TL;DR: To rank higher and drive more direct bookings, focus on four essentials: research keywords your guests actually search for, place those keywords strategically in titles and headings, ensure your site is indexed, and add fresh content regularly. SEO takes time to build, but every organic visitor you attract is one you didn’t pay for.
Good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the best way to drive organic traffic (non-paid traffic) to your direct booking website. Users overwhelmingly click results on the first page, with the top five positions capturing the lion’s share. The logic is simple: if early results answer the question, there’s no reason to keep scrolling.
Search engines are complex creatures. Ranking on page one requires constant attention. But the rewards justify the effort: more organic traffic means less money spent on ads.
SEO is a long-term investment. It takes time for your website to earn respect from Google and other search engines—typically 3-6 months before you see meaningful results.
How do you find the right keywords?
Keywords are the search terms you want to rank for, and they’re what SEO is all about. If you already have keywords, this will help you update them. If you don’t, read on.
The goal of keyword research is to understand how travelers search for accommodation. Once you understand their language, you target those terms so they find your site. Rankings shift constantly, which is why continuous monitoring matters—but it’s an easily learned skill.
Two factors drive keyword research:
Search volumes
Search volume tells you how many times a keyword gets typed into search engines monthly. Look at both the current number and the trend.
If the top keyword by search volume is declining each month, don’t invest time ranking for it. Instead, identify keywords with increasing searches, even if current volume is lower.
Consider regions, too. Your business likely targets a specific country or area. Domestic guests and international travelers often use different search terms. Target both if they’re part of your market.
Which keyword research tools should you use?
Use one or several of these free tools to start your research:
What can competitor research reveal about keywords?
Search for different terms related to your business and see what comes up. Try variations related to vacation rentals, vacation accommodation, and your specific niche.
Experiment with specificity:
- Broad: “vacation rentals in France”
- Specific: “luxury rentals in Paris”
- Niche: “family-friendly rentals in Portugal”
This research reveals how travelers search and provides inspiration from top rankers—if they’re ranking high, they’re doing something right.
Further Reading: Direct bookings in 2025: Why your “website builder” isn’t enough
Where should you place your keywords?
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, work them into your website content. The most important placements:
- Page titles (H1s): Your main heading should include your primary keyword
- Subtitles (H2s): Secondary keywords work well here
- URLs: Keep them short but descriptive (e.g., /luxury-paris-rentals not /page-id-7483)
- Image alt text: Describe images using relevant keywords naturally
- Meta descriptions: Front-load the benefit and include your primary keyword
How do you make sure Google can find your site?
Making sure your website is indexed isn’t just important. It’s essential. Without indexing, no amount of keyword optimization will help you rank.
Indexing is the process of storing web pages in a search engine’s database. If your page isn’t indexed, it won’t appear in search results. Period.
Pro tip: Verify your site’s indexing status using Google Search Console or Small SEO Tools Index Checker. Check this quarterly at minimum.
For Guesty Lite and Pro users
If you’re managing 1-4 properties with Guesty Lite, the built-in Booking Website includes automatic Google indexing for each unit page. Set up your direct booking site once, and Google can discover it without manual submission. For larger portfolios on Guesty Pro, the Advanced Website adds IndexNow support, meaning search engines get notified instantly when you update content or add new properties.
How do you take your SEO to the next level?
Once you’ve covered the basics, additional content drives compounding results. A blog section or video content can significantly expand your keyword footprint—but only if it’s strategic and targeting the right terms.
Consider these content additions:
- Blog posts covering local attractions, travel tips, or property guides
- Video tours of your properties (these also increase time-on-page, which signals quality to search engines)
- Guest testimonials with location-specific language
- Seasonal content targeting holiday and event traffic
With Guesty’s Advanced Website, you can create and manage blog posts directly, generate keyword-rich SEO metadata with AI assistance, and add videos from YouTube, Vimeo, or Dailymotion as backgrounds or embedded content.
The bottom line
Good SEO drives interest in your accommodation and brings non-paid traffic to your direct booking website. It’s not a one-time project. You need to monitor performance and keep targeting the right keywords.
But the math is simple: every booking that comes through organic search is one you didn’t pay a channel commission on. For hosts managing a handful of properties, that margin difference compounds fast.
FAQs
Expect 3-6 months before seeing meaningful ranking improvements. Google needs time to crawl your site, evaluate your content, and compare it against competitors. Consistent effort accelerates results.
Both. Target location-specific terms (e.g., “beachfront rental in Malibu”) for high-intent traffic, and broader terms (e.g., “vacation rental booking tips”) to build authority.
Not strictly, but blogs help. Each blog post is a new page Google can index, and a new opportunity to rank for long-tail keywords your main pages don’t cover.
Aim for monthly content updates at minimum. Add seasonal information, update property details, and publish new blog posts. Fresh content signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant.
Start yourself using the fundamentals in this guide. Keyword research, proper title placement, and indexing verification are learnable skills. As your portfolio grows, you may benefit from professional support for competitive analysis and technical SEO.
Guesty’s talented marketing team is comprised of passionate professionals who share insightful industry knowledge and shape brand narratives. By bringing a diverse blend of expertise to the table, we are the visionary architects behind the Guesty brand and innovative campaigns that help people understand our product.
