Search behavior is shifting rapidly. Guests are no longer relying solely on traditional Google searches; they are increasingly asking questions directly to AI-driven platforms such as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and voice assistants. For vacation rental owners and managers, this means ranking is no longer just about blue links—it is about being understood, trusted, and cited by AI systems.
This article explains how vacation rental websites can improve their visibility and inclusion in AI-generated search results through content strategy, technical SEO, authority building, and structured data.
First let’s review 5 general principles that should be employed in our efforts, then we will dive into actionable strategies to implement those principles.
1. How AI Search Results Work (In Plain Terms)
AI search engines do not "rank pages" the same way traditional search engines do. Instead, they:
- Analyze large volumes of trusted content
- Identify authoritative sources
- Extract clear, well-structured answers
- Summarize or reference those sources when responding to user queries
For vacation rentals, AI systems are most likely to surface content that:
- Clearly answers traveler questions
- Demonstrates real-world expertise
- Comes from technically sound, trustworthy websites
2. Create Content That Answers Guest Questions
AI platforms favor question-based, intent-driven content. Vacation rental websites should go beyond basic property descriptions and flowery blogs.
High-Value Content Examples
- "Best time of year to visit [Destination]"
- "Pet-friendly vacation rentals in [Market]"
- "Beachfront vs. waterfront rentals: what’s the difference?"
- "What to know before booking a vacation rental in [City]"
Best Practices
- Write in complete, natural sentences
- Use clear headings and subheadings
- Provide direct, concise answers near the top of the page
- Expand with supporting details below
This structure makes it easy for AI tools to extract accurate summaries.
3. Demonstrate Experience, Expertise, and Trust (E-E-A-T)
AI systems heavily favor content that shows real operational knowledge.
How Vacation Rental Brands Can Signal Trust
- Publish content written or reviewed by local experts or property managers
- Include author bios and company credentials
- Showcase years in business, number of properties managed, and local presence
- Add testimonials, reviews, and case studies
Example:
"Managing over 120 vacation homes in the Smoky Mountains since 2015 gives us firsthand insight into seasonal pricing trends."
Statements like this strongly reinforce credibility for AI systems.
4. Optimize for Local and Conversational Search
Most AI-driven travel queries are local and conversational.
Optimization Tips
- Use natural language phrases ("Where should I stay near…")
- Include neighborhood-level content, not just city names
- Create location hub pages and supporting blog content
- Clearly list proximity to landmarks, attractions, and airports
Voice and AI searches often surface the most contextually relevant local answers.
Practical Mindset Shift
- Focus on clarity over cleverness
- Answer questions directly
- Structure content for extraction
- Publish fewer, higher-quality pages rather than thin content at scale
AI rewards usefulness and authority, not keyword density.
5. Go Macro, then Micro
Always present topics in a scannable macro form but with the option to get micro at any level. Let’s take blogs for example: The traditional “news” feed of blogs – where each article buries older articles deeper and deeper is a thing of the past. Search engines realize not all companies operate in a “latest is greatest” news feed scenario. Instead, a knowledge-based approach where users can see broad strokes and go deeper as they want has proven to keep old-yet-gold pieces of content relevant. For example, presenting “Categories” of articles first then with the option to filter articles by tags allows a user to look at all “Holiday” related blogs but then get micro to see only “New Years” related content next.
This fundamentally shifts how content should be added to a website. Queue “Pillar” blogs. A pillar blog is structured to be a “Macro” article that a user can scan through and go micro as they wish.
For example: you may have a pillar blog for: A Guide to Spring Break in Destin. Then that article has links to micro content all throughout. So perhaps a section for “Events”, Finding a rental, Saving money tips and so on. None of these sections would include any date specific details just links to other articles that relate that get micro on each topic. This allows your pillar blogs to be timeless and thus updated yearly with new micro links.
As you can tell, this approach requires more than the “I think I’ll write about XYZ today” instead a strategic road map is built that builds your authority on a topic.
But don’t go changing everything you’ve worked so hard on yet:
SEO isn’t dead.
Think of it this way, when someone is at a top of funnel journey – as in just starting to plan a trip AI is an amazing tool.
“Which beach towns are budget friendly but still have a luxury feel”
Here is your opportunity to be included in AI results, but guess what, very rarely do people click on the supporting article link in these AI results. So perhaps your main goal here is to gain some brand recognition. (in some scenarios) Hey if they click on the link, sign up to the newsletter – even better, but overall inclusion here is top of funnel brand recognition focused. Because…
Notice my AI query was in planning mode – now that AI has helped me determine where I want to go, now what does a user do? They type in a bottom of funnel query; let’s say “Destin Vacation Rentals” – at this point Google is still showing the traditional sponsored and organic results. (not to say that wont change overnight – so lets get ready!)
Also keep in mind:
Many of the same factors that will help you gain traction on AI search engines are also the same principles employed in traditional SEO.
Secure and fast websites, mobile-first design, URL structure, inbound links, fresh content are all still relevant to being included in organic positions. Technical clarity increases AI trust and extractability.
One difference than traditional SEO, as compared to what AI returns; is your brand footprint. While Google looks at your website, AI searches are looking at EVERYTHING. Facebook posts, how you reply to posts, your reviews on Tripadvisor, the chamber of commerce business article from 10 years ago.
Building online trust is no longer one dimensional. Brands that want to succeed need to have a strategy that goes beyond the website.
What should we do?
Now that we understand the basic principles of how AI engines determine who to include - lets dive into some actionable tasks we can work together on to ensure you’re not left on sidelines in an AI driven world.
Structured data helps AI systems understand your content with greater precision. More on that here. But for the purpose of this article; it’s one thing to write Frequently asked question article. It’s an entirely different thing to add schema markup so that AI (and Google crawlers) can clearly identify the goal of your content.
AI systems value brand signals, not just pages and not just markup. So, it needs to be a cohesive strategy on all fronts. The stronger your brand footprint, the more likely AI tools are to treat you as a reliable source.
Below are proven, actionable tactics that directly improve how AI systems interpret, trust, and include vacation rental websites in generated answers.
Practical AI Search Optimization Projects:
- Overarching markup that tells AI the site structure and how to find the most important content.
- Rental details pages: here markup is added to all available elements of a property page: Name, type, price, amenities, features and so on.
- Property reviews markup
- Frequently asked questions:
- FAQ for users planning a trip, FAQ for users who have already booked, FAQ for potential and existing homeowners.
- FAQ schema explicitly signals question-and-answer pairs that AI systems are designed to summarize. These pages can be a long scroll of anything and everything your future and current guests are asking but be sure to break up the content in a way that makes it scannable and applies our “Macro”/”Micro” rules we mentioned above.
- Author tag and markup. This one is really underused. Including a headshot, link to bio, contact details and so on help AI build trust. This is a real person, and it can even tie into off-website articles and authority in the industry.
- How-To Guides and Use Cases. Consider creating new “buckets” of content – different than a blog allow users to view all your how to guides and Use Cases (or sample trips) so they know that the content is less flowery and more to the point. AI systems surface your site when users ask procedural or planning-based questions. For example, "How far in advance should you book a vacation rental?" AI models strongly favor structured, step-by-step instructional content because it maps cleanly to user intent. Or when focusing on Use Cases, the content should be “A life in the day of” type material. For example, “The perfect weekend getaway to port Aransas from Austin, Tx”
- Review Schema: Validates trust and social proof. Reviews are a major trust signal for AI-generated recommendations, so Schema markup on property details pages and even a whole reviews section of the website goes a long way.
- Our newest feature! Guest Review Summaries:
- Use AI to convert raw reviews into concise, insight-rich summaries. AI systems favor synthesized insights over unstructured sentiment. Example: "Guests consistently praise this home for its walkable beach access, quiet neighborhood, and responsive management."
What is Scurto Working on?
Here are a few projects we have in the works to further push your authority in an AI driven world.
AI Search Bar
What it does: Alongside a traditional search bar with dates and filters we can add a “Google” style search bar where a user can type in their requirements to see results that not only filter based on amenities but local and website specific information.
Example:
"Looking for a condo for 8 of us and our dog in July, but safe for infants and close to the concert"
Why it works: Takes the guessing and research out of planning a trip. Consolidated local information, reviews, data across the internet to serve up properties that meet the users’ unique needs.
AI Trip Planning Tool
What it does: Users enter a series of requirements, wish lists, and set what’s most important to them to receive more than just properties but an itinerary unique to their request.
Example:
Using the example above the AI Trip planner would provide insights on local concerts in July, tips for bringing a dog, the best places to take an infant and a day-by-day plan to maximize their trips goals.
Why it works: The biggest inhibitor to booking a rental is sometimes the smallest of un-worked-out details.
Automatic Image Captions
What it does: Adds contextual understanding to visual content.
Example:
"Sunset view from the private Gulf-front balcony at our Destin condo"
Why it works: AI systems increasingly rely on multimodal understanding, not just text.
Content Summaries at the Top of Pages
What it does: Gives AI an immediate, accurate extraction point but also allows users to quickly scan the pages purpose. This could be employed on blogs, property details pages, community or popular search pages.
Example:
"This guide explains the best times to visit Destin, average nightly rates, and how to choose the right vacation rental for larger groups"
Or
“This property is rarely available for your search dates, and is usually rented by larger groups with kids”
Why it works: AI models prioritize concise summaries before deeper context.
Conclusion
AI search visibility is not achieved through keywords alone. It requires clarity, structure, trust signals, and real-world expertise.
Vacation rental brands that invest in instructional content, structured data, authoritative signals, and summarized insights position themselves to be included in AI-generated answers—where modern travelers are increasingly making decisions.
This approach does more than improve rankings; it increases trust, relevance, and direct booking potential in an AI-first search landscape.
Let’s talk!