The headline for your vacation rental listing takes up some prime real estate because it might be the first thing a traveler sees. Your headline is seen not only at the top of your advertisement, but also in the search results for your area. Some sites, like HomeAway.com and VRBO.com, allow you to display a thumbnail photo when travelers peruse the listings for your area. But without that thumbnail photo, you are relying on your headline to reel in prospective guests. Just like the headline of a print advertisement, your property headline should generate interest in your vacation home in a few, well-chosen words.

What to Include:

• As much as possible. When creating your vacation rental headlines, be sure to take advantage of all available space. The maximum number of characters allowed varies among sites, so write a few different versions to maximize the space on all of your listings. (NOTE: HomeAway.com allows 70 characters, VRBO.com allows 62 characters, and VacationRentals.com allows 42 characters.)

• Key search words for your area. List popular attractions and activities like nearby beaches or amusement parks that travelers might specifically search for. This could also increase your chances of showing up in the search results when travelers enter these specific keywords directly into the search engines, like Google or Yahoo! Hint: Indicate specific distances to area attractions for travelers searching for nearby accommodations.

• Upcoming holidays, festivals and events. If travelers are looking for a vacation rental for a particular holiday, concert or conference, highlight that event in your headline, especially if you still have availability. (Ex. Christmas Open, 4th of July Getaway, Near World's Fair)

• Amenities. Convey your competitive advantage by featuring all the amenities that set your home apart from others in your area. Your proximity to and views of the beach, mountain, lake, etc. could be considered important amenities as well.

• Descriptive words. When describing your home, be sure to provide a true sense of your property. Avoid overused words like “amazing” or “beautiful,” and instead focus on distinctive attributes of your home, like “oceanfront” or “historic” and property type, such as “penthouse” or “ranch.”

How to Stand Out:

• Highlight availability. If you're the type of owner that likes to update your headline frequently, one idea is to feature open dates that you are looking to fill. If travelers search for a vacation home for a particular week or weekend, yours might show up. Even if they are not looking for specific dates, showcasing an available week might make a prospective renter jump on a particular opening.

• Emphasize special offers. If you're running a seasonal promotion or bundling tickets to area attractions with your rental rates, highlight this special offer in your headline. Featuring these value-added promotions can entice travelers to click on your ad. (Ex. 4th Night Free, Fall Specials, Free Lift Tickets)

Note: HomeAway.com does not allow you to display dollar amounts in the headline, but other promotions and discount percentages are accepted. VRBO.com allows both dollar amounts and promotions in the headline but encourages owners not to use abbreviations. (Ex. Night vs. Nt.) VacationRentals.com does not have restrictions on rate info in the headline.

• Feature your suitability. If your vacation rental caters to certain groups, make it obvious within your headline so you can attract the best renters for your home. (Ex. Pet-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Perfect for Couples)

What Not to Include:

• Just the property name. Typically a property name doesn't tell travelers too much about your home. It's fine to include it in your correspondence with renters and in other marketing materials, but stick to your main selling points for the headline. (Ex. Flip Flop Bungalow)

• Local jargon. Don't automatically assume that your renters are familiar with the area. Stick to universal phrases to avoid confusion. (Ex. Maui No Ka Oi or Charming Camp in Vermont)

• Repetitive details. Remember, most of the fundamentals about your home (like the location, number of bedrooms & bathrooms, and number of people you can accommodate) will likely be displayed as part of your property summary in the search results for most vacation rental websites. Don't waste valuable headline space by repeating this information. (Ex. 4 B/R Home in Myrtle Beach, Sleeps 12)

• Unnecessary characters. Keep your headline professional and easy-to-read, and avoid all urges to use symbols or excessive exclamation points. Similarly, don't write your headline in all caps. (Ex. L@@K AT OUR CONDO!!!!!)

• Typos & Punctuation Errors. Mistakes in your spelling and punctuation could hinder your professional image. Have 2 or 3 people proofread all text before saving changes to your listings. (Ex. You're Little piece, Of Paridise)

If you're not sure where to start, the good news is you can change your headlines as often as you'd like. Try out some of our recommendations, and keep track of the number of inquiries you receive to see what's working or what's not. We suggest updating your headline at least once a month, or once a week if you can.

What specifics about your home do you include in your vacation rental headline? ""What not to include...specifics about your location..." - In fact, from a search engine point of view, it is a good idea to repeat the name of your home town in your listing title." - Bob, Pacific Beach, WA (HomeAway #163760, VRBO #131067)

Examples of Well-Written Vacation Rental Property Headlines for HomeAway Come up with new ideas for your own property headline by learning what works well in the examples below.   What NOT To Include in Your Vacation Rental Property Headline Learn what you can leave out in the limited space of your property headline.   The Top-Searched Vacation Rental Amenities Which amenities are at the top of travelers' lists?   How to Prevent Common Listing Mistakes Read on to find out the most common items left out by vacation rental owners.

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