From the Wyo Stays team.
Here's a free direct-booking channel almost no self-managed owner uses: Google. When someone searches "vacation rental in Sheridan" or your property's name, showing up in Google's local results and Maps sends you bookings that skip the OTA fees entirely.
Why it works: - It's free and it captures high-intent searchers — people looking for a place now. - It builds direct-booking traffic (your margin) instead of feeding an OTA. - Reviews on Google build trust and improve your ranking.
How to make it work (the basics): - Claim/create the profile for your rental or your rental brand. - Complete everything — name, area, photos, description, a link straight to your direct booking page. - Add great photos — the same pro shots from your listing. - Gather reviews — ask happy direct guests to review you on Google; respond to every one (see Review Response Templates). - Keep it current — accurate info and fresh photos help ranking.
The catch: Google has specific rules for lodging/rental profiles, and consistency across the web (name, info) matters for local ranking. Done right, it's a compounding, no-cost source of direct bookings.
→ Read the Direct-Booking Playbook, or → get a free evaluation — we run the full direct-booking engine, Google included.