Vacation Rental SEO Guide: Tips to Grow Your Organic Traffic

Did you know that only 0.63% of people will click on the second page of Google? If your vacation rentals are not ranking in the top Google search results, you're probably missing significant traffic and booking opportunities.

Most guests coming to Google to search for a vacation rental are already eager to pull out their credit cards and buy. These are often called "warm leads", people who are motivated and qualified to rent. Unlike social media or email, organic traffic from Google is users actively looking for something specific and more than willing to spend money on it.

If you're struggling to establish a search engine optimization strategy, in this guide, we'll share tips to help you out. Whether you're a small vacation rental owner or a short-term rental entrepreneur, SEO must be part of your strategy.

What is SEO for Vacation Rentals?

Put simply, search engine optimization (SEO) is our efforts to improve a website's rankings in the Google search console. With SEO, we aim to increase a website's visibility, bring more visitors, and generate sales.

In other words, whenever users want to go somewhere, buy something, or find information, they type a search query on Google. Then, Google shows the most relevant results based on that search. For example, if a visitor searches "vacation rental in Paris" and your website is SEO-optimized, you'll appear on top of the search results, gaining that user's attention. Win-win!

SEO for vacation rental management companies

7 Tips for Vacation Rental SEO

1. Create Your Book-Direct Website

First things first! Before jumping on our top SEO tips, you must have a book-direct website. This will be your "online shop," where users can learn more about your vacation rentals and book with you. Mind you, it's not the same as listing with a large OTA like Airbnb, where you have limited space, guidelines, and fierce competition.

This is having your own "chessboard" and "pawns" and making your own game rules. Don't worry if you don't have a vacation rental website already. At Houfy, we can help you host your book-direct site to secure bookings without the middleman and the extra fees.

How to stand out in the vacation rental industry and boost rankings in search engine results pages

2. Use the Right Keywords for Vacation Rentals

Keyword research is the first step of vacation rental SEO. Identify the phrases potential guests search in Google, then use them in your website content. For example, if users type "condo in San Francisco", and this is what you offer, you should use this keyword in your vacation rental descriptions and blog posts.

Additionally, keywords show the search intent of potential guests. This helps us understand what users are looking for behind their search phrases. For example, someone searching "where to stay in Rome" has an informational intent. On the other hand, someone searching for a "4-bedroom apartment with hot tub in Rome" has a transactional intent - they know precisely what they're looking for and are ready to book.

3. Establish a URL Hierarchy

URLs are a fantastic place to use your focus keywords. As part of your SEO strategy, establish a logical URL hierarchy so users and search engines can navigate your website better. For instance, if you write a blog post on "things to do in Rome", structure your URL as follows: /blog/things-to-do-in-rome.

Or, if you have a large vacation rental business with multiple properties, create a general category, "vacation rentals," and subcategories such as "condos," "tree houses," and "beach houses." You can list your properties within each subcategory and name the URLs accordingly.

Using vacation rental keywords for on-page SEO

4. Create Appealing Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are small chunks of text appearing under page titles. They're previews of your landing pages and the reason why someone might click on your website. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind for your vacation rental SEO:

• Keep a meta description between 100-175 characters
• Use your focus keyword and at least one secondary keyword
• Make it appealing and provide value. A meta description can make or break your click-through rate.
• Don't chunk keywords just for the sake of using them. Instead, add them in a conversational format.

5. Use Headings Correctly

Search engines use headings and paragraphs to understand a page's structure. Each landing page should only have one main heading (H1) that matches the page title and accurately describes the context. Similar to URLs, you should also follow a logical heading structure.

For instance, use subheadings (H2s) for subtopics and H3s and H4s to break content into smaller sections. This increases readability and helps visitors understand what they're reading. Use your primary and secondary keywords in your headings when appropriate.

Technical SEO for your vacation rental property

6. Write Image Alt Texts

Images are a great way to break large chunks of text and make content visually appealing. Use high-quality professional photos to highlight your vacation rental. Also, a great vacation rental SEO tip is to write image alt texts. These are descriptions that help search engines "read" your images.

Use your primary keyword with variables in alt texts for better SEO. For example, instead of "vacation rental", write "4-bedroom-appartment-rome.jpg". Remember to keep images under 100KB so that search engines can scan them.

7. Invest in an Internal and External Link Building Strategy

When Google scans your vacation rental website to understand its context, it takes into account internal linking (how your web pages connect). This creates topical authority and more straightforward navigation.

Another signal that a search engine considers is the anchor text where the link is placed. This helps Google understand what a user will find on that page. For example, if you're linking to your cottage in England, make sure the anchor text is something like "British cottage".

Apart from internal SEO, you should also focus on external link-building. Linking to other authority resources can help you build your website's authority. Just make sure you're linking to relevant and trustworthy resources that can actually bring value to your business.

Use relevant keywords to promote your vacation rental companies

Time to Work on Your Vacation Rental SEO!

SEO for vacation rental websites can be tricky, but with these SEO tips, you can make a huge difference in promoting your business online. The greatest perk of search engine optimization is the organic traffic it generates for your website - no need to break the bank with paid advertising. SEO is your key to better search engine rankings.

If you're ready to skyrocket your vacation home rentals, Houfy will equip you with everything you need to create a direct booking website. Start developing a concise strategy for your vacation rental business to generate constant yearly profit. List your property today and join a community of over 15,000 hosts.