Yes, but that is different. Scenario A: Booking.com wants to increase their profits so they analyze their results and prioritize the best ones to reach their t

Yes, but that is different. Scenario A: Booking.com wants to increase their profits so they analyze their results and prioritize the best ones to reach their target. Regardless, Booking takes a cut of everything. Scenario B: if you pay Booking $10k you can get to the first page even if you are a random 1-star hotel. Booking takes a cut of everything and also profits by getting money in exchange for more visibility of certain results.