A simple Google search of any location, such as a coffee shop, restaurant, supermarket, mall, or library, displays a map of the place to help you navigate. However, if you want an idea of the quality of service you’ll get, you need a review from someone who’s been there. That’s where Google Local Guides comes in.

Google Local Guides is a program for dedicated volunteers called Local Guides to keep Search and Maps updated with current information about places, businesses, and local attractions worldwide. These individuals post ratings, reviews, and photos and verify information contributed by businesses to help searchers.

If you’re interested in becoming a Local Guide, keep reading to learn what it is, how to join, and what kinds of rewards to expect. You might also want to get a high-end camera phone to help you take awesome review photos while you’re at it.

A brief history of Google Local Guides

In 2013, Google launched a program called Google City Experts, an initiative to encourage and reward posting reviews and pictures to Google Maps. That program was limited to a few major cities and had a high barrier to entry. In 2015, it was turned into Google Local Guides with the same purpose and a wider scope. Today, Local Guides is a global community of over 100 million people who use their local knowledge to answer questions, share photos, and post online reviews about their communities.

How does the Google Local Guides program work?

One of the primary benefits of Google Maps is the massive scope of its data. You can check out how late your local pharmacy is open or where the nearest place to buy fish and chips is located. Business owners contribute some of that information through programs like Google My Business. However, much of the data comes from user contributions like reviews and photos. Google incentivizes these contributions through rewards and gamification.

The basic idea is that you receive points for every contribution you make to Google Maps. Some contributions are worth a little, and some are worth a lot. As you earn more Local Guide points, you increase your Local Guide level. Once you reach Level 4 at 250 points, a badge appears next to your profile picture on reviews and photos. The pinnacle of the Local Guide mountain is Level 10. That’s when your number of points exceeds 100,000.

How do I get Local Guide points?

Points are the foundation of Local Guide’s gamification mechanics. Update information and leave Google reviews to gain new levels and get a better Local Guides badge.

How to earn one point

Give a star rating to a local business. Did you love that new Thai restaurant? Five stars. Do you always get great service at your local grocery store? Five stars.

Answer a question and verify facts about a business. Google likes lots of data points on locations in Maps. More data means Google can return better results in its search engine. Does the location have a handicap-accessible ramp? Do they have a delivery service? Are they open on Sundays?

How to earn three points

Sometimes, people have questions about a location. Does the location have an ATM? What are their holiday hours? Providing answers to questions nets you three points.

How to earn five points

Post a photo. Google has a guide for posting photos to Maps. Share photos of menus, storefronts, and features like accessibility ramps. Don’t post your selfies, but do post your food pics.

Make an edit to a place. Information about locations on Maps can be outdated, incomplete, or wrong. As a Local guide, you can edit a place so that its information (hours, location, website) is current.

How to earn seven points

Post a video. Usually, a photo is enough to share the vibe of a place, but sometimes, a video is the only way to capture a location’s essence. Videos can’t be longer than 30 seconds long, so keep it short!

How to earn 10 points

Write a review. Ratings are nice, but a written review is better. Searchers want more than a five-star rating when looking for a place to eat. They want to know why it deserves five stars. Plus, you get 10 bonus points if your review is over 200 characters long.

How to earn 15 points

Add missing places or roads. The world is constantly changing. New businesses open daily. Cities grow, and roads are built. Adding new places to Google Maps is the fast track to upgrading your Local Guides badge.

What are the rewards for being a Local Guide?

In the early days of the program, it was common to receive a reward (free Google products like socks or a tote bag) or perks (like early access to beta services or invitations to exclusive meetups) for answering questions and leaving reviews of local businesses. Today, Google mainly relies on gamified incentives (points, badges, and achievements) and early access to new Google features to keep people participating in the program. The more tangible rewards are still given at the higher levels, but the distribution criteria are unknown.

One intangible benefit of being a Local Guide is being able to give a boost to small businesses that you care about. Maps users rely heavily on Google business profiles when deciding where to spend their money. Adding user-generated content (such as reviews, photos, and videos) to Google Maps’ business listings makes those businesses more visible on Google’s local search results, elevating their local SEO (how visible a listing is when doing a Google search from a specific location).

How to sign up for the Google Local Guides program

If you want to get in on the action and help Google Maps become a better tool, you can join and start contributing in less than a minute. Anyone with a Google account can sign up to be a Local Guide.

Signing up to Local Guides through a browser

1. Go to the Google Maps Local Guide page and click Get started.

2. Enter the city you live in, agree to Google’s program rules, and then select Become a Local Guide.

Signing up to Local Guides through the Google Maps app

1. Open Google Maps and tap the profile icon in the upper-right corner.
2. Select Your profile from the pop-up menu.
3. On your profile page, scroll down and tap Contribute.

An emerging problem with Local Guides

While Google Maps and Local Guides are meant to help, some Local Guides prioritize badges and rewards, potentially overlooking the genuine purpose. Gamification is the reason for this. Mundane tasks become unusually thrilling due to the increased engagement, fun, and loyalty they provide.

Like other products, the Google Local Guides program is gamified to incentivize contributors. Your Local Guide level increases the more points you score. Other Google searchers see your level and are likely to trust you over someone with a lower rank. However, this results in some people not benefiting the community authentically, posting fake reviews, low-effort answers, or fake photos here and there in the pursuit of points.

Help others enjoy your good times (and avoid the bad)

Congratulations, you’re now a part of the Local Guides community! If you want to see what other Local Guides are doing and be inspired to start contributing, head over to Google’s Local Guides Connect website and connect with other Local Guides members and Google’s moderators. And if you want some tips on how to be a Google Maps power user, we can help you with that, too!