Google Business Profile
for vacation rentals

Yes — Google requires a website URL for your business listing. Without your own booking website, Google Maps will show OTA links (Airbnb, VRBO) that charge you 15-22% commission. DirectBookings gives you a professional direct booking website in 15 minutes that you can link directly from your Google Business Profile.

Create a free Google Business Profile at business.google.com. Choose 'Holiday apartment rental' or 'Vacation home' as your category, add your exact property address, and paste your DirectBookings website URL in the 'Website' field. Verify your property (usually via video) and your listing goes live on Google Maps with a direct 'Book' button.

Google Vacation Rentals requires a connectivity partner to list properties. DirectBookings is currently working toward becoming a Google Vacation Rentals connectivity partner — when complete, your property will appear directly in Google's dedicated vacation rental search results with free booking links. In the meantime, a Google Business Profile is completely free, requires no partner, and gets you on Google Maps and local search immediately.

Without a Google Business Profile: they find Airbnb and VRBO links, book through the platform, and you pay 15.5% commission on a guest who was already looking for YOU. With a profile linked to your direct website: your official listing appears with a 'Website' button that takes them directly to your booking page — zero commission.

DirectBookings automatically generates JSON-LD structured data (pricing, availability, reviews), SEO meta tags, OpenGraph social cards, and an XML sitemap. Your built-in Area Guide pages build local topical authority (e.g., 'best restaurants near [your property]'). Your blog and FAQ pages add fresh content. Guest reviews with aggregate star ratings can appear in search results. All of this signals to Google that your property is a legitimate, content-rich business — improving visibility on Maps and in organic search.

Most hosts see their Google Business Profile appear within 1-2 weeks of verification. Direct bookings from Google typically start within 1-3 months as your profile accumulates reviews and your website builds search authority. The key accelerators: guest reviews (ask after every stay), regular profile updates, and a complete Area Guide on your website.

No — keep all channels active. Use Airbnb and VRBO for new guest discovery, but direct repeat guests to your own site. DirectBookings syncs your calendar hourly with all OTAs via iCal so you never get double-booked. The Google Business Profile captures guests who search for your property by name and routes them to your direct site instead of an OTA.