant listings are shown more prominently.

OpenAI employs a similar approach for GPT discoverability. It monitors engagement metrics such as activations, conversation volume, retention, and satisfaction ratings. This information helps the platform optimize placement and highlight GPTs that consistently provide value to users.

Analytics thus transform user interaction data into actionable insights, closing the loop between discovery, engagement, and optimization.

The Continuous Optimization Cycle

Metadata, tagging, and analytics work together as part of a continuous optimization process. Metadata structures information so it can be indexed; tagging connects that information to user intent; and analytics measure performance to refine future recommendations.

This systematic, data-driven process ensures that users encounter the most relevant travel experiences or AI assistants without needing to search extensively. It also allows both Expedia and OpenAI to maintain an adaptive, responsive platform that evolves with user behavior and market trends.

Ultimately, discoverability is not managed manually but is embedded within the platform’s architecture. Expedia and OpenAI’s teams maintain and refine this system, ensuring that users can easily find the most useful, high-quality tools and travel options available.