Case Study: SEO for a Vacation Rental Company

An SEO Success Story

SEO Agency Increases Direct Bookings for a Nashville Vacation Rental Company

About

Our vacation rental company client has 18 properties, ranging from studios to three-bedroom lofts. All of their lofts are located in the heart of downtown Nashville. 

Challenge

With third-party vacation rental booking sites, like Airbnb and VRBO, taking such a high slice of each sale, our client wanted to increase direct bookings through their website. The reliance on these platforms was eating into their profits, and they recognized the need for a strong online presence to attract guests directly.

Solution

We kicked things off with an SEO strategy, which included on-page optimization of our client’s existing web pages (with a particular focus on optimizing pages with high keyword ranking and conversion potential, such as its main vacation rental property search page). We also developed a roadmap for monthly content development designed to support their priority keywords and expand the variety of keywords for which they are ranked. The client’s priority keywords included “bottom of the funnel” search terms from users traveling to Nashville and seeking a specific place to stay, such as:

• Nashville vacation rentals/vacation rentals in Nashville, TN
• Vacation rentals in downtown Nashville
• Where to stay in Nashville
• Bachelorette Airbnbs in Nashville

After squeezing every ounce of optimization we could from existing pages, we developed and executed a monthly SEO plan that included content production both on and off the site, including one blog post or subpage per month and three guest posts per month. We also tackled other on-page optimizations and delivered a monthly report that included strategic insights and recommendations to hold or improve their page one keyword rankings and expand their search presence for other relevant keywords that supported their primary objective to increase direct bookings.

Results

Website Visits from Organic Search

Enhancing SEO for our client involved several strategic steps that led to impressive results. After developing a comprehensive SEO strategy, we initiated monthly content production to boost their online presence. We published a successful, well-optimized blog post focused on phrases like “best area to stay in Nashville” and “where to stay in Nashville,” which significantly increased organic search traffic for these topics. This success was followed by another blog post titled “best places to stay in Nashville,” contributing further to our visibility in relevant searches. The impact of our work was noticeable when the client achieved around 316,760 impressions and over 1,089 clicks for highly competitive search terms, including “nashville,” “nashville tennessee,” and “nashville tn.” Although these terms were not our direct targets, seeing their website rank for such popular phrases was encouraging, even if they didn’t directly benefit the business.

The Importance of Backlinks for SEO

Keyword Traction

Later, we expanded our services to include three guest post backlinks per month, a decision that proved vital for gaining traction with the competitive search term “Nashville vacation rentals.” This keyword finally reached Page 1 of search results within that same month, where it remains to this day, further solidifying the effectiveness of our SEO efforts. 

Return on Investment

When the client first engaged Huckleberry’s monthly SEO services, they generated 300 direct booking conversions per year through their website. Fast forward to today, they are recording 390 direct booking conversions per year through their website and a 13% increase in revenue as a result. Their SEO investment generated a 2.5x return on their investment, demonstrating the significant impact on the business’s top-line revenue growth as a result of our strategic SEO efforts.