Can a Blog Actually Help Your Holiday Let Get More Direct Bookings?

When it comes to getting more direct bookings for your holiday let, there are lots of different marketing strategies you can use. Paid ads and special offers can generate bookings quickly, but they usually stop working as soon as you stop paying for them.

A blog is different.

Blogging is more of a long-term strategy, helping your website become easier to find online and giving potential guests more ways to discover your property.

And in 2026, that doesn't just mean being found on Google. Guests are now using AI search alongside traditional search engines to research destinations, find things to do and plan where they're going to stay.

So, is it worth having a blog on your holiday let website?

How can a blog help you get more direct bookings?

1. It gives your website more opportunities to be found

Your main website pages can only target so many searches. A blog allows you to create content around the things your potential guests are already looking for when they're planning a trip.

For example, if you own a holiday let in New Quay, West Wales, you could write a blog about "Where to Go Dolphin Spotting in New Quay, West Wales." Someone searching for dolphin spotting might find your blog through Google, discover your website and then find your property.

They might not have been searching for accommodation at that point, but you've now introduced them to your holiday let without relying on Airbnb or another OTA to do it for you. The more useful content you have around your location, the more opportunities there are for potential guests to find you.

2. It supports your SEO and AI visibility

Blogging has always been useful for SEO, but the way people search is changing.

People aren't only typing short searches into Google anymore. They're asking much more specific questions through Google and AI tools when researching their holidays. Creating useful, detailed content about your location, things to do, places to eat, local events and attractions gives search engines more information about your website and what it's relevant for.

Rather than only having a page telling people about your property, you're creating a website that's genuinely useful to someone planning a stay in your area.

That can help increase your visibility and bring more potential guests onto your website.

3. It helps establish you as a local expert

As a holiday let owner, you probably already have lots of local knowledge that your guests find useful. You know the best places for breakfast, which beaches are dog friendly, where to go when it's raining and which attractions are actually worth visiting.

Your blog is somewhere to share that knowledge.

You could create guides around family-friendly days out, dog-friendly walks, restaurants, beaches, seasonal events or weekend itineraries. Not only can this help people find your website, but it also gives potential guests useful information when they're deciding whether your property and destination are right for them.

4. It gives you content for social media and email marketing

One blog can also give you plenty of content to use elsewhere. A blog about 10 Things to Do Near Your Holiday Let This Autumn could become several social media posts, an Instagram carousel and content for your email marketing.

You can also update and reshare seasonal blogs each year rather than starting from scratch. This means you're not constantly trying to think of completely new things to post. Your blog can become part of your wider marketing strategy, with your website, social media and emails all working together.

5. It can encourage previous guests to return

Blogs aren't only useful for attracting new guests, they can also give previous guests a reason to come back.

Perhaps a new restaurant has opened nearby, there's a Christmas market coming up or you've written a guide to the best autumn walks in your area. Sharing this content with previous guests through email or social media can remind them of their stay and give them another reason to visit.

And if they're already visiting your website to read the blog, there's a much better opportunity to encourage them to book directly with you next time.

What should you blog about?

You don't need to publish something every week or write blogs just for the sake of having them. Think about what your guests actually want to know.

What questions do they ask before arriving? What do they ask you for recommendations about? Why do people visit your area? What are they searching for when planning their trip? These questions can give you plenty of ideas.

A handful of useful, detailed blogs that answer real questions will be much more valuable than lots of generic content written purely to target keywords.

Is blogging worth it for a holiday let?

Blogging isn't going to suddenly fill your calendar overnight. But that's not really the point.

Over time, useful content gives your website more opportunities to appear in search, helps potential guests discover your property and gives you content that can be used across your social media and email marketing too.

Most importantly, it's another way of bringing guests directly to your own website, rather than relying completely on an OTA to put your property in front of them. And the more ways guests have to find you directly, the stronger your direct booking strategy becomes.

Want to rely less on OTAs and get more guests finding and booking you directly?

My OTA Exit Strategy looks at how guests currently discover, book and return to your property, and where you could be building stronger direct booking channels.