Google Vacation Rentals and TripAdvisor are search and metasearch channels: they show your property, rates and availability to travelers who have not decided where to book. Optimizing them means accurate listing content and photos, rate parity and availability across channels, and a direct booking link that is competitive with the OTAs.
Orkney sells mostly through Booking.com and Airbnb. Orkney rentals sell to planners, not browsers. Most guests book ferry or flight first and then look for a cottage, so we align minimum stays with ferry schedules and avoid gaps that cannot be filled. Two to five night stays are typical, so three night minimums suit summer weeks while shorter gaps can open close to arrival. Cruise days bring little overnight demand, so we do not inflate rates for them.
Booking.com is the main channel for hotels and guesthouses, Airbnb carries cottage demand, and VisitOrkney and direct bookings matter more than in most markets because guests research the islands carefully. We keep availability synchronised across a small number of channels, since every room is valuable and overbooking on an island is hard to fix.
The full service is described on our other ota optimization page; this page covers how it applies in Orkney.