Leaving Hostaway because of their booking fee?

Listing Your Short-term Rental on Google Vacation Rentals

  • Published on

Listing Your Short-term Rental on Google Vacation

cliffside house

As an ever-evolving platform for travel planning, Google is an essential resource in terms of comprehensiveness, accessibility, and convenience for vacationers worldwide. Google Vacation Rentals provides a multitude of opportunities for property managers and vacation rental owners alike.

Google Vacation Rentals is a relatively new product that allows property owners to include vacation rental listings directly on Google. It's a game-changer in the vacation rental industry because nearly everyone visits Google at some point during their planning process. When your property shows up for relevant Google searches, you cut down the number of clicks it takes for a potential customer to find your listing and make a booking. And fewer clicks mean less friction and more bookings for your property.

As a property manager or rental owner, you have the unique chance to gain unparalleled exposure for your listings, directly connect with potential guests, and ultimately, drive more bookings. So, are you ready to unlock the manifold benefits of listing your vacation rental on Google?

This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the ins and outs of Google Vacation Rentals. Let's dive in and discover how to amplify the reach of your vacation rental business and attract more guests directly to your doorstep.

Transforming Your Rental Experience with Google Vacation Rentals

open laptop

The digital landscape of vacation rentals has been traditionally dominated by Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, and Booking.com. These platforms act as a middleman between the property owners and the travelers, providing a marketplace where owners can list their properties and guests can find suitable accommodations for their stay.

However, the rise of Google Vacation Rentals offers a significant paradigm shift. With this platform, Google leverages its robust search and mapping technologies to put vacation rental owners and property managers in the driver's seat. Unlike Airbnb or VRBO, Google Vacation Rentals allows direct listing of your property on the world's most popular search engine, essentially turning Google into your direct booking website.

This revolutionary approach has numerous advantages. For one, your property enjoys increased visibility thanks to Google's immense reach. Additionally, Google integrates the listings with Google Maps, making it easy for potential guests to find your exact location and explore the surrounding area virtually.

But remember, getting listed on Google Vacation Rentals isn't the only way to make it easy for customers to find you. A thorough understanding of listing optimization is also critical. OwnerRez has a comprehensive guide on vacation rental marketing and listing optimization, which provides practical steps to improve your property's visibility and appeal to your audience.

Bridging the Gap Between Property Managers and Travelers

climber in the clouds

One of the most significant advantages of Google Vacation Rentals over traditional OTAs lies in the realm of bookings. Property managers and rental owners are increasingly recognizing the benefits of direct bookings, which remove the middleman and enable direct communication between owners and guests.

Direct bookings cut out major OTA commissions, often resulting in better value for guests and higher net revenue for property owners. Moreover, they allow for better communication and understanding between the parties involved, fostering trust and leading to better reviews and repeat bookings.

Google Vacation Rentals aids in achieving this by seamlessly integrating with Google Travel and Google Search. Potential guests can discover your property while planning their trip, making it easier for them to explore your listing and eventually book it. The ultimate result? Increased bookings and reduced dependency on OTAs.

As you take control of your vacation rental business, remember that the pathway to success involves leveraging every opportunity to increase visibility and bookings. This includes not only listing your property on Google but also optimizing your listings to connect more effectively with your audience. This will ensure that your property stands out from the crowd, attracting more guests and bookings.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Google Listing

Listing your vacation rental property on Google isn't as daunting as it might seem. The process is straightforward, and once completed, your property can enjoy significantly higher visibility on Google's vast search and maps platforms.

To start, you'll need to create a Google Business Profile account and verify that you own the property. This sets the foundation for your listing, linking it to your business profile and allowing Google to authenticate your ownership.

Next, you'll need to connect with a Channel Manager, such as OwnerRez. This software integrates with Google Vacation Rentals, ensuring your property information is accurately reflected across the platform. Once set up, the channel manager will distribute your property information, including availability and pricing, to Google.

NOTE: Google Vacation Rentals is not available inside OwnerRez yet. This integration is scheduled to launch in Q4 of 2023.

The final step involves publishing your listing. It's essential to ensure your property details are accurate, appealing, and complete. High-quality photos, compelling descriptions, and up-to-date availability can significantly enhance your property's appeal to potential guests.

Starting a vacation rental business might seem like a complex endeavor, but it's a journey worth embarking on. The OwnerRez comprehensive guide on starting a vacation rental business will help you navigate the process and set you up for success.

Harnessing the Power of Search Engines for Your Vacation Rental

line graph

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, plays a crucial role in making your property visible to the world. It is the practice of improving a website (in this case, your Google Listing) to make it more attractive to search engines like Google. This, in turn, can significantly boost the visibility of your property in organic search results, drawing more potential guests to your listing.

One key aspect of SEO for vacation rentals is the Google Business Listing. When integrated with Google Vacation Rentals, your business listing becomes a powerful tool for driving more traffic to your property. The information you provide in your listing (like location, amenities, and photos) can improve your SEO, leading to a higher ranking in Google Search results.

Remember, SEO isn't a one-time task, but a continuous process of optimizing your listing and adapting to the ever-changing algorithms of search engines. Paying attention to your Google Analytics and Search console is important. They list the top relevant keywords that should be included in your descriptions and headlines.

So, stay up-to-date, make necessary adjustments, and always strive to make your property stand out from the crowd. The rewards of a higher search ranking can be tremendous, including increased bookings, higher revenue, and a thriving vacation rental business.

Amplifying Your Reach with Google Ads

Visibility is the cornerstone of any successful vacation rental business. While your Google listing and SEO efforts can dramatically boost your property's visibility in organic search results, Google Ads presents a complementary avenue to reach potential guests.

Using Google Ads in tandem with Google Vacation Rentals can supercharge your property's online presence. Google Ads can showcase your property to a wider audience and, more importantly, an audience actively searching for vacation rentals in your area. The beauty of Google Ads lies in its precision targeting, allowing you to present your property to people at the right time – when they're ready to book.

Creating an effective Google Ad involves understanding your prospective guests and tailoring your message to appeal to them. An impactful headline, a compelling description, and a clear call to action are all critical elements of a successful ad. It's also vital to optimize your ad for relevant keywords, as these are what potential guests are typing into the Google Search bar.

Remember, your ad is just the beginning of the guest's journey. It should lead them to a well-designed landing page that provides comprehensive information about your property and facilitates an easy booking process.

OwnerRez has a premium website builder feature that makes it easy to create custom websites for your Short Term Vacation Rental business that are built on power, functionality and best practices for the web. Simply put, OwnerRez websites work really well. The OwnerRez team is famous for being obsessed with speed, precision and quality, and OwnerRez websites have that same level of excellence.

Google Ads can indeed give your vacation rental the visibility it deserves in the competitive rental market. But it's just one part of a broader marketing strategy. OwnerRez’s comprehensive vacation rental marketing guide offers an in-depth look into a range of strategies, helping you navigate the intricacies of marketing your property. It's your pathway to standing out in the crowded vacation rental market and attracting more bookings.

Improve Your Bookings with Google Vacation Rentals

Ocean view dining room

Listing your property on Google Vacation Rentals offers a unique blend of benefits that can transform your vacation rental experience. With a direct line to travelers seeking the perfect vacation accommodation, you can increase your bookings while reducing the dependency on OTAs like Airbnb and VRBO.

Being present on Google Vacation Rentals puts your property right where potential guests are planning their trips: Google Maps and Google Search. This integration enhances your visibility, resulting in fewer clicks for guests to find and book your property. Coupled with the power of Google Ads, your reach is amplified, attracting even more potential guests to your property.

The power of Google's suite of tools is invaluable for property managers. Google Business Profile helps you manage your online presence, while SEO techniques ensure that your property surfaces in organic search results. These tools work together, creating a potent combination that maximizes the potential of your vacation rental business.

Ready to list your property with Google Vacation Rentals? That's where we come in. At OwnerRez, our mission is to make your life easier and your property more visible. With our team of experts, we can help your property get listed where it matters most.

Take the first step towards soaring your bookings today with Google Vacation Rentals. Start your free trial with OwnerRez now and discover the benefits of being where your guests are searching.