Boost Your Bookings On VRBO By Writing a Better Ad
Did you know that writing better ad copy can double, or even triple, the number of bookings you receive through vacation rental sites like VRBO, AirBNB, Homeaway, and FlipKey?
Words truly matter! In fact, they have magical powers of persuasion if you use them the right way!
If you are not getting enough bookings for your vacation rental(s) on listing sites, try changing the title of your ad and the description. Below, we offer several tips on how to write a good description for listing sites like VRBO, AirBNB, Homeaway, and FlipKey.
Think About the "Search Engine Backdoor" As You Write Your Ad
If there aren't enough people seeing your vacation rental ad, then even if you've written a masterpiece, you aren't going to get many bookings from that ad. To increase the number of eyeballs reading your ad, you'll need to remember that not everyone comes in through the "front door" of a listing site. Instead, many potential vacation renters actually go to Google or another search engine, type in a search query, and find a link to a VRBO, AirBNB, Homeaway, or FlipKey ad.
To increase your search engine hits on listing sites, consider the following:
- Your ad title should be search engine friendly. Most people think this means it must be keyword rich... and it does to a degree. Since most people search by geographic area, such as "vacation rental in Orlando Florida," it behooves you to include the geographic area in your ad title. However, you also need to make the title enticing to click on! Just having a top 10 listing doesn't ensure people actually click on your ad. Which title in a top 10 Google listing would you be more inclined to click on:
A. "Vacation Rental In Orlando Florida."
B. "Luxury Vacation Rental In Orlando FL - Only 10 Minutes From Disney World"
- Include other keywords in your description that people may add to their search query. For example, people may be searching for a vacation rental with a swimming pool or a large backyard. Others may search for a hot tub or a fireplace. Others may want to be "within walking distance of restaurants" or "bus lines."
- Duplication will hurt your listing. Do not include the same title or description copy for ads on different listing services. If you put the same ad, or essentially the same ad, on both VRBO and AirBNB for example, Google may consider that duplicate contact and not include either ad. Alternately, they may push both ads so far down in the rankings, they are for all practical purposes deleted from the database.
Develop an Enticing Name For Your Rental
While terms like "vacation rental" and "short term rental" are popular keywords, they don't do much to excite the imagination. You will get more bookings if you develop a more endearing name for your rental. Below some catchy words you can consider using in lieu of "house, "condo," "apartment," or "rental."
- adobe
- bungalow
- cabana
- cabin
- castle
- chalet
- cottage
- crib
- farmhouse
- gatehouse
- hut
- lodge
- log house
- ranch
- shack
- villa
In a name or title, the use of alliteration can be catchy too. Alliteration is where the same sound is used at the beginning of two or more words. Here's a few examples:
- Sheila's Chalet
- The Catfish Cottage
- Orange Blossom Bungalow
Paint a Picture and Tell a Story
In your written description, try to help potential guests imagine what it would be like to spend time in your Orlando vacation rental. In doing so, highlight what's so special about your place. Here are a few examples to get your thinking:
- After a long day of sightseeing in Orlando, soak your tired feet in our roomy jacuzzi spa built for two. Let the easily adjustable jets massage your back and get you feeling rejuvenated in no time. Our garden bathroom is such a peaceful oasis, you may want to spend hours there. Try our complimentary herbal essence bath salts.
- You'll have an eagle eye's view. Pour a glass of wine and watch the sun set over the distant skyline. Then crawl between the silky smooth Egyptian cotton sheets for a perfect night's rest. Awake to the sound of sweet songbirds serenading you while you make cappuccino in our Breville Barista Express that would rival the best New York coffeehouse.
- Plan a spectacular movie night for the entire family with our gigantic 100 inch ultra high definition TV. Let your eyes feast on the exceptionally wide view while your ears take in the theater quality surround sound. We have an old fashioned movie house popcorn machine awaiting you and your family too, with complimentary tri-colored popcorn!
Appeal To a Specific Audience With Your Copy
You may want to use your ad copy to appeal to specific target audiences. You can do this in a subtle or obvious way. For example, if you have a ramp at your entryway and wide hallways and door ways, you could mention that your vacation rental is wheelchair friendly or handicap accessible. If you want to be more obvious you could elaborate about having a walk in shower with a pull down handicap chair and grip bars by the toilet and in the shower.
If you want to expand into the travelling business men and women market, you could mention having a clothes steamer available for de- wrinkling business suits. You may even want to mention the speedy dry cleaner only two blocks away. You could also feature an executive desk in your ad and an ergonomic desk chair. Another nice touch might be to add there's an Orlando Sentinel delivered to the front door each morning. wrinkling business suits. You may even want to mention the speedy dry cleaner only two blocks away. You could also feature an executive desk in your ad and an ergonomic desk chair. Another nice touch might be to add there's an Orlando Sentinel delivered to the front door each morning.