In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, we dive into the "new world" of AI Search trends and all of the new terms popping up. Is there a shift ongoing with your SEO efforts to nail down AI powered LLM searches? If so, listen in for all of the details. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Rand Fishkin Podcast 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instag...
Jul 02, 2025•38 min•Ep. 145
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, we replay a webinar between Conrad and Steve Trover - CEO of Better Talent - of all things hiring, agency vs freelancer, marketing teams, margins of your business and more. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 YouTube Webinar Replay Video Better Talent 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About Buil...
Jun 25, 2025•53 min•Ep. 144
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad recap build the "Success Framework" for vacation rental properties to KNOW if a property will be successful. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more...
Jun 18, 2025•30 min•Ep. 143
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad recap Google Marketing Live from May of 2025. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Googleblog Recap Martech - Everything You Need To Know YouTube Recap 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive yo...
Jun 11, 2025•51 min•Ep. 142
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad dive into tips and tricks on getting more bookings this summer, driving last-minute demand and boosting the number of bookings you get to fill in open dates. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of...
Jun 04, 2025•44 min•Ep. 141
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad give a TON of ideas on photo and video assets that you need to build your vacation rental brand. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Short-Term Rental Photography Secrets with Andrew Keller ISOneedphotos 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is...
May 28, 2025•41 min•Ep. 140
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad cover all things Foundational Planning for a vacation rental management company to thrive and grow. We cover: Strategy & Foundational Planning • Mission, Vision & Values statements • Company origin story • Unique Value Proposition (UVP) — guests & owners • Geographic focus / service‑territory map • Ideal guest personas • Ideal property‑owner personas • SMART business goals & high‑level KPIs • SWOT & competitive analys...
May 21, 2025•47 min•Ep. 139
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad try something new: a grab bag show with news and notes from around the world of vacation rentals and all growth and the Vacasa - Casago merger. Like this style of episode? Let us know! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings Bu...
May 14, 2025•28 min•Ep. 138
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad talk all things conversions: getting more bookings, driving more leads and reviewing your website to find the friction points that stop direct bookings from growing. ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a...
Apr 30, 2025•32 min•Ep. 137
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad cover the concept of a marketing audit for vacation rental businesses, discussing what a good audit entails from both the consultant's and the client's perspectives. They explore quantitative (data-driven) and qualitative (opinion and goal-based) aspects of audits for attracting both guests and homeowners. They also touch upon the challenges of conducting free audits, the potential for bias when sales are involved, and the importance of ...
Apr 23, 2025•38 min•Ep. 136
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show (Part Two), Paul and Conrad dive into the early stages of the vacation rental guest journey — where interest is sparked and decisions begin to form. They explore how true inspiration often comes from unexpected, memorable experiences and how smart property managers can tap into that moment before a guest is even planning a trip. From the role of local tourism boards to leveraging blog content and “pattern interrupts,” they unpack why this top-of-funnel p...
Apr 16, 2025•31 min•Ep. 135
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad break down the difference between a Content Creator vs an Influencer and how BOTH can lead to success when installed into your vacation rental social media marketing plan. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp ...
Apr 09, 2025•27 min•Ep. 134
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad talk all things prompts, AI, how to get the best output for various marketing tasks and a LOT more... ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Anthropic Prompt Generation Tool Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solv...
Apr 02, 2025•38 min•Ep. 133
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad dive into the early stages of the vacation rental guest journey — where interest is sparked and decisions begin to form. They explore how true inspiration often comes from unexpected, memorable experiences and how smart property managers can tap into that moment before a guest is even planning a trip. From the role of local tourism boards to leveraging blog content and “pattern interrupts,” they unpack why this top-of-funnel phase is oft...
Mar 26, 2025•44 min•Ep. 132
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Paul and Conrad discuss the crucial role of online reviews in the vacation rental business. They dive into which platforms deserve your focus, highlighting the importance of Google reviews for brand search, trust, and SEO. Discover why you should prioritize one review platform at a time for better results and the power of personalized review requests over automated ones. The hosts share valuable insights on handling both positive and negative feedback, ...
Mar 19, 2025•39 min•Ep. 131
In this episode, Paul and Conrad cover the unfolding situation surrounding the potential acquisition of Vacasa, discussing the initial bid by Casago and the subsequent unsolicited bid from Davidson Kempner Capital Management. They delve into the potential motivations behind these moves and the broader implications for the vacation rental industry. Paul and Conrad share their speculative insights on how they would approach the Vacasa situation if they were advisors. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Not...
Mar 12, 2025•43 min•Ep. 130
In this episode of The Heads In Beds Show, Conrad and Paul emphasize that building trust and security is essential for successful vacation rental direct booking websites, crucial for both attracting guests and securing homeowner confidence. They discuss key factors including professional website design, the importance of social proof like guest reviews and trust badges, and the need for transparency and honesty in pricing, property details, and cancellation policies. The episode also highlights ...
Mar 05, 2025•42 min•Ep. 129
In this episode, Conrad and Paul discuss the impact of Large Language Model (LLM) tools on vacation rental website traffic, questioning the narrative of Google's decline and the takeover by AI. They explore whether LLM tools are truly changing search habits and trends. They dive into original research from January 2025, analyzing client data to determine the actual session data coming from client sites. Despite claims from online experts, their data suggests Google is far from dead... Enjoy! ⭐️ ...
Feb 26, 2025•38 min•Ep. 128
In this episode, Conrad and Paul focus on vacation rental marketing strategies at the property level, particularly optimizing property detail pages for increased bookings and revenue. They also dive into the art of optimizing property detail pages to drive more bookings and boost revenue. They break down the essentials—high-quality photos, engaging videos, and strategic branding—to make any vacation rental stand out, even in competitive markets. From design choices to must-have amenities, they e...
Feb 19, 2025•36 min•Ep. 127
In this episode, Conrad and Paul think more about Google and how they're ranking and thinking about CONTENT on your vacation rental blog and website. They also break down AI overviews, search trends, updates and more. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Lily Ray on X Google Search Docs AI Overview Xeet Google AI Overviews With Detailed Comparison Mode 🔗 Connect W...
Feb 12, 2025•43 min•Ep. 126
In this episode, Conrad and Paul close the loop on the "lingo" series with reporting, numbers, KPIs and metrics that many vacation rental companies use to measure and gauge direct booking performance. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative...
Feb 05, 2025•44 min•Ep. 125
In this episode Conrad and Paul use Porter's Five Forces to explain what challenges the vacation rental industry is facing in 2025, weak spots, opportunities and a lot more. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to d...
Jan 29, 2025•37 min•Ep. 124
In this episode Conrad and Paul revisit the "lingo" series and focus on social media marketing and paid social ads mostly on Meta (Facebook / Instagram). Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traffi...
Jan 22, 2025•27 min•Ep. 123
In this episode Conrad and Paul run a fun test: can we build a marketing strategy that makes sense with ChatGPT and / or Gemini from Google? Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 ChatGPT Gemini 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative, problem solvers made to drive you more traf...
Jan 15, 2025•42 min•Ep. 122
In this episode Conrad shares the audio from his room-filling DARM Presentation: Mastering Property Detail Pages & Property Descriptions To Get More Direct Bookings. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Video version & blog post 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Bookings is a team of creative,...
Jan 08, 2025•37 min•Ep. 121
In this episode Paul and Conrad revisit how things are going with Google's Vacation Rentals search platform in Google Travel. Is the 800lb advertising gorilla taking tons of Vacation Rental marketshare? Or an almost-dead-fish flopping on the deck? Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Google Vacation Rentals Help Killed By Google Project Example Google.com Travel SE...
Jan 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 120
Thank YOU for listening to the podcast! Here's the claim codes from the episode: CD95-S7RPFU-9AA5 7LWW-JB7WHY-YYAZ UR5X-W5QVMK-BGAG N6FX-HVNJLY-2CAR H55G-VLPEZW-P7AT
Dec 25, 2024•1 min•Ep. 119
In this episode Paul and Conrad break down hotel brands achieve global consistency while vacation rental franchises embrace local ops, but may struggle to build a true brand... they explore branding, marketing, and operational strategies — and share insights on what each sector can learn to scale and succeed. Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 🔗 Connect With Bui...
Dec 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 118
In this episode Paul and Conrad refresh the annual marketing plan with some new tips and tricks along with bonuses (see show notes links below). Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 Bonuses: Annual ads budget spreadsheet Annual ads spending / calculator spreadsheet 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram Twitter 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings Bu...
Dec 11, 2024•41 min•Ep. 116
In this episode Paul and Conrad record after the DARM 2024 Conference in Sandestin, Florida recapping all of the great connections, lessons and marketing insights from two and a half action-packed days! Enjoy! ⭐️ Links & Show Notes Paul Manzey Conrad O'Connell Conrad's Book: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing Conrad's Course: Mastering Vacation Rental Marketing 101 DARM Conference 🔗 Connect With BuildUp Bookings Website Facebook Page Instagram Twitter 🚀 About BuildUp Bookings BuildUp Book...
Dec 09, 2024•39 min•Ep. 117
