For most small inns and vacation rentals, the booking sites do two jobs at once. They find new guests, and they take a cut of guests who would have found you anyway. The first job is worth paying for. The second one isn’t.

Start with guests who already know your name

Search your property’s name on Google. If the first results are booking sites, or an ad from one of them, you’re paying commission on guests who were looking for you specifically.

Two fixes usually come first. Make sure your own site and Google Business Profile own your brand search. Then consider a small brand campaign in Google Ads, so the top result for your name is your own booking page instead of a reseller’s.

Turn on Google’s free booking links

Google shows a property’s rates from different booking sites right in Search and Maps. Your direct rate can appear there too, for free, if your booking engine or channel manager is connected to Google. Ask your provider whether they support Google’s free booking links, and make sure your direct rate is at least as good as what the booking sites show.

Make booking direct as easy as booking anywhere else

Guests compare. If your site loads slowly, hides the book button, or sends people through a clunky booking engine, they’ll go back to the app they trust. Test your own booking flow on your phone, start to finish, at least once a season.

• Put a clear book button on every page, not just the home page.

• Show real availability and the total price before the last step.

• Give guests a reason to book direct, like a friendlier cancellation policy or a small perk.

Track what direct bookings are worth

None of this matters if you can’t see it. Connect completed reservations from your booking engine to Google Analytics and Google Ads, with the booking value attached. Then you can see which campaigns fill nights and which ones only bring visitors.

Curious how many of your bookings are slipping to the OTAs? Send me your site for a free Booking Audit, or read more about how I work with boutique inns, cabins, and vacation rentals.