Using Google Business Profile to Drive Direct Bookings for Short‑Stay Rentals

Why Google Business Profile matters

For small hospitality businesses and short‑stay rental agencies, appearing where guests search is critical. Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly Google My Business) lets businesses display their name, location, contact details, website and photos on Google Search and Maps. A complete profile increases visibility in local search results, and because the listing links directly to the business’s website or booking engine, it encourages travellers to bypass online travel agents (OTAs) and book directly. Google’s Hotel Search module (formerly Hotel Ads) also allows qualified lodging businesses to add free booking links showing real‑time rates and direct links to the property’s booking engine mylighthouse.com.

Important eligibility rule: Google’s guidelines state that “rental or for‑sale properties such as vacation homes, model homes, or vacant apartments” are not eligible for a Business Profile support.google.com. However, a sales or leasing office or a property management company that has in‑person contact with guests during stated hours can be verified support.google.com. Vacation rental operators can therefore create a Business Profile for their management office or brand (using categories such as “Vacation Home Rental Agency” or “Serviced Accommodation”) and use the listing to drive traffic to their own booking website zeevou.com.

1 Create and verify your Business Profile

1. Sign in and claim your profile. Visit google.com/business and sign in with a Google account. Enter your business name and address (use your office or headquarters address, not the rental property) zeevou.com. Choose the most appropriate category for your rental business (e.g., “Vacation Home Rental Agency,” “Serviced Accommodation,” or “Guest House”)zeevou.com.

2. Add your contact details and website. Include a phone number that guests can call and the URL of your direct booking site zeevou.com. Consistent Name, Address and Phone (NAP) data across your website, OTAs and social channels help Google trust your listing and improve ranking redawning.com.

3. Verify your business. Most accommodation businesses must verify by postcard; Google mails a code to the address you specified zeevou.com. Alternative verification methods (phone, email or instant) are sometimes available, but Google requires postcard verification for many lodging categories zeevou.com.

2 Optimise your profile for maximum impact

Provide complete and consistent information

A polished profile makes it easier for travellers to find and book you. Check that your name, address, phone number and website are 100 % accurate and match other platforms to improve your search visibility redawning.com. Fill in additional fields (opening hours, service areas, accessibility details and policies). Use attributes to highlight key amenities (parking, Wi‑Fi, pet‑friendly, air conditioning, etc.)—these attributes help Google show your business for specific searches localfalcon.com.

Upload high‑quality photos and virtual tours

Visual content builds trust and helps guests imagine their stay. Hospitality businesses should include high‑quality photos of rooms, amenities, dining areas and other spaces localfalcon.com. Google recommends adding at least three photos of each guest‑room type and at least one photo of each common area to give travellers an accurate idea of what to expect support.google.com. Exterior photos from different directions help guests recognise the property support.google.com. Consider adding a 360‑degree virtual tour to stand out in Maps and Search.

Encourage and manage reviews

Reviews influence trust and local ranking. Ask satisfied guests to leave a review—Google allows you to share a review link or QR code via thank‑you emails or receipts support.google.com. Avoid offering incentives; instead, simply remind guests that sharing feedback helps other travellerssupport.google.com. Respond promptly and professionally to all reviews. Google advises businesses to keep replies short, polite and relevant; negative reviews should be addressed with empathy and honesty support.google.com. Regular engagement shows prospective guests that you care about service quality localfalcon.com.

Use posts and updates to promote offers

GBP Posts allow you to share announcements, promotions and events directly on your listing. According to Google’s support article, posts help customers “decide to visit your business” and can include photos, videos and call‑to‑action buttons support.google.com. Use posts to highlight seasonal discounts, last‑minute availability or local events, and always include a clear call‑to‑action such as “Book direct on our site.” Posts expire after six months, so update them regularly support.google.com.

Make it easy to contact and book

Add messaging options so potential guests can contact you directly from your profile. For verified profiles, Google allows you to add a WhatsApp or SMS “Chat” option so travellers can ask questions and receive quick answers support.google.com. Ensure your phone number is visible for immediate inquiries. Link your profile to your direct booking website or booking engine; the link should point to a page where guests can check availability and book without going through an OTA redawning.com. If you use a certified booking engine, you may also be eligible for Google’s free booking links, which display your direct rates alongside OTAs in Google’s hotel search results mylighthouse.com.

Keep information up‑to‑date

Update your business hours, contact details and policies whenever they change. Accurate information improves your profile’s ranking and prevents guest frustration localfalcon.com. Seasonal businesses should adjust opening hours to reflect availability. Monitor the Q&A section and answer questions yourself to ensure correct information is displayed; detailed answers are more likely to appear at the top of the Q&A section localfalcon.com.

3 Leverage Google’s hotel search features for direct bookings

Google’s hotel search module—accessed through Google Maps, Google Travel and the dedicated “Lodging” tab—acts as a metasearch engine. It displays room rates from OTAs and direct booking sites, and allows hotels and B&Bs to add free direct booking links that guide travellers straight to their own website mylighthouse.com. To use these links you must:

1. Have a verified Business Profile for your property or agency mylighthouse.com.

2. Connect a Google‑recognised booking engine so Google can pull real‑time rates and availability mylighthouse.com.

3. Encourage direct bookings by offering a slightly lower price or added perks (e.g., free welcome basket, flexible cancellation) compared with OTAs mylighthouse.com.

For small operators who cannot integrate directly, connectivity partners (such as Rentals United, Futurestay, OwnerRez, Hostfully and others) can manage the connection for you. Google Vacation Rentals—part of the Google Travel platform—aggregates vacation rental listings and redirects guests to your website or partner page rentalsunited.com. Vacation rental managers should therefore combine their Business Profile (to build local trust and capture reviews) with a Google Vacation Rentals listing via a partner to maximise visibility rentalsunited.com.

4 Complement GBP with strong local SEO and marketing

While GBP can increase direct bookings, it should be part of a broader strategy:

• Optimise your website: use relevant keywords (e.g., “vacation rental in [destination]” and “book direct [location]”) in your website content and meta descriptions. Regular blog posts about local attractions and travel tips improve SEO rentalsunited.com.

• Build backlinks and partnerships: links from local businesses, tourism boards and media outlets increase your domain authority and help your website rank higher rentalsunited.com.

• Offer compelling descriptions and photos: use sensory, benefit‑driven language and high‑quality images to help travellers picture themselves in the property rentalsunited.com.

• Deliver excellent guest experiences: positive reviews and word‑of‑mouth drive bookings more effectively than any algorithm tweak. Use guest feedback to improve amenities and services rentalsunited.com.

Conclusion

A well‑managed Google Business Profile gives short‑stay rental agencies a direct channel to potential guests. Although individual vacation homes aren’t eligible for a profile, agencies or brands that make in‑person contact can create one. By providing accurate information, adding compelling photos, encouraging reviews, posting offers and connecting a direct booking engine, hosts can leverage Google’s ecosystem to increase visibility and drive commission‑free bookings. Pair your GBP efforts with a listing on Google Vacation Rentals via a connectivity partner and good local SEO to reach travellers at every step of the journey.