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Key Takeaways
You Still Need to Be on Google and Meta: Both platforms continue to be where the eyeballs are. Despite emerging tech like AI and LLMs, Google and Meta remain the top-performing ad platforms for most vacation rental companies. You need to meet potential guests where they already spend their time, and that’s still Google Search and Instagram/Facebook.
Google Ads = High Intent, High ROI (If Done Right): Guests use Google with purpose. When someone searches “vacation rentals in [your market],” they’re already looking to book, making Google the most consistent source of high-converting traffic. But success depends on targeting the right keywords and setting up conversion tracking correctly. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to waste ad spend—especially if you let Google auto-build your campaigns.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram) = Awareness & Inspiration: Unlike Google, users aren’t on Meta to book; they’re there to be entertained. But that’s a good thing. Meta excels at driving awareness, sparking travel inspiration, and building brand visibility, especially with video content. It’s great for staying top of mind or reaching future guests before they even know where they want to go.
Video Ads Are Now Essential on Meta: Short-form video is dominating Instagram and Facebook. Meta has essentially become a video-first platform—87% of users engage with short-form videos. Static images still work, but video ads (Reels-style) now offer the best results for both top-of-funnel awareness and retargeting.
Meta is Cheaper, but Less Direct: Facebook and Instagram ads are lower cost per click, making them great for testing creative and messages. But conversions aren’t immediate. Attribution is tricky and often delayed; visitors might convert via Google Search later. That’s why it’s crucial to run Meta and Google together and track both holistically.
Google Ads Dominate High-Intent Traffic: Your future guests are still searching on Google before they book. Even with AI tools emerging, most travelers still type short phrases like “beachfront Airbnb in Maui” rather than ask conversational queries. Google’s keyword targeting and local optimization are still unmatched for capturing ready-to-book users.
Testing Is Easier (and Cheaper) on Meta: Meta allows for dynamic creative testing—images, headlines, CTAs—in ways that are more intuitive and flexible than Google. You can learn what resonates with your audience (ROI vs. experience, pet-friendliness vs. luxury, etc.) with smaller budgets and apply that data to other platforms.
Retargeting Is Key on Both Platforms: Both Meta and Google let you retarget users who’ve visited your site or engaged with your brand. Use this for warm leads: site visitors, email subscribers, social followers, or past guests. This middle-of-funnel strategy often yields the highest ROI with the lowest cost per booking.
Don’t Ignore Attribution: Tracking across channels is messy. Facebook might drive awareness, but Google gets the credit for the final click. Use multi-touch attribution tools to understand how guests interact with your site and marketing across their 10–20 touchpoints before booking. And remember: if you can’t measure it, it doesn’t count.
OTA Spend Shows You Why This Works: Booking Holdings (Booking.com, Priceline, etc.) spends $6 billion/year on Google ads. They’re not doing that for fun. Your job isn’t to outspend them—but to use the same tools, smartly and profitably, for your niche audience. That’s how you win.
What We Cover In This Episode
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, we revisit our chat on Meta Ads vs Google Ads: what we’re using them now to get more bookings and more homeowners.
