Google Vacation Rentals: A Practical SEO Guide

Wondering how to increase your rental property’s visibility beyond relying solely on traditional booking platforms like Airbnb, booking.com, etc? 

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

It’s a common concern that most vacation rental owners and property managers face in this digital world.

According to a 2023 report by AirDNA, vacation rental listings increased by 12.8%, while occupancy declined by 5.3%.

In contrast, another report tells us that online booking dominates the market with a 59.4% market share.

While the market presents numerous opportunities, it’s also heavily competitive.

In this crowded market, standing out becomes both a necessity and a challenge.

This is where the Google Travel Search Ecosystem becomes the best choice to rise above the competition.

Google Vacation Rentals is not an Online Travel Agency (OTA) or a standalone product of Google. Instead, it integrates various vacation rental listings into its general travel search results: Google Search, Travel, and Maps.

It doesn’t process your bookings. Instead, it redirects traffic to your website or your listings on traditional platforms.

In this guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about Google Vacation Rentals and how to use it to increase your property’s visibility.

What is Google’s Vacation Rental Integrations?

“Google Vacation Rentals” is integrated into Google’s broader travel search experience. 

It seamlessly allows users to search and book flights, accommodations, food, and more. 

Here is an example: By Googling “Place to stay in Miami,” I got results including ratings, reviews, offers, and prices.

The most significant benefit of Google’s Vacation Rentals is the detailed information it shares with its users. 

They’re presented with real-time pricing, availability data, high-quality images, reviews, ratings, and detailed amenities descriptions, shown in the main search results and the map interface. 

As you can see in the above image, the snippet includes the title, image, current price, ratings, and the number of reviews. 

When you click on the result, you can see the overview, including the pricing with discount, images, website link, check-in and check-out time for booking, along with the number of people.

When you drag down, you can see the listings to book the hotel, considering the pricing.

When you click the review section, you can see the reviews and ratings left by previous customers on different travel listings sites and Google.

For property managers, listing their property on Google, adding all these details, and optimizing it for SEO helps improve visibility across global audiences and attract direct bookings.

Why This Matters for SEO and Your Business

When a user searches for keywords like “Best hotels near me” or “Place to stay (your city),” and your property is not listed, you lose a potential client.

Listing your rental property and optimizing it with keywords and in-depth details can improve its visibility in location-based searches, allowing you to compete directly with traditional hotels and other accommodations.

As Google searches show the listing on the main search results page, your chances of tapping a massive user base and capturing an audience who hasn’t used your rental properties are very high.

This reduces your dependency on Online Travel Agency (OTAs) and helps you avoid the hefty fees they charge, such as commission or platform fees while you get bookings via phone calls and foot traffic.

By maintaining control over your property’s presentation and booking process, you improve your profit margins and build stronger, more direct relationships with your guests. Direct bookings often lead to repeat customers and better overall guest satisfaction.

How It Works: The SEO Basics Behind Google’s Vacation Rental Display

Before you can list and optimize your rental property, you need to understand the SEO basics and the technical aspects behind it. 

Here they’re:

Structured Data:

Structured data is a crucial aspect of SEO and proper integration.

Structured data allows Google to understand the property information and accurately display it.

Schema markup is a form of structured data that bridges your website and Google’s search algorithm. It helps the algorithm understand the context and categorize your web pages.

For vacation rentals, using the Lodging Business schema helps Google understand your property. The schema includes details such as pricing, amenities, and availability.

A proper implementation ensures that Google can present your listings effectively in search results.

Mobile-First Focus:

48% of travelers used mobile phones for destination research, 47% to compare transport and accommodation prices, and 40% to book flights and hotels.

Now, with a simple Google search on mobile, people can find the best places to visit, eat food, stay, and more.

Plus, Google also prioritizes a mobile-first indexing approach. Satisfy both Google and your audience by optimizing your listing and website for mobile.

While optimizing for mobile, focus on these three key things:

Get these basics right, and you’ll see more visitors on your site for inquiry or booking.

Local Signals:

Google relies on various local signals to determine the relevance and proximity of your listing.

Find location-based keywords. Incorporating local keywords, like “Best Restaurants in New York” or “Top hotels to stay in Vegas,” helps Google connect your property with users searching for rentals in your area.

The next big local signal you should focus on is the NAP (Name, Address, Phone number). Maintain consistent NAP details across all platforms, as it reinforces legitimacy and improves your local ranking.

We have created an in-depth guide on Local SEO to help you optimize your website and rank high. Check it out!

Getting Your Properties to Show Up: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now you know the SEO basics and technical elements behind Google Vacation Rental, let me walk you through how to get your properties to show up:

Step 1: How to list your property on Google Vacation Rentals?

First, you’ll need a tech partner – a channel manager or booking engine officially approved to work with Google. Think of them as your translator, helping Google understand everything about your property.

Some reliable options include:

Note: Google is not an Online Travel Agency and doesn’t charge you any commission or platform fee for your bookings. But some channel managers or booking engines would charge you a commission. So, choose your tech partner accordingly. 

Step 2: On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization is the crucial part of making your listing irresistible. To optimize your on-page, follow these:

Your headline should captivate the user, making it impossible to overlook. 

Ensure you include the local keyword in the meta title and describe the context within 50-60 characters.

Instead of: “2BR Condo Malibu,” Try: “Luxe Beachfront Condo in Malibu – Ocean Views from Every Room.”

Keep your title or headline descriptive without exceeding the character limit.

This is a good example of a good headline.

Paint a picture of the experience. Instead of just listing features, run a movie inside your user’s mind. Here is an example:

“Wake up to crashing waves and breathtaking sunrises in Luxe Beachfront Condo in Malibu. Sip your morning coffee on the private balcony, where dolphins often play.”

Ensure your description is within the character limit of 155-160 and includes the local keyword.

Look at the description of this example, it paints a clear picture of what the user can expect from their hotel.

“1 picture equals 1000 words.”

A high-quality image explains the mood and feel to the users at ease. 

I am using the previous – Staypineapple Hotel- example here. The images they have used give the user a luxurious and sophisticated feel and mood. This helps the user check the atmosphere and decide.

So, invest in professional photography to display your property in the best light. 

Optimize these images by reducing file sizes without compromising quality (aim for under 200KB per image) and include descriptive, location-specific keywords in the file names and alt text. (“malibu-beachfront-master-suite.jpg” not “IMG12345.jpg”).

Over 80% of the travelers read reviews before booking a hotel.

Let’s take the same – Staypineapple Hotel – as an example. The hotel has a star rating of 4.4, 1400+ reviews, and is ranked first for the keyword “Pet-friendly hotel in San Francisco.”

This might intrigue you, as they haven’t included the keyword in their title or description, yet they’re still ranking for that keyword. This is because people may have used that keyword while leaving a review, and Google ranks for it.

The more genuine reviews you collect, your listing becomes more attractive, because both Google and potential guests trust them.

Negative reviews will affect your visibility, ranking, and brand reputation. Since Google focuses on providing users with the best results, an increase in negative reviews can lead to lower rankings, reducing visibility. Moreover, negative reviews tarnish a brand’s reputation, making it harder for customers to trust or engage.

So, know how to deal with negative reviews and collect positive reviews to improve your ranking and attract more clients.

Step 3: Implement Schema

Now, implement the right schema markup. 

Since your tech partner will be with you at each step of the listing process, they’ll help you implement it. 

Ensure you provide accurate information like current pricing, real-time availability, property features and amenities, and location details.

Local SEO for Google Vacation Rental

Local SEO dramatically boosts your property’s visibility.

Think about how you search for places to stay – you probably type something like “beach house in Maui” or “mountain cabin near Aspen,” right?

That’s exactly what your potential guests are doing, and you want your property to show up when they do.

Here’s the thing: Google loves properties that know their neighborhood. 

Instead of just listing your property features, become the local guide your guests didn’t know they needed. 

For example:

Apart from that, craft your content in such a way that it reflects how a visit or stay at your property can enhance the local experience for your customers.

Think about those amazing little perks of your location – like having a beautiful beach a couple of blocks away from your front door or that exciting new theme park that just opened up around the corner. When you share these gems with your guests, you’re not just giving them a place to stay – you’re helping them create memories. 

These personal touches make guests feel like they’ve discovered something special, and they’ll probably tell their friends about it or even plan their next stay with you. So, create content around it and keep Google and your users posted about it.

This way, you can position yourself as a local expert who can provide the exact experience your guests are looking for. This is what turns casual browsers into excited customers.

Remember, you’re not just renting your property. You’re selling an experience in your location.

Conclusion

Google Vacation Rentals is a great opportunity for owners and managers to improve their property’s visibility and new bookings without additional charges or fees.

To get listed on Google’s vacation rental list, you need a website or should be listed on other OTA’s platforms. Then, you can easily get listed by following the steps listed above.

Optimize your site’s SEO, add relevant schema, leverage local content, and maintain top-notch reviews to stay at the top of the search results.

So, Keep testing, refining, and improving your strategy to attract many customers and run a successful rental property business.