When a traveler searches Google for villas in Canggu or Ubud, Google can show a panel of rentals with photos, prices and a list of places to book. Often, only OTAs appear in that list. But your own website can appear there too, through Google's free booking links, and Google does not charge a commission when a guest clicks through and books.
This is part of our guide to getting more direct bookings for your Bali villa.
What Google Vacation Rentals is
Google Vacation Rentals shows rental properties in Google Search, Google Maps and Google Travel, with their photos, amenities, rates and availability. Each listing can show several booking options, such as Booking.com, Airbnb or your own website. When the guest chooses your website, they land on your booking page and book with you directly.
Google calls these free booking links. According to Google, there are no fees for referrals or bookings that come from them. Google also offers paid ads that can give you more prominent placement, but you do not need them to be listed.
Hotels and resorts appear in Google Hotels instead, which works in a similar way and also offers free booking links. The steps below apply to both, with the setup handled through your booking engine or channel manager.
Who is eligible
Google's vacation rental listings are for entire properties rented short term, such as villas, houses and apartments. The property should be furnished, private to the guests who book it, take overnight reservations, and be managed and cleaned between stays. Most Bali holiday villas fit this description. Shared or private-room rentals generally do not.
You need a connectivity partner
This step decides whether you can be listed at all. Google does not usually take listings directly from individual owners. Your rates, availability and property details reach Google through a connectivity partner, which is usually your booking engine, PMS or channel manager.
So the first step is to ask your current provider:
- Are you a Google Vacation Rentals (or Google Hotels) connectivity partner?
- Are free booking links included in my plan, or are they an add-on?
- What do I need to provide to get my property listed?
If your provider is not a partner, it may be worth choosing a booking engine that is. We also cover what to look for in a villa website that takes direct bookings.
Set your listing up to win the click
Being listed is only half the job. Guests compare your link with the OTA links right next to it, so give them a reason to choose yours:
- Keep your booking engine and channel manager in sync, so the rates and availability Google shows match what the guest sees on your website.
- Price competitively. If your direct price is no better than the OTAs', many guests will book where they already have an account.
- Fill in bedrooms, bathrooms, amenities, check-in times and policies in full.
- Send your best photos. Your listing uses whatever your partner sends.
- Make the booking page fast and clear on a phone, because that is where the click lands.
Check your address and location
Bali addresses can be hard to match to a map. Make sure the address and map pin your partner sends to Google are accurate, and that they match your Google Business Profile if your property has one. A listing in the wrong place is confusing for guests and can stop your property from appearing for the right searches.
Track the results
Tag the booking link your partner sends to Google with UTM parameters, if your provider allows it, so Google Analytics shows how many bookings come from Google Vacation Rentals. Compare that against your other channels each month. Because the traffic has no commission, even a few bookings a month can make a noticeable difference to your margin.
Get it set up
Getting free booking links live involves your booking engine, your website and your Google presence working together. It is part of the setup we do when we build villa websites for direct bookings. If you are not sure whether your current setup qualifies, book a free strategy call and we will check it with you.
