If you have a rntl.nz website, it’s already doing some marketing legwork for you. It’s made using Google keywords aimed at attracting the kind of guests who have stayed with you before. Keywords are search terms frequently used by Google users who fit the profile of your ideal guest. You will find them in your site’s titles and text. They have also been added to all images as machine-readable text in order to make your site rank better. But despite all this, you’ll see that your website doesn’t pop up on page one of Google Search Result Pages. Don’t despair, we can fix that.
Why is my website hard to find?
Have you Googled “Accommodation near me” to find who’s also got a short-term rental in your area? Try it and you’ll see that the search results are dominated by those who pay huge sums of money to rank at the top of the search results. Some of those are shown below. Sponsored results from companies like these are alway displayed before “organic” results that come from matching enquiries.

So what do I do?
Tell your previous guests
Your short-term rental marketing strategy isn’t solely about attracting new clients. Your greatest asset is the list of happy guests who have stayed before. They are the most likely to book with you for the least amount of marketing effort. Leverage that by encouraging them to rebook and refer your listing to friends, colleagues, and family. But while emailing previous guests may sound easy, there are some legal pitfalls and it can be daunting if you don’t know some basics. We can do all this for you, but if you want to do it yourself, here’s how.

Your website comes configured to send essential communications automatically, but for all future emails that you might want to send, you must give the opportunity for people to opt out. A clear, easy process to Unsubscribe is an essential (and legal) requirement.
Create a mailing list and set up an email marketing sequence. This is the automated sequence of emails that are sent out to your guest when they perform a certain action, like checking out. You work once: create a bundle of emails, and your email platform does the rest. Most Customer Resource Management (CRM) packages will let you send in bulk, tell you who has opened the emails, and give you a report at the end. You can also have your own branding, style, and logo.
Keep your property in your guests’ minds with periodic emails. Include upcoming events where you live and align them with holidays that guests could take. They’ll think of you when they next need to get away or they might refer a friend, family member, or colleague traveling in the vicinity of your property.
Reasons to send email updates could be:
- Concerts or family fun days close to your property
- Local market days in your vacinity
- A change of season that encourages outdoor activities close by, or in your own pool
- Holidays or long weekends coming up
Use your Airbnb listing
Your Airbnb listing has many beautiful photos of your property to attract guests. If they click on the images they’ll see a caption that can be ANYTHING you want. You tell guests where they can find your website. You can even tell them that they can book directly. It’s up to you. The only thing you can’t do is link from the description. Booking.com doesn’t allow any website names.
Leverage Social Media
Social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, can be powerful tools for marketing your property. You can create engaging content, share stunning visuals of your property and its surroundings, and use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience. You might already have an account for your property and have a link on your website. That’s great!
Are your guests planning a special occasion at your property? Ask their permission to take some photos that you can share. It will give future guests ideas of what they can do too.
Do you have guests coming for a concert, game, or other event in your area? Share images of the event to show future guests that your property is in a great location (just be careful with copyright).
Below, you can see a great example of the use of social media to promote a short-term rental property:

Implement a Referral Program
Encouraging your existing guests to refer your property to their friends and family by offering incentives such as discounts on future stays or referral bonuses can be a great step to take.
Remember, word-of-mouth marketing is highly effective and can lead to a steady stream of bookings. You can read our article for a full explanation of discount coupons and how to set them up.
Engage with Online Travel Communities
By joining online travel communities and forums where travelers discuss their experiences and seek recommendations, you can promote your properties for free! All you need to do is be an active participant, share the latest photos and information, and tirelessly reply to every comment and review. Just be sure to follow all the group’s rules and be helpful to those who will see your posts. That way, you can build credibility and attract potential guests.
Offer Special Packages or Experiences
Standing out from the competition and creating special packages and unique experiences for your guests can be your key to marketing success. Therefore, you can attract their attention more and make your place memorable even after the shortest visit. Such packages and experiences can include partnering with local businesses to offer discounts on activities, providing personalized itineraries to your visitors, or organizing exclusive events. For example, if you are listing your property on Airbnb, you can consider listing an experience in the same location too. And you can offer a discount or maybe a free ticket to that if your visitors stay more than a week, a month, etc.
Optimise for Local Search
Most travellers will search for accommodations in specific locations through Airbnb, Booking.com, etc, then check to see if you have a website. So location is not a high priority for your websites SEO. However, we do include location-based keywords in your website content so you can increase the chances of your property appearing in search results when potential guests are looking for properties in your area.