Final touches

4 min read
Table of Contents

Your tour's final touches are like a book cover. They give an enticing overview and practical tips to help listeners have the best possible experience. You can add your final touches directly in Mapmaker following six easy steps. Please read through exactly what's required in each section.

Once you're happy with your entry for a specific section, click "Next." If you want to come back and update it later, click "Save." When you click "Next," a green tick will appear on the Publish tab. You'll need to complete all of the fields and click "Next" for each one before you can publish your tour.

Cover

Tour title

Your tour title is important as this is often the first thing potential customers will notice. Aim for 70 characters or less that include the tour location, as well as specific landmarks, attractions, or themes. (You don't need to include all of these). A strong title can significantly impact visibility in search results and conversions. Be descriptive but concise.

Tour description

Your tour description should tell the reader three things: what makes your tour special, what they'll experience, and any practical information about the tour. It's also important for SEO – search engines read the description to understand what your tour is about and when to surface it in search results. As a general rule:

  • Start with a hook that makes them want to know more
  • Cover the highlights and what makes your tour unique
  • Mention key locations and landmarks
  • Include practical info like distance and accessibility
  • Aim for 150–300 words

Cover image

Your cover image is the single most important image for your tour. It's the first thing potential listeners see and plays a big role in click-through rates. Choose an image that is visually striking and representative of the tour's theme and location. It should be landscape orientation with a minimum width of 1200px.

Starting point

Starting point photo

Choosing the right photo is important because it helps the listener recognise the starting point. Use a photo of what the listener will see when they arrive to start the tour and not what they see from the starting point.

The text directions in your final touches

The text directions in your final touches should help listeners start in exactly the right place. In our experience, it makes sense to provide the following information:

  • A clear physical address with a street number or building name
  • A description that tells listeners how to make sure they're starting in exactly the right place
  • Public transport options, where available
  • Parking information, where relevant
  • Any other useful tips for getting there

Tips for listeners

The tips section provides practical advice that helps listeners have a better experience. Think about:

  • The best time of day to take the tour
  • What to wear or bring (comfortable shoes, umbrella, etc.)
  • Whether the route is accessible for wheelchairs or strollers
  • Estimated duration
  • Places to stop for food or drink along the way
  • Safety considerations
  • Cost of any entrance fees along the route

Tour landmarks

Add tour landmarks by searching for them using Google Places or adding them as plain text. You can find most major landmarks in the Google Places search. If you don't find it with only the name, try adding the destination name or consider alternative spellings.

Categories

Tour categories help listeners discover your tour when browsing on the web or in the app, making it easier for them to find tours that match their interests. There are more than 35 categories to choose from, and you need to select at least one before you can click publish. We recommend choosing between one and five categories, but only select those that accurately reflect your tour's content and major themes.

Final steps

Once you've completed all six sections and see green ticks on each one, your tour will be ready for the final review before publishing. Your editor will check everything over and let you know if any changes are needed. You can always come back and update your final touches later from the Publish tab.