Google recently made changes to its search algorithm and what it prioritises, which directly impacts how your tours get discovered and ranked online.
Most listeners discover tours through search engines, so understanding these changes and adapting your website accordingly will help improve your tour’s visibility.
What has changed
Google has moved away from traditional keyword-focused approaches, prioritising context-based SEO instead. This means the search algorithm is looking for links that appear within relevant, contextual content with natural and varied anchor text instead of repetitive keywords. It also looks for social proof of your authority and expertise on the content your post on your site.
You only need to make a couple of small changes to how you link to your VoiceMap tours on your website to take advantage of these changes.
What you can do to adapt your website content
We’ve analysed these algorithm changes and their impact on tour discovery. Here are five key strategies you should implement on your website immediately:
1. Create rich content around tour links
Avoid adding bare links to your tours. Instead of just saying “check out my tour,” embed your links within 2-3 paragraphs of valuable content. Share the story behind why you created the tour, interesting discoveries you made while researching, or seasonal tips for visitors.
2. Vary your anchor text naturally
Your clickable link text matters more than ever. Keep it concise (2-5 words work best) and mix up your phrases. Use variations like “VoiceMap audio tour,” “self-guided walking tour,” “GPS audio adventure,” and destination-specific terms like “Rome audio guide.” Avoid repeating the exact same linking phrase - Google sees this as spammy.
3. Create educational content and user guidance
Create a “How to” section, FAQ page, or step-by-step guidance about using audio tours. When someone searches “how to use audio tours,” educational content signals to Google that your page is a valuable resource.
4. Share location-specific URLs strategically
Don’t always link to your tour’s main page! If you’re writing about a specific landmark, link directly to that stop on your tour rather than the general tour page. Or link to your publisher profile when you describe yourself in your “About” section. Remember: every location on your tour has its own URL (just add /sites to your main tour URL, then add the location slug).
5. Integrate social proof and personal expertise
Build credibility by including authentic customer testimonials, usage statistics, and your personal qualifications as a local expert. Your “About” section should establish your credentials and explain why you’re qualified to guide people through your destination.
See what other publishers are doing
For complete details and examples from other successful publishers, check out our documentation on how to optimise your tour for search engines.