The 12-point STR website checklist: does yours measure up?

Your website must live on a domain you own — not yourproperty.hospitable.com or yourname.lodgify.com. A subdomain on someone else's platform means all your SEO authority flows to them, not you. The moment you leave that platform, your domain disappears.

Over 70% of vacation rental searches happen on mobile. Your site needs to be designed for a 6-inch screen first — not a desktop design that's been squished down. Navigation, booking flow, photo galleries, and CTAs all need to work with one thumb.

Google's Core Web Vitals are a confirmed ranking signal — and most WordPress and template-based STR sites fail them. A site loading in 4+ seconds loses roughly 80% of mobile visitors before the page even renders. Hand-coded sites have a structural speed advantage over plugin-heavy WordPress builds.

Schema markup is code added to your site that tells search engines and AI tools exactly what your content represents — a vacation rental, a local business, an FAQ, a review. Without it, Google and AI tools are guessing. With it, they know — and cite accordingly.

Your site must have a live availability calendar and a complete booking flow — not a "contact us to check availability" button. Guests expect to check availability and book in the same session. If they can't, they go back to Airbnb.

Not a tagline. Not a paragraph. A complete, specific description covering your exact location with landmarks and drive times, full bedroom and bed configuration, specific amenities (not categories), guest policies, and what makes your property genuinely unique.

Dedicated pages covering what's nearby — restaurants, hikes, activities, attractions, seasonal highlights, drive times to popular destinations. These pages establish your site as the local authority on your area, not just a listing.

High-quality photography is table stakes — but most hosts overlook the alt text. Every image on your site should have a descriptive alt attribute: "Covered wrap-around deck with mountain views and hot tub at The Ridgeline Cabin in Asheville NC" instead of "IMG_4821.jpg" or nothing at all.

Don't just link to your Airbnb reviews — display them on your website. Reviews from real guests provide keyword-rich, authentic content that search engines trust. They also build the credibility that converts direct bookers, who can't see your OTA review history on your standalone site.

A dedicated FAQ page answering the 10–15 most common questions guests ask before booking — check-in process, parking, pet policies, cleaning fees, nearest grocery store, WiFi speed, whether the hot tub is heated year-round. Every question answered is a potential AI-cited answer.

A "Book Now" or "Check Availability" button should be visible on every page of your site — in the navigation, in the hero section, after the property description, and at the bottom of every page. Never make a guest hunt for where to book.

Your website should be listed in and consistent with your Google Business Profile — same property name, same address, same phone number, same website URL. AI tools cross-reference information across sources; inconsistencies reduce trust and citation likelihood.