As the biggest manufactured lake in the United States boasting magnificent scenery, it's no wonder Lake of the Ozarks has become a much-loved resort area. According to the City Government, over 3 million folks visit yearly, and many of the 70,000 homes along the lake are vacation properties.
If you own one of those vacation homes, you may have considered renting it to some of the area's visitors. And you should, as it can help generate extra income.
To be successful, though, you need to implement vacation rental listing optimization.
Don't worry; PMI Lake of the Ozarks is here to help. We've shared rental listing tips to help improve rental visibility, so read on.
1. Create Concise Titles for Property Listings
The page title is the first thing potential guests will see when they view your listings on popular rental sites, so it must be captivating. One way to achieve this goal is through descriptive (but factual!) language. Use adjectives that highlight your property's unique aspects.
You can use this formula as an example: adjective + type of property + location + primary benefit. For instance, you can say, "Luxurious 2-bedroom home in Lake Ozark with magnificent lake views."
2. Optimize Rental Property Descriptions
Immediately after the listing's descriptive title, highlight your property's best features and amenities. Here are some ideas:
- Number of bedrooms, beds, and bathrooms
- If it has a full kitchen, a balcony, an outdoor space, or what makes it family-friendly
- The nearest attractions and tourist spots
- Dining and shopping establishments nearby
By being as descriptive as possible, you can get more legitimate leads to convert into paying guests.
3. Back Listings With Captivating Visuals
As crucial as text-based descriptions are, backing them up with high-quality, high-resolution images is just as vital. As the user interface and user experience consulting firm Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) explains, images have a "picture superiority effect." They're better at communicating concepts than words alone, as people usually remember visually presented information better.
4. Implement Dynamic Pricing
Dynamic pricing can help boost vacation rentals' occupancy rates and income year-round. It involves setting higher but competitive rates during summer, the Ozarks' peak tourist season. Then, during the low season, you can reduce the rates to attract off-season guests.
5. Leverage Guest Reviews
Another excellent way to maximize rental bookings is by requesting happy guests to leave online reviews. Honest, unbiased reviews can optimize your listing, lending more credibility to your rental. Plus, according to Hotel Tech Report, over 80% of travelers read reviews before finalizing accommodation bookings.
Follow These Tips for Vacation Rental Listing Optimization
Vacation rental listing optimization is your golden ticket to acquiring more views and potential bookings. So, invest enough time enhancing your listing's title, description, visuals, pricing, and reviews. They can all help boost your property's visibility and get those bookings rolling in.
Alternatively, you can partner with our company, PMI Lake of the Ozarks. We're a full-service management firm specializing in marketing and renting out short-term rentals in the area to boost our client's income and portfolio. You can rely on us and the 35+ years of commercial and residential real estate marketing and management experience of our CEO and founder, Regan Tittler.
Contact us today so we can start making your vacation rental more visible!