Vacation Rental Listings | Booked Solid Rentals

Archive for the ‘Vacation Rental Listings’ Category

Google Local Incorporates FlipKey Reviews - Great News for Property Advertising

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Here’s some great news for all vacation rental owners with FlipKey reviews - Google Local has added FlipKey reviews as part of their local listings. If you are using FlipKey, you will most likely see an increase in traffic and bookings as renters love to see qualified reviews. And because these show up at the top of the Google Organic search results, all the better for reaching your renter!

Here’s an example showing reviews in the Santa Barbara market. Where you see “reviews” to the right of the listing is where they are linked to.

Property Advertising

When you click through to reviews, you get a list of reviews that will look like this.

vacation property advertising reviews

It’s clear that FlipKey’s role in the vacation rental market continues to grow, and it will be interesting to see the role that reviews play. One thing is for sure though, the power of the Google Local and FlipKey reviews are an important tool for vacation rental owners.

(If you haven’t yet listed on Google Local, check out this earlier post on the importance of Google Local to your property advertising. It will give you step-by-step guidance).

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Tags: advertise your property, property advertising, property marketing, rental advertising, renting your house
Posted in Vacation Rental Listings | No Comments »

How & Why To Submit Your Vacation Rental Property to Bing Local

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

Property Marketing with Bing Local

Of course you’ve heard the buzz about Bing….have you noticed the buzz around Bing Local?

Many of the Search engine experts debate Bing Local’s ability to ever surpass Google’s Local search. But that doesn’t mean they won’t have a significant reach and impact. Like Google Local, Bing Local is free, and it’s a simple process to sign up. I recommend all vacation property owners interested in boosting their SEO and their visibility do so.

What’s a Bing Local listing?

Bing Local lets users find rental property’s in the areas they are searching. Because local listings are returned in search results, your renters will be able to find you easier.

There’s really no reason not do list your property. It takes less than 15 minutes, including uploading up to 10 pictures. You can edit it any time you want. Here’s the steps you’ll take.

1. Go to Bing Local’s Listing Center.
2. Setup a Windows ID (If you don’t already have one)
4. Enter your business info (property description, web site, specific information) as wells as your contact info.
5. Select as many as 6 categories in which you want your website listed (this is great for being associated with your top keywords). (Don’t know your property’s keywords? See previous posts on keywords for your property marketing, or contact us about our keyword services).
6. Upload up to 10 photos (I was disappointed there was no video uploads, but I’m sure this feature will follow down the road. They do feature a slideshow of your photos in your free local listing).
7. Verify your location on a map.
8. Submit

They will send you a verification letter, to confirm your address. Once you receive that, and respond, you’ll be listed!

(You can read more on the importance of Google Local & Yahoo Local, and instructions for listing with both, on this post on local property advertising).

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Tags: advertise my property, advertise properties, advertise rental properties, advertise your property, property advertising, property marketing
Posted in Vacation Rental Listings | No Comments »

Is You Rental Advertising Listing Copy Doing It’s Job?

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Are you creating an experience for your renter or simply listing all that your property has to offer? There’s a big difference and this is your chance to really talk about all your property has to offer.

Problem: It’s very common to see rental listings with typos and information in a list with no personality or story behind it. Information is often repetitive and little thought is given to leveraging keywords that make it easier for search engines to find your rental advertising listing.

Solution: Let your listing do its job and create an experience for your renter so it interests them enough to inquire further. Write for both your renter and the search engines and you’ll be amazed at the results.

Take Action: 1. Create a positive and compelling experience for your renter
2. Offer a benefit-rich ad that makes you stand out from your competition
3. Weave in your key word search terms that will help the search engines find your rental property faster and easier.

Ready to go through the process of really crafting an ad that will work for you for years to come, check out the Booked Solid Blueprint. It will walk you through each component of your ad listing, step-by-step, to create a powerful rental advertising listing that SELLS to both the search engines and your renters.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Tags: property marketing, Vacation Rental Advertising
Posted in Vacation Rental Listings | No Comments »

How Are Your Property Advertising Listings Performing For You?

Friday, September 25th, 2009

When was the last time you sat down and really looked at your ad listing strategy — where you’re listed and how each listing is actually performing for you.

Here’s the Problem: Many vacation rental owners can’t tell you how their listings are performing for them. They have no idea what their return on investment is (this includes free listings as well, because there is time and effort in submitting the listings and keeping them updated).

Solution: Utilize easy tracking systems that show where leads and bookings are coming from. It’s easy to set up and will save you time and money in evaluating current listing renewals, and future opportunities.

Take Action:
Do a listing audit. Review leads and bookings from all free and paid listing sites. If you don’t have Google Analytics installed on your web site, you should. This will help you track your rental advertising effectiveness.

For additional direction in defining where to advertise your vacation rental, check out the Booked Solid Blueprint, or if you want us to analyze your listings directly, check out the Jump Start Your Bookings Consulting Programs. Either way, get started in understanding and tracking how your ad listings are performing for you.!

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Tags: advertising property, property advertising, rent my house, rent your house, rental advertising
Posted in Vacation Rental Listings | No Comments »

Have You Reviewed Your Pictures For Your Vacation Rental Advertising Lately?

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Pictures — Everyone knows a picture is worth a thousand words… how do your pictures stack up? Do they tell the story of your property and make people want to know more? Renters often make a decision about rental property based on pictures alone, so this is a key opportunity for you to shine. Use them well and you’ll see results quickly.

Problem: Pictures that are poorly lit, poorly framed, or don’t tell a complete story. Many listings don’t include pictures of each room, and they don’t have any kind of meaningful or interesting description associated with them. Many owners don’t think about the order that their pictures are presented in.

Solution: Take well-lit pictures that really showcase your property, or hire a photographer or photography student. This small investment will pay off for years to come. A good photographer will know how to make your photos come alive.

Take Action:

1. Review your pictures and make sure they showcase your property well.

2. Choose a thumbnail picture that highlights the top benefit of your rental and reduces well (for ad listings that offer thumbnails).

3. Order the rest of your pictures to tell a story and entice the visitor to want to know more.

4. Write descriptions for each of your pictures that really add to your story, and boost your rankings in the search engines (it’s easy to do).

Want more tips like this? Check out the Booked Solid Blueprint, where there are hundreds of no-cost and low-cost tips to improve your inquiries and bookings, including more in-depth guidance about how pictures and video will help increase the effectiveness of your property advertising.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

Tags: property advertising, rent your house, Vacation Rental Advertising, vacation rental marketing
Posted in Vacation Rental Listings | No Comments »