How to Choose the Best Vacation Rental Keywords (With Examples)

Have you ever researched your vacation rental website? If you rank at the end of search engines, you're probably missing visibility and potential bookings. But how do vacation rental keywords play into this, and which keywords should you choose for your SEO strategy?

All stays start with a search. Future guests plan every aspect of a potential trip, and their accommodation is no exception. Thousands of visitors search for "vacation rentals" monthly, and with effective keyword research, you can drive them to your website.

If you have no idea where to find the right keywords that'll help you attract more traffic, in this guide we'll share six steps to take your search engine optimization to the next level. Let's dive in!

How to Choose Keywords for Vacation Rentals

1. Put Yourself in Guests' Shoes

The first step to a successful vacation rental keywords strategy is determining what potential guests might search for when looking for short-term rentals in your area. A popular combination is property type and location. For example, "beachfront villa in California" or "mountain cabin in Georgia".

However, remember that these keywords are harder to rank for since competition already targets them extensively. A smart way to outrank the competition is by targeting long-tail keywords or phrases. For instance, the keyword "beachfront villa in California with a pool" is more likely to rank and appear in front of audiences who know precisely what they're looking for.

2. Understand Search Intent

Search intent describes the intention behind people's searches. There are four main types:

• Informational: users search for knowledge about something
• Navigational: users look for specific online websites, social media, or directories
• Commercial: users are interested in buying but still need a little convincing by comparing prices or product features
• Transactional: users are ready to purchase and have a specific product in mind

For example, if a user searches "what is a vacation rental", they have an informational intent. If they look for "Airbnb", their intent is navigational, looking for short-term rentals specifically on Airbnb.

On the other hand, if a user looks for "vacation rentals in Miami", they have a commercial intent to compare similar properties in Miami. Finally, if they search for a "beachfront villa in Miami with a jacuzzi", they're ready to buy with transactional intent.

Real estate SEO keywords

3. Opt for a Lower Search Volume

Search volume describes the number of times users search for a specific keyword monthly. For instance, keywords such as "vacation rentals" have a high search volume, with thousands of searches monthly. When creating your content strategy, it's vital to consider search volume.

Although higher volume keywords seem the obvious choice, be aware that the competition is fierce and already covers them with authoritative content. If you want to stand out, opt for keywords with lower volume (e.g., long-tail keywords), which are easier to rank for.

4. Do a Mix of Generic and Long-tail Keywords

Our top tip when conducting keyword research is to choose both generic and long-tail keywords. The goal is to reach visitors with different search intents during different customer journey stages. For instance, if you own an apartment in New York, target both generic keywords such as:

• vacation rentals
• short-term rental
• vacation homes

As well as long-tail ones such as:

• vacation rentals upstate New York
• condo vacation rental New York City
• vacation rentals in New York City near Times Square

Real estate websites, vacation rental websites

5. Use the Right Tools

Vacation rental keywords can be a lot of work, and here's where a keyword research tool comes in handy. Luckily, there are hundreds of paid and free online tools to choose from, but we've rounded up our top suggestions to make it easier for you:

• Google SERP (free): type a keyword in Google and look at the search engine result pages. Check out the section "related searches" or "people also ask," where Google suggests relevant keywords and draw inspiration for your SEO content efforts.
• Google Keyword Planner (free): to gain a deeper insight into the keywords you spotted, add them to Google's Keyword Planner. You'll need a Google Ads account for that, which you can easily create without additional costs.
• Ubersuggest (free and paid): the tool is only free for up to a specific number of daily searches. It lists keywords based on your location and further information, such as paid difficulty and search volume.
• Ahrefs (paid): similar to Ubersuggest, Ahrefs offers insights into keywords' volume and traffic potential, saving you time from doing things manually. However, it's pretty pricey, starting at €89 monthly.

6. Incorporate Keywords in Your Content Strategy

Once you decide on your keywords, it's time to incorporate them into your content strategy. From blog posts to rental listings and page titles to meta descriptions, take every opportunity to sprinkle your keywords on your direct booking website.

However, be aware not to stuff keywords just for the sake of rankings. Remember that you address humans first and search engines second. Users won't appreciate content with irrelevant keywords that make no sense, and search engines will "punish" you for trying to trick them by lowering your rankings.

Keywords for rental properties

Vacation Rental Keywords Examples

Below, you'll find a list of the most researched vacation rental keywords to inspire your SEO organic content:

• vacation rental
• cabins near me
• cabin rentals near me
• beach house rentals
• the world's most amazing vacation rentals
• vacation home rentals
• weekly rentals near me
• vacation rentals near me

SEO strategy for vacation rentals

Take Your Vacation Rental Business to the Next Level

Optimizing your book-direct website with vacation rental keywords is not easy, but you'll be reaping the benefits in the long run. Most marketing strategies involve investing money to see results, but not SEO, which focuses on organic (unpaid) content.

However, for it to succeed, you'll need to be patient and persistent. It takes time for Google to trust you and even months to rank in search engines. With our tips above, you have a solid base to build your keyword efforts. And if you don't have a direct-booking website yet, at Houfy, we give you the tools to create yours without service fees or middlemen. Join us today!