10 Things to Always Include in Your Vacation Rental Listing

The majority of vacationers are looking for a chance to unwind and expect the best possible experience. As a vacation rental owner, you want your guests’ best experiences to show up in your ratings and referrals.

It is vital to make an excellent first impression. Potential guests will not assess your vacation rental by its curb appeal or the scent of freshly baked bread when it comes to marketing it. They’ll base their decision entirely on your website, its photos, and the mental images your property description conjures up.

What makes a good description for a vacation rental listing?

An excellent vacation rental has a clear and consistent tone of voice that highlights all of the property’s primary advantages and persuades guests to stay at your vacation rental.

Poor syntax, terrible structure, too long sentences, and obvious spelling mistakes, on the other hand, are a major turn-off. Furthermore, numerous overused words and meaningless phrases should be avoided while writing a vacation rental listing description.

Say you’ve completed a vacation rental listing, and now it’s time to publish it. But are you sure it’s already at its best? What if you can still improve it?

Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to turn a mediocre listing into one that has people clamoring to book with you. Knowing what not to write on a vacation rental ad, as well as what information to include, will help you stand out among the hundreds of other listings.

Here are the details you should include in your vacation rental listing if you want visitors to click the “book” button after reading it.

1. Your Full Name

Its name doesn’t merely identify your rental. It also helps customers find your property online and determine whether it’s an excellent place to stay, making your listing appear more trustworthy. Make your name recognizable (but not distracting) by mentioning it two or three times throughout the material – but no more than that – if you’re running your vacation rental as a legitimate business.

2. Your Unique Selling Point

As the name implies, your USP is what distinguishes you from the competitors. Is there a good view of the sunset from your rental, for example? Is it centrally positioned, with retail malls, parks, and other significant institutions nearby? Is it equipped with more flat-screen TVs than other units?

Take a look at your competitors’ listings if you’re not sure what your USP is. Look for what you do better than them and emphasize it in your description.

3. Sensitive Tone

Consider who is most likely to book your rental. Couples, for example, will appreciate a location that screams “romantic,” while parents will choose features that will keep their children occupied. Your listing will feel more customized and appealing to the people you want to stay with if you write for a specific set of visitors rather than casting a wide net.

4. New, vivid descriptions.

It’s tempting to use tried-and-true phrases like “breathtaking view,” “cozy house,” and “crystal-clear swimming pool,” but bear in mind that most guests have seen those phrases a million times before, so they’re unlikely to make your property stand out above the rest.

Instead, appeal to your guests’ senses with louder, more vivid language. “Cuddle with your significant other on our plush velvet sofas while you watch the sunset behind bright-green hills outside the bay window,” for example, can be substituted for “Cozy spot with a wonderful view of the sunset.”

5. Property Types

Of course, your description would be incomplete if you didn’t specify what kind of vacation rental your guests may expect from you. Is it an apartment, a condo, or a house for a family? By revealing this fact, guests will be more prepared to adjust to your accommodations and will be less likely to do things like bringing their 10-person family to a single-room hotel!

6. Basic Amenities

You don’t have to include every last detail about your vacation rental, such as the number of teacups in the kitchen. On the other hand, your visitors will want a clear picture of what life would be like at your property daily. Please give them a quick rundown of what they can expect. When listing amenities, use bullet points to make it easier for guests to scan through the things they appreciate and pinpoint the ones they don’t. Go over your list, think about what you’d want to know if you were a visitor, and then write it down.

7. Neighborhood Spots

Aside from the rental itself, you’ll want to list some of your favorite local hangouts. However, don’t oversell such spots to the detriment of your rental. Otherwise, your potential guests may choose to stay somewhere else only to see that fabulous little coffee shop you mentioned, defeating the purpose of mentioning it in the first place! After all, a guest’s primary concern is location.

8. SEO Keywords 

Search engines must first find your listing before guests can find it. For example, if your vacation rental is in Lagos, you should use the phrase “vacation rental in Lagos” at least once in your headline and description. When someone types that keyword into the search field, you’ll have a better chance of appearing higher on Google.

The better your vacation rental listing is for Google, the more reader-friendly it is. However, remember that too much of a good thing can be harmful. Avoid forcing keywords into your description; instead, make sure they’re woven into the language naturally.

9. Rates

Some individuals recommend that you do not provide rates in your listing. They like to add something along the lines of, “For pricing, please get in touch with the owner,” so that they have more room to haggle with guests. After all, guests can already filter postings by rating, so there’s no need to disclose them, right?

Mentioning your actual rates isn’t a bad idea. It will not only assist guests in determining whether or not your rental is within their budget, but it will also assist you in ranking better in search engine results. Plus, you won’t have to deal with hundreds of emails asking the same question: “How much does it cost to stay here?”

10. Testimonials

You should have a pleased customer or two if you’ve been in the vacation rental company for a long time. People will expect to be happy with you if they notice that you have a lot of positive, insightful reviews from happy customers. Please encourage them to leave you honest, constructive evaluations on sites like Airbnb and ask to incorporate those remarks in your vacation rental listing.

Should you target digital nomads with your vacation rental listing?

The digital nomad community might suit you if you’ve been trying to develop your business into other markets and target different customers. They can be a low-maintenance audience with only a few office-related requirements. They’re also more likely to keep your property in good repair because they’ll be working for most of their stay. You’ll be glad you put in the first effort once you’ve cracked the digital nomad market. Digital nomads communicate with one another in digital forums and online review sites. You’ll be sure to reel in revenues and welcome fantastic guests from near and far if you target this segment and provide a great experience. See some of our vacation rentals at PlistBooking.com.