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Are you a homeowner looking to advertise your properties? Google ads for vacation rentals is a top-tier marketing tool that can help you reach a broader audience and increase bookings. Customers, and in your case, guests, browse the web daily to find unique short-term rentals for their next stay.

If you want to be among their search results, you need to advertise on Google. Given that you already have a 

 website, this investment can prove most lucrative. According to Google, advertisers earn 

—a very high return. At the same time, you'll be one step ahead of the competition, earning your share of the hospitality pie.

Thankfully, you don't have to be a Google ads expert to set up a campaign. Google's intuitive interface makes advertising your vacation rental website easy with a few clicks. In this article, we'll explore the fundamentals of Google ads and help you set your first campaign. Let's dive in!

Google ads are promotions across Google's products, such as Search, Display, and YouTube. They help showcase your business, raise brand awareness, and sell products. Google ads are based on a pay-per-click model (PPC), meaning you only pay when users click on your ads. This makes an affordable advertising alternative that helps you reach visitors when they're actively searching for your rentals.

What Are the Benefits of Google Ads for Vacation Rentals?

With billions of Google searches daily, your business must show where its customers are. Here are the most essential benefits of Google ads for vacation rentals:

Vacation rental Google ads

Google features various types of ads catering to different needs. Here are the most important ones for property owners:

Google ads for vacation rentals

How to Run Google Ads for Vacation Rentals?

Log into your Google ads account and create a "New Campaign". You'll be presented with Google's advertising objectives to pick the one that best suits your needs:

Now it's time to choose your campaign type among:

If you opt for Search ads, keyword research is vital to your campaign's success. Google offers a free research tool called Google Keyword Planner, helping you brainstorm keywords and spot the ones with the highest search volumes. A helpful tip is to think about what potential guests could be searching for on Google.

For example, if you own an apartment in New York, keywords such as "short-term rentals in New York", "NYC short-term rentals", and "short-term furnished rentals in New York City" are a good starting point. As a general rule of thumb, opt for keywords with high purchase intent, a medium to high search volume, and a low cost-per-click.

Google ad campaigns for vacation rental properties

For more detailed targeting, specify your audience based on advanced demographics, interests, habits, or what they're actively searching for. Google will analyze guests' behaviors over the last 24 hours and target users with only your selected characteristics.

Where is your target market? Do you want your Google ads for vacation rentals to appear in front of local travelers or international tourists? Google allows you to select country, city, and region and exclude some locations. You should also choose a target language for your audience. For instance, if you're based in the US, you can only target US guests using an English version of Google.

Your ad copy can be the reason why someone clicks on your vacation rental listings or not. Highlight your top house features and the benefits of booking with you. Draw emphasis on the experience of what it's like living in your properties and have users daydream of their stay. Always include a call to action such as "Book now" to urge people to make reservations.

Search campaign for vacation rental

7. Set Up Your Advertising Dates and Budget

Google lets you have full control over your spending. You can set a daily or monthly budget and alter it whenever you want. You can also consider bidding strategies for popular keywords. These work like auctions, impacting your rankings against competitors. Set up your PPC campaigns' dates, and you're good to go.

Google also offers ad extensions that help you include additional information in your ads. For example, you could add location, contact details, reviews, amenities, or links to specific pages on your vacation rental website. This makes your campaigns more appealing to potential customers and increases your trustworthiness.

Once your Google ads campaigns are up and running, you should regularly review them for possible areas of improvement. Optimization should be an ongoing process, so don't hit "publish" and disappear from the face of Google. Check your budget for possible reallocation to ads that perform better, and adjust your copy to maximize your message's impact.

Make the Most of Your Short-term Rentals With Google Ads

In conclusion, with more than 8.5 billion searches daily, Google is a treasure trove of opportunities to connect with potential customers. Google ads for vacation rentals are simple to set up and can drastically increase direct bookings, saving you money on commissions from large OTAs.

Hopefully, our tips on running a Google ads campaign will encourage you to give paid advertising a try. Naturally, you'll need to have a direct booking website first. At 

, we make that possible. Join a community of over 15,000 hosts who enjoy the perks of direct booking without sacrificing their brands and take your vacation rental business to the next level. 

Google Ads for Vacation Rentals: a Beginner's Guide

Learn how to use Google Ads for vacation rentals to boost bookings. Discover step-by-step instructions, tips, and best practices to maximize your revenue.

Google Ads for Vacation Rentals: a Beginner's Guide

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