Google Maps has become a prominent and powerful tool millions of users use worldwide for navigation and local business searches. With its nearly accurate and up-to-date information, Google Maps has become an integral part of our lives in no time. And to enhance the experience even more, it has come up with a ‘Local Guide’ Program.
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The Google Map Local Guide program allows individuals to contribute to the accuracy and completeness of the navigation service. Individuals can add reviews, photos, and other relevant information about restaurants, tourist attractions, and other local businesses. With relevant, up-to-date information, Google Maps aims to improve its services in every nook and corners of the world. No matter which area you search, the Local Guide program is intended to offer reliable information about the same.
Google Maps Local Guide program is a community-driven initiative. It incentivizes users to contribute by offering rewards and benefits for their efforts. Individuals who are interested in the task can write down their experience or share knowledge about a particular business or place.
In addition, the Local Guide program allows individuals to upload photos, write reviews and answer questions about the place they visited or experiences they earned. As a Local Guide makes more contributions, it higher their level within the program. The level ranges from 1 to 10. The better the story you are at, the more benefits and features you can access.
The Google Maps’ Local Guide program is big, and we have all the details noted down below. Ensure you read the article until the end to get the most out of it.
More About Google Map’s Local Guide
The Local Guide program in Google Maps is a community-driven program for individuals to share their experiences and knowledge about a place. As someone contributes their knowledge and expertise, the program rewards them. Users/ guides earn points for their contributions and get promoted to different levels.
The points are based on what quality and quantity a Local Guide contributes. These points have certain benefits, including badges for recognition of accomplishments, early access to exclusive events, new Google features, and more.
Becoming a Local Guide at Google Maps is free; anyone can sign up. Once users start contributing to the program, they will earn points depending on their activities and inputs. However, to ensure the reliability of information and accuracy of all the inputs by local guides, Google map has some rules and regulations to follow.
Local Guide Points, Levels, Rewards, and Badging
The points earned to make the Local Guide Program in Google Maps interesting. Users can translate these points into levels and badges and enjoy different perks.
Here’s a table with details about Points on Google Maps:
| User’s Google Maps contribution | Points for contribution |
| Review | 10 points |
| Review with more than 200 characters | 10 bonus points |
| Rating | 1 point |
| Photo | 5 points |
| Photo tags | 3 points |
| Video | 7 points |
| Answer | 1 point |
| Respond to Q&As | 3 points |
| Edit | 5 points |
| Place added | 15 points |
| Road added | 15 points |
| Fact checked | 1 point |
| Eligible list published | 10 points |
| Description | 5 points |
As users earn these points, they can reach higher levels on the Local Guide program and even earn badges.
| Points | Level | Badge |
| 0 | Level 1 | No badge |
| 15 | Level 2 | No badge |
| 75 | Level 3 | No badge |
| 250 | Level 4 | 4 point star |
| 500 | Level 5 | 5 point star |
| 1500 | Level 6 | 6 point star |
| 5000 | Level 7 | 7 point star |
| 15000 | Level 8 | 8 point star |
| 50,000 | Level 9 | 9 point star |
| 100000 | Level 10 | 10 point star |
Google Map Local Guide Program- Policies
There are specific rules and regulations on Google to ensure that every piece of information by local guides is accurate and reliable. Here are a few to mention:
- No Copied or stolen photos
- No Off-topic answers
- No Personal attacks
- No Unnecessary or incorrect edits
- No Deliberately fake edits
- No Defamatory language
Guides/ Users abusing the above policies will be removed from the Local Guides program.
Google’s machine-learning algorithms scan all the contributions of local guides to detect policy-violating content. After complete analysis, Google will remove all the content that complies with legal obligations or violets policies or terms of service.
How to become a Google Map Local guide? How to sign up for the Google Local Guides program?
Becoming a Google Map Local guide is a free and easy-to-do process. Individuals who are 18 and above and lives in one of the Google Map supported country can apply to become a Local guide.
- To sign up for a Google Map Local Guide Program, visit https://www.google.com/localguides/signup.
- Now, Sign up with your Google Account and select your current location/ city. If your device is already signed up with your Google Account, you be directly asked to select the location.
That was all to do, and now you can share photographs, add reviews, edit information, answer questions, and more.
How Google Maps Local Guides Program Helps Businesses
Not only guides but the Google Maps Local Guides program also help businesses. With a guide-generated listing on Google, businesses become more visible on local search results. This, as a result, can contribute to more customers discovering the business and increased foot traffic potentially. In addition, with positive reviews and ratings, a business can improve its online reputation, which is an important consideration today.
The Local Guide program undoubtedly offer a boost to small and lesser-known business.
Are Local Guides actually trustworthy?
It is important to note that the reviews, opinions, and experiences of Local Guides can be subjective. Local Guides can be trustworthy but may not always reflect a general experience with a particular place or business.
Even though Google has specific policies for accurate and honest information, biases and personal preferences can influence the reviews.
Before trusting a local guide, checking their reviews’ number of readers, quality, and authenticity is important. Also, it is important to read various user reviews before trusting a place, business, or service by Local Guides.
Top Tips for Becoming a Successful Local Guide on Google Maps
Here are some tips for becoming a successful Local Guide on Google Maps:
- Be active on the platform and regularly contribute via reviews, tags, photos, and other genuine/ helpful information.
- Be honest since your input can influence someone else’s decision about a business or place.
- Be mindful of your opinions and experiences of any place, business, or service. Even while writing down a negative review, avoid being offensive.
- Provide as many details as you can for the quality of the information.
- Make sure you are following all the rules and regulations of Google.
- Engage with the community by connecting with other Local Guides.
- Take clear, accurate photos and try clicking from different angles.
Wrapping up
The Local Guide program in Google Maps is a community-driven initiative; anyone can participate. While volunteering for this task, be ready to earn rewards for contributing to the accuracy and completeness of navigation services. Guides can add reviews, photos, and relevant information about local businesses and attractions. And the earned points give you access to many benefits and features.
However, since your review, photos, ratings, and tags can be influential, pay attention to whatever you present.
