How to Rank on ChatGPT: The New Visibility Playbook for Holiday Rental Owners

Travellers aren’t just searching on Google anymore. They’re asking AI assistants for the best pet friendly cottage near a surf beach, the closest licensed short stay near a hospital or a reliable Airbnb manager in their suburb. For owners already listing on Airbnb or Booking, that shift changes how visibility works. Ranking in ChatGPT isn’t about beating a competitor’s blog post. It’s about becoming answer eligible when someone asks a natural question and the assistant needs a trustworthy source it can confidently cite.

Short stays that surface in AI answers share consistent signals: compliance, verified information, strong reviews, complete profiles and locally specific content that matches what Australians actually search for. Below is a practical guide to help your listing, brand or management service become the example an AI assistant chooses when it composes an answer.

What ranking in ChatGPT really means for short stay owners

ChatGPT doesn’t show a results page. It composes a single answer, checks live sources and increasingly cites authoritative pages. In the Australian short stay market, the sources it trusts are state government STR rules, planning portals, official registration databases, major OTAs and businesses with consistent identity signals across the web.

This is where professionally managed properties have an advantage. MadeComfy listings, for example, have clear NAP details, compliance documentation and standardised content structures across platforms and council areas. That consistency improves answer eligibility because AI models can verify the information.

Traditional SEO matters less than structured accuracy. If a traveller asks for licensed Airbnbs in Fremantle or compliant short stays near Bondi, ChatGPT looks for identifiers such as registration numbers and owner or host level verification. With NSW’s STRA number, Tasmania’s permit requirements and WA’s upcoming register, this data is exactly what AI systems prefer.

How AI chooses travel answers now: authority, locality and freshness

AI prioritises verifiable authority. Pages that clearly reference rules such as the NSW STRA registration requirement or Victoria’s short stay levy are more likely to be cited. Government pages almost always appear, and so do businesses or listings that anchor their information to primary sources.

Locality matters just as much. Suburb level detail is a major advantage because travellers phrase questions in a conversational way. A query like “best Airbnb for a surf weekend near Torquay” or “short stay close to RPA Hospital” will reward properties that spell out proximity and context.

Freshness is another strong signal. AI models check when your page or listing was updated and whether it reflects regulatory changes. Mentioning Byron Shire’s 60 day cap or Noosa’s local contact requirements is a quiet differentiator because it proves your information is aligned with current rules. Properties managed by companies like MadeComfy benefit here because compliance updates are systemised and consistent across every listing.

Build answer eligible signals: identity consistency, reviews, schema and site performance

If you want your property to show up in AI answers, your information has to be machine readable and consistent everywhere. Start with a complete Google Business Profile with the same business name, address and phone number you use on your site, Airbnb and Booking. AI assistants cross check these details with Bing Places and core directories, and inconsistencies lower trust.

Reviews still play a major role. Google has confirmed that both review count and score increase visibility in its surfaces. For owners, that means maintaining steady review velocity on Airbnb, Booking and Google. Respond to every review and keep responses specific and useful. Details like parking instructions, check in notes or Wi Fi speed often get lifted directly into AI generated answers because they read as factual and guest relevant.

Technical clarity helps too. Add schema.org markup on your direct site using LodgingBusiness or VacationRental to define your address, amenities, geo coordinates and aggregated ratings. Make sure your pages load quickly because slow sites get fewer visits and less model trust. Google found that most mobile users bounce when pages take more than a few seconds to load.

Optimise OTA listings and your direct site for conversational queries

AI surfaces read OTA fields more than most owners realise. The more complete your listing is, the more answer friendly it becomes. Fill every amenity, accessibility and house rule field. Add your registration or licence number on each platform because NSW and WA require this and AI models use it as a credibility check.

Describe proximity in clear terms. For example, “six minute walk to RPA Hospital” or “300 metres to the tram”. Add short question and answer sections on your direct site for things like parking, pet policies and late check in. Mark these up with FAQPage schema so they are easy for AI to parse.

A strong example is a MadeComfy managed two bedroom in St Kilda. It displays its STRA registration, lists its amenities in full, outlines safety features, states its exact proximity to hospitals, shops and transport and includes guest friendly Q and A content. When an AI assistant looks for a compliant and reliable example in that suburb, this listing is structured in a way that makes it easy to surface.

Turn guest feedback and UGC into AI friendly proof

Review recency and guest generated content are quiet ranking signals. A steady cadence of fresh reviews shows the property is active and well managed. Airbnb’s 14 day review window already encourages this rhythm, but sending guests a friendly thank you message a day after checkout can keep velocity high.

Your public responses matter as much as the reviews themselves. When you reply with local advice, parking instructions or noise guidance, those details become machine readable. Google Business Profile and Booking Q and A sections are especially valuable because they sit in structured formats that AI assistants interpret easily.

Measure your AI visibility: monthly prompt tests and citation tracking

This is the part most owners skip but it is where you understand whether the work is paying off. Run a set of fixed prompts once a month in a clean browser, using phrases like “best Airbnb manager in St Kilda” or “short stay near Brisbane hospitals”. Test on ChatGPT with browsing enabled, Bing Copilot and Google’s AI Overview where available.

Record whether your property, brand or Google Business Profile is mentioned. Track citations in Bing’s AI answers because they include links. Watch for changes in your impression and click data in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools around the dates you test. If your suburb level visibility improves, it usually signals that AI systems are trusting your content more.

Non brand queries in Search Console, increases in Google Business Profile discovery views and stronger Bing traffic are the simplest proxy metrics for AI driven exposure.

Conclusion: Convert AI visibility into real bookings

More Australians than ever are using generative AI to plan travel, especially younger guests and those searching for stays near hospitals, universities or event venues. Owners who keep their listings compliant, structured and well reviewed will be surfaced more often when travellers ask AI where to stay.

Australian short stay rules and local policies now directly affect visibility and revenue. NSW enforces STRA registration and night caps, Byron Shire operates a 60 day limit and Brisbane applies a short stay rates surcharge. For many owners, this is the moment to upgrade how their listing presents online.

Professionally managed properties consistently achieve stronger occupancy and revenue because their content, compliance and pricing are aligned across all channels. If you want help improving visibility, compliance and revenue forecasting by suburb, connect with a short stay expert. Book a free rental income estimate with MadeComfy and see what your property could earn.