Photos win attention. Descriptions close bookings. Yet the listing description is the surface most short-term rental hosts give the least thought to — usually written once during onboarding, never revisited, and stuffed with the same set of adjectives ("cosy," "stylish," "perfect for") that appear in 90% of listings on the platform.
This article walks through the structure that works for both OTA search ranking and human conversion. The two goals are aligned more than most hosts realise.
What OTAs Actually Index
The major OTAs do not publish their search algorithms, but the patterns are observable. Booking.com indexes the title and description heavily for keyword matching when bookers use the search bar. Airbnb uses both for keyword matching in the search box and for ranking against discovery filters.
Both platforms penalise:
- Keyword stuffing (repeating the same word unnaturally)
- External links (Airbnb strips them; Booking.com flags them)
- Contact details (phone numbers, emails — both platforms strip them)
- Empty or near-duplicate descriptions across listings (Airbnb particularly)
And both platforms reward:
- Specific location keywords (the suburb, the neighbourhood, named landmarks)
- Distinct property features (named amenities, room types, capacity)
- Use-case language (business, family, weekend, festival)
The Structure That Works
A high-performing description has five sections in this order. The order matters because OTAs display only the first 200-300 characters on the search card and the first 1-2 paragraphs in the listing preview.
1. The Hook (first 200 characters)
This is the single most important sentence on your listing. It must contain: the property type, the location, the standout feature, and the ideal use case. All in 200 characters.
Bad: "Welcome to our beautiful apartment in the heart of the city!"
Good: "Two-bedroom Victorian apartment in Manchester's Northern Quarter, 5 minutes' walk from Piccadilly Station. Private courtyard and full kitchen — designed for week-long business stays."
The second version contains location, capacity, neighbourhood, transport, key amenity, and use case. The OTA search algorithm picks up almost every keyword a relevant booker would type.
2. The Space (3-5 lines)
Concrete description of the property. Number of bedrooms, beds, bathrooms. Layout details (open plan, separate kitchen, etc.). Whether the property is on a single floor or split. Any sleeping arrangements that affect the booking (sofa beds, bunk beds, single vs double).
Booker question this section answers: "Will my group actually fit comfortably?"
3. The Amenities (bulleted list)
OTA listings typically have a separate "Amenities" tickbox section, but the description is where you contextualise. Highlight the ones that influence the booking decision:
- Workspace (mention the desk specifically; "fast WiFi" is a baseline, "200Mbps fibre WiFi" is differentiating)
- Parking (specify: on-site, paid street, included, distance)
- Kitchen (full / kitchenette / breakfast bar)
- Laundry (in-unit, on-site, none)
- Outdoor space (garden, balcony, terrace, none)
4. The Location (4-6 lines)
This is where you build local SEO equity and answer the implicit question "what is it like to actually stay here?" Mention named landmarks, distances, and walkability. Talk about the neighbourhood character. Note transport links to the airport, train station, business district.
If your property is in a less-known area, describe what is within a 10-minute walk and a 20-minute transport ride. Travellers often book on the basis of what is nearby, not just the address.
5. The Practicalities (final paragraph)
Check-in time, check-out time, contactless or in-person arrival, key collection details, parking arrangements, and any rules that meaningfully affect the stay (no parties, well-behaved pets only, etc.). Keep this matter-of-fact. The OTA terms-and-conditions section repeats most of it; this paragraph just sets expectations.
The Keyword Discipline
Avoid keyword stuffing, but do use the keywords naturally. The keywords that matter for short-term rental search:
- Property type (apartment, house, studio, suite, room)
- Neighbourhood (the specific one, not just the city)
- Transport landmarks (named stations, named airports)
- Use case (business trip, family holiday, festival, conference)
- Distinctive amenities (parking, garden, hot tub, EV charging)
A useful audit: read your description out loud. If you cannot list five different keywords without sounding repetitive, you have over-used a smaller set. Diversify.
What to Cut
Three categories of content that look helpful but actively harm conversion:
- Generic adjectives. "Cosy," "stylish," "modern," "beautiful," "unique." Every listing claims them; they signal nothing.
- Pricing or promotional language. "Best value in the area." OTAs penalise it as keyword stuffing; bookers ignore it.
- Detailed restrictions in the body. "No smoking, no parties, no pets, no visitors after 10pm, no..." The list of nos pushes bookers to alternatives. Put rules in the rules section; keep the body inviting.
The Refresh Cycle
Listing descriptions are not write-once artefacts. Refresh them quarterly to:
- Reflect seasonal use cases (workspace emphasis in autumn/winter, garden emphasis in summer)
- Update neighbourhood landmarks if a new venue or transport link has opened
- Test keyword variations and see which drive booking-volume changes in the next 30 days
Most hosts who refresh quarterly see a 5-12% bookings lift compared to the static-description baseline. The activity itself takes 30 minutes per property.
Bottom Line
Description writing is one of the highest-leverage 30-minute exercises in short-term rental operations. The structure is simple, the keywords are obvious, and the upside is sustained — every booker who looks at your listing for the next quarter benefits from a cleaner pitch.
For listing-level optimisation beyond text, see our property photography guide. For the broader strategy on attracting direct bookings to your own site, our direct booking websites article covers the complementary discipline. The website tools at our platform overview include SEO-aware listing templates that translate the OTA discipline to your own brand.