Standing out on OTAs throughout the guest journey

The booking journey explained 

Booking a trip isn’t a quick decision. Travelers spend an average of 71 days considering and planning before booking, then another 73 days before their trip.

With travelers spending over two months in the decision-making process, you as a property manager have a big window to influence bookings.

The booking journey happens in six key stages:

1. Inspiration: Travelers start dreaming, influenced by social media and word-of-mouth.
2. Research & Planning: They compare destinations, prices, and reviews, making this a prime time for marketing.
3. Booking: Price, convenience, and flexibility drive the final decision.
4. Pre-Trip: Travelers refine plans, offering opportunities for upsells and engagement.
5. Travel & Experience:The trip itself shapes satisfaction and future loyalty.

Every stage is a chance for your properties to connect and influence decisions, we will explain how you can do this for every step of the journey. 

1. The inspiration phase: securing early visibility

At this stage, travelers aren’t ready to book yet, they’re exploring destinations, gathering ideas, and engaging with content. To increase your booking window, your property must be seen early in the journey so it becomes a top contender later.

How to stand out in the inspiration phase:

The decisions that are made in this phase are determined for 52% by beautiful images and for 41% content showcasing interesting experiences. Meaning that you should make sure your listing's content not only is professional and attractive, but also in line with the season for which people are looking to travel. 

By looking at your page views on Airbnb, you can see what dates people are already searching for in this phase. You can look up to 3 months in the future to see any spikes in page views. Those represent what periods your future travellers are willing to stay. 

If you look for this graph in September and you see a spike in page views in December, it is time to adjust your images to match the winter holiday season. Make sure to add images of the local Christmas market, ski area, or other winter attractions to convince people to remember your stay as a good candidate for their trip. 

A good way to understand your current performance is by looking at how many page views you are receiving in comparison to your local competitors. This graph compares your data with similar listings and in this case the listing is getting more views than the competition, proving that the listing is attractive and getting attention. If your listings show lower numbers, it is time to invest in improving your content. 

2. The planning & research phase

At this stage, travelers have chosen their destination and are narrowing down accommodations. During the research phase, travelers compare options based on some key factors. Flexible cancellation is a top priority, 33% of vacation rental guests look for it. Ratings and reviews also carry weight, influencing 36% for vacation rental travellers relying on them to make decisions.

How to stand out in the planning and research phase:

Optimize OTA listings for higher rankings

Your visibility is your strongest weapon in this stage. Most people go to popular destinations to travel, meaning that you have to find a way to grab the attention within a sea of competition, and the most important factor in winning that game is how high you rank on the OTAs, with 80% of travellers go to the OTAs before they book their stays. 

How do you do that? 

Start with making sure your hosts’ listings are complete, we created a free checklist, covering every part of an Airbnb listing. 

Understanding the Airbnb algorithm is essential to climb the rankings. There are a couple of easy actions you can take to get favored by the ever-changing algorithm

1. Make sure your listing is accurate: Integrate guest feedback into your descriptions to set the right expectations for future guests, but especially to signal to Airbnb that your listing is transparent. Regardless of your reviews, this honesty will increase your visibility.
2. Update your listing regularly: This is an often overlooked part of listing optimization, while it is one of the most impactful ones. The Airbnb algorithm prefers active listings, the more often you make changes in your descriptions, titles and pictures, the more likely you are to rank on the first page of Airbnb and other OTAs.
3. Inject powerful keywords: Search engine optimization and especially Airbnb SEO has become a hot topic in the last few years. Like any search engine, OTAs analyze searches and engagement to rank listings. The platforms identify which keywords attract travelers based on the listings they interact with. By strategically adding these keywords to your titles and descriptions, you can rank higher in search results and improve your click-through rates.

A good KPI to track your visibility on Airbnb is your ‘Average first-page search impressions’. This metric shows how many people saw your listing on the first page of the Airbnb search results over your selected time frame. By tracking this number over time, you can see if your ranking is improving or not. 

Adjust cancellation policies to increase attractiveness:

A flexible cancellation policy is a game-changer for 33% of travelers, making it a key factor in encouraging earlier bookings. Flexible Airbnb cancellation policies see a 1.3% conversion rate, while those with a super strict 30-day policy drop to just 0.4%, that’s a threefold difference! This means the more flexible your cancellation policy, the more likely guests are to complete their booking.

But keep in mind that filling your booking calendar as early as possible might seem like a great strategy to ensure a steady stream of income, but it can actually have drawbacks that lead to cancellations and lost revenue. Here's why:

1. Rigid Pricing: If you lock in bookings far in advance, you might miss out on higher rates later. As demand fluctuates, particularly during peak seasons or last-minute events, your ability to adjust prices for optimal revenue is limited.
   
   
2. Cancellations: Guests who book too far in advance might change their plans or cancel, especially as their travel date approaches. People might book impulsively, but they’re often more likely to cancel closer to the time of their stay.

Making the right decision in this phase will be strongly influenced by the conclusions you can pull from your booking window, booking pace and pick up. We will discuss this further in the following part of this blog.

3. The reservation phase

The reservation phase marks the final step in a consumer's travel journey. Before deciding where to plan and book their trip, travelers consider various factors. Nearly half (49%) of travelers believe getting the best price is important when deciding where to purchase and reserve their trip. However this is also the phase where you can make the most profit. It is important to analyze the right KPIs in this stage, to maximize your listings' potential.

How to make data-driving revenue management decisions

The impact of the OTAs on booking window

Once travelers book, your focus should shift to analyzing lead times and adjusting strategies to optimize revenue.

The rise of OTAs like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo has significantly shortened booking windows, especially with mobile apps. Travelers can now book accommodations instantly, even once they've arrived at their destination, creating more last-minute bookings.

A recent Phocuswright article projected that by 2026, mobile gross bookings will account for 65% of total OTA gross bookings. This highlights the ongoing shift toward mobile and suggests that booking windows will continue to shorten.

Analyzing lead time in vacation rentals across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com

Different platforms influence the booking window in unique ways. As a property manager you should track which OTAs (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com) drive last-minute or advance bookings and adjust inventory accordingly. 

Below we listed some averages across different OTAs, however it is important to keep in mind that those metrics are very market dependent, so make sure to research your local metrics to understand your own environment.

Airbnb booking lead time

Airbnb tends to see the shortest lead times, with guests booking an average of just 41 days before their stay. This platform also experiences noticeable seasonal fluctuations, with peak check-in months falling in March, July, August, September, and October. When it comes to the average length of stay, Airbnb guests typically book for around 4.2 days, which is similar to Vrbo’s average.

Vrbo booking lead time

Vrbo, on the other hand, has the longest booking lead times, with guests reserving stays an average of 71 days in advance. Like Airbnb, Vrbo sees a seasonal surge in bookings, with its peak check-in months generally falling between June and September. The longer booking window on Vrbo means hosts can plan ahead, but they may also experience longer gaps between booking and stay dates.

Booking.com lead time

Booking.com is somewhere in between, with bookings typically made about 66 days ahead of check-in. This platform also follows a more seasonal check-in pattern, with the highest number of bookings in July and August. Interestingly, Booking.com has the shortest average length of stay at just 3.8 days per booking, which means guests are often looking for quicker, shorter stays.

Platform

Best practices in monitoring booking window, pick-up and pace

Effective management of your booking window, pick-up, and pace is critical to fine-tuning your revenue strategy. You should track these metrics on a daily basis and across your different channels to stay ahead of your competition. These metrics can help you optimize your pricing and availability to align with both market demand and your performance goals. Let’s dive into some advanced best practices.

Analyze shifts in booking windows over time

Booking windows usually follow a normal distribution (think Gauss curve) with most bookings clustering around the average lead time. But it's the last-minute bookers (short lead time) and the early planners (long lead time) that can provide valuable opportunities. These two ends of the curve can significantly impact occupancy and revenue.

What does this mean in practice?

For example, if your average booking window is 30 days, keep your rates higher until the 30-day mark, but ensure your pricing stays competitive during peak booking times. Once you pass the peak booking window, consider offering gradual discounts for any remaining vacant nights to boost your chances of filling those spots and maintaining strong RevPAR. This strategy will work in your favor, and by regularly monitoring pacing curves, you’ll be able to make proactive adjustments based on real-time performance.

Leverage historical booking trends to forecast future pick-up

While pick-up is often monitored over a short-term window, experienced property managers extend their analysis to include historical data and demand trends over the same time period in prior years. Looking at historical data gives you a clearer picture of trends and helps you better forecast what’s coming.

Practical tips:

• If you’re seeing a strong influx of bookings in the next couple of weeks but slower pick-up later on, look at past years’ data to see if this is a regular pattern for your property. This can help you adjust your long-term pricing strategy.
• Also, consider local booking patterns. If your property is in a city with major events or tourist attractions, comparing your current pace with local demand trends can give you some key insights. For example, if there's a big festival or conference coming up, adjust your pricing by increasing it significantly, you can still drop the last days before the event if you are not getting booked, but you will not miss out on this opportunity.

Strategic adjustment of pace with real-time data

Booking pace is one of the most critical KPIs in revenue management; it refers to how bookings accumulate over time. Maintaining a steady flow of bookings is essential to prevent the pitfalls of both underpacing and overpacing.

Leveraging real-time data from your Property Management System (PMS) allows you to track booking velocity across different lead times (e.g., 0–7 days, 8–30 days, 31+ days). This analysis provides insights into how effectively you're converting visitors into reservations at various stages, enabling you to respond swiftly to demand fluctuations. ​

By comparing the booking pace of current reservations with historical averages on the same week last year, same day last year, or same time last year, managers can determine if bookings are on track or falling behind.

Avoid Underpacing and Overpacing

As we discussed earlier, a common mistake is filling up too quickly at lower rates. Instead, aim to sell out remaining rooms closer to the check-in date at higher rates. This strategy not only maximizes your Average Daily Rate (ADR) but also allows you to take advantage of last-minute demand. While these guests may be price-sensitive, they are often willing to pay a premium for availability.

On the flip side, selling too much inventory too quickly can have unintended consequences. A surge in bookings can temporarily boost your property’s visibility on OTAs, but once you’re fully booked, that momentum stops. Since OTA algorithms favor listings with active availability and engagement, running out of inventory too soon can cause your ranking to drop, making it harder to regain traction when you do release new dates.

The key is controlled distribution, adjust your pricing dynamically, monitor demand trends, and maintain a balanced booking pace to keep your listing competitive and visible throughout the booking window.

What does this mean in practice?

By analysing pick up and booking pace on a daily basis, you can identify shifts that inform your pricing strategies. This approach is particularly valuable in the post-pandemic era, where booking lead times have evolved.

• When pick-up is slow, drop your prices incrementally and offer flexible cancellation policies like "free cancellation" or moderate terms can reassure guests and encourage early bookings. Alternatively, you could offer discounted non-refundable rates to lock in bookings without worrying about cancellations.
• On the other hand, when bookings are coming in fast, increase your prices and implement stricter cancellation policies, such as non-refundable rates, to reduce last-minute cancellations and secure higher-paying reservations. Just be sure not to make your policies too rigid, as this could turn potential guests away.

Analyze your occupancy rates

If competitors are outperforming in occupancy, it’s crucial to understand whether they’re achieving this through better ranking or by offering early discounts. A quick look at their Average Daily Rate (ADR) can reveal if they’re sacrificing revenue in exchange for more bookings. To stay ahead, keep an eye on your own booking pace and avoid jumping into premature discounts that could hurt your profitability.

When occupancy exceeds expectations with longer booking windows, it often signals rising demand, this is your chance to increase rates and maximize revenue. On the other hand, if occupancy drops as booking windows grow, it points to softened demand. In this case, it’s time to adjust both your pricing and marketing strategies to keep your revenue on track.

Availability

One of the most powerful ways to optimize revenue and occupancy is through dynamic availability management. Adjusting your availability based on how bookings are progressing, whether fast or slow, is a smart way to fine-tune your strategy and stay ahead of demand.

• Example 1: Increasing minimum stay requirements
  When bookings are pacing well, you can seize the opportunity to increase your minimum stay requirement. This strategy helps you maximize revenue, as it ensures longer stays, which often result in higher overall booking values. For example, during high-demand periods, you might set a minimum of 3 or 4 nights, ensuring you're making the most out of each reservation.
• Example 2: Offering single-night stays for slow pick-up
  On the flip side, if you're seeing slow pick-up for an upcoming weekend or high-demand period, adjust your availability to fill those gaps. Offering single-night stays can attract last-minute bookers who are looking for a quick getaway. You can further entice these travelers by running flash sales or offering limited-time discounts to create urgency. Most RMSs also offer a setting to automatically make ‘orphan gaps’ available. This strategy helps ensure that your property doesn’t remain vacant during otherwise profitable periods.

We’ve added a checklist to this blog to help you decide when to pick what strategy in order to maximize your revenue and we added some tips for your listing optimization to get the most out of your strategy.

Segment pricing & availability across OTAs:

Since each OTA (Online Travel Agency) attracts a different type of guests with varying booking behaviors, it’s smart to customize your pricing strategies for each platform.

For example, on Vrbo, guests tend to book further in advance, so offering longer lead-time discounts can help fill your calendar early without sacrificing revenue. On the other hand, Airbnb users are often last-minute bookers, so you can keep your rates more dynamic and increase them as the booking date approaches, especially when demand picks up.

By tailoring your pricing and availability to the unique patterns of each platform, you can maximize your reach, optimize revenue, and appeal to the right guest at the right time.

Lead time-adjusted pace targets

Your Proactive Compass Rather than sticking to static occupancy goals, create lead-time-adjusted pace targets for each platform.

Example Targets:

• Vrbo: Aim for 50% occupancy booked 90 days in advance.
• Airbnb: Target 30% occupancy booked 30 days out.
• Booking.com: Set a goal of 40% occupancy 60 days ahead.

Monitor these targets weekly and make adjustments. If you're falling behind, trigger a price adjustment. If you’re ahead of target, seize the opportunity to increase rates.

4. The post-booking phase

Vacation rental guests are spending more time than ever engaging with travel content after their booking is made, an impressive 8 and a half hours, to be exact. This extended time spent online presents both an opportunity and a risk. 

If you use this time wisely, you can excite your guests for their stay. But if you don’t engage effectively, there’s also a risk that your guests might get distracted, reconsider their choice, or even cancel their reservation in favor of another property. How you handle this window of opportunity can make all the difference in securing a solid booking and a loyal guest.

Reduce cancellations with active guest engagement

Once a guest has booked, the key is to keep them excited and committed to their stay. Sending pre-arrival emails is a great way to do this. Share local tips, suggest itinerary ideas, and offer upgrade options to get them looking forward to their trip. You can even throw in some limited-time incentives like "Exclusive perks for confirmed guests" to make them feel special and reduce the chance of cancellations.

Host cancellation rates are one of the six factors that Airbnb analyses to decide to give you a guest favorite badge or not. So by lowering your cancellation rates, you stand a bigger chance of receiving a guest favorite badge, which will improve your visibility and performance in the future. 

Analyze your cancellation rate to find any listings that need more attention and to see how you are performing in comparison to your competitors. Your PMS will likely show you your cancellation rates, but make sure to take a look at every OTA separately. The Airbnb dashboard gives a clear overview of your cancellations. 

Upsell & maximize revenue per guest:

The post-booking phase is your chance to increase revenue without increasing bookings. Promote add-ons like early check-in, late check-out, or special experiences to give guests more value and make a little extra cash. Consider offering airport transfers, excursions, or in-stay amenities that enhance their experience and bump up your revenue per guest.

Conclusion: harnessing the power of proactive revenue management

By mastering the platform-specific dynamics of pace, pick-up, and lead time, you can transition your STR business from reactive to proactive management. It’s not just about filling beds, it’s about optimizing revenue, increasing occupancy, and achieving long-term success in today’s competitive landscape.

Download our full guide on the guest journey here, to learn more. 

Extra information

What is booking lead time?

Booking lead time refers to the amount of time between when a guest books a reservation and their actual check-in date. For example, if a guest books a stay on March 1st for a check-in date of March 10th, the booking lead time is 9 days. Understanding booking lead time is crucial because it provides valuable insights into guest booking behaviors, allowing you to make informed pricing and availability decisions.

Why does booking lead time matter?

Booking lead time varies depending on several factors, including seasonality, location, property type, and market trends. In general, longer booking lead times can indicate that travelers are planning well in advance, which allows you to lock in reservations earlier and stabilize your cash flow. Shorter booking lead times, on the other hand, may suggest a spontaneous traveler demographic or a high level of demand closer to the check-in date, which can present opportunities for pricing adjustments and last-minute deals.

What Is pacing?

Pacing refers to the rate at which reservations are made for a particular date in the future. In other words, it tracks how quickly or slowly bookings are filling up for a specific time period, whether it’s a weekend, a season, or a holiday. By comparing the current year’s pacing with the same period from the previous year, you can gauge demand, understand market fluctuations, and forecast future occupancy rates.

For example, if you're booking for July 2025 and reservations are coming in at the same rate as July 2024, it’s a sign that demand is stable. If bookings for the upcoming period are higher or lower than last year, pacing allows you to adjust your pricing or availability accordingly. In an industry affected by fluctuating trends like travel, pacing becomes a powerful tool to spot shifts in demand and make proactive adjustments before the rush arrives.

The importance of average booking lead time in pacing

By monitoring pacing alongside your average booking lead time, you can fine-tune your strategies. For instance, if your booking lead time is decreasing, and pacing for a specific period is slower than usual, it may indicate a change in traveler behavior or market conditions. This could be a sign that last-minute travelers are more prevalent, and you may need to adjust your pricing or availability to accommodate them. Conversely, if booking lead time increases, you may want to incentivize early bookings with discounts or special promotions to fill up those dates ahead of time.

In a nutshell, combining pacing and average booking lead time helps you predict how demand will evolve, allowing you to adapt dynamically and ensure you’re maximizing your revenue potential.