Why you should become a Google Local Guide
Have you ever dreamt about working for Google? It’s a job which lot of people dream of. Unfortunately, for us mere mortals it is out of reach, a job generally reserved only for those with a pretty special IQ and the ability to innovate and code up some life-changing technologies. But there is a way to have a job at Google as the latest addition to your CV. That is where the Google Local Guide program comes in. Google is always hiring and the best part of it is that you are guaranteed to get the job!
What is a Google Local Guide?
A Google Local Guide is anyone in the world who wants to make a contribution to the continued improvement of Google Maps and the information Maps provides to its users. It gives those that want to share their local knowledge and experiences an outlet to publish this information by becoming a Google Local Guide.
It is a platform where you can share and publish your local knowledge and experiences to Google users looking for more information about a store or business.
How do you become a Google Local Guide?
Becoming a Google Local Guide is really easy! Just go to the Google Local Guide website and Join. If you have an existing Google account, then you can link it to that, otherwise, just sign up and you’re on your way. Then all you need to do is leave reviews and ratings and upload images of places you’ve been.
What is in it for you?
The main reason you might want to become a Local Guide is that you love sharing information about places you’ve been to. If you always wanted to be a tour guide but another career got in the way, this is definitely for you. Love a dish at a restaurant and can’t tell enough people about? This is for you. Got a secret spot that has the best view you ever witnessed? Share it on Google! Or just make sure that people are having the best experience they can while avoiding the not-so-good ones then the life of a Google Local Guide is for you.
In short you can inform others about the great experiences you encountered and at the same time warn them about the not so great places you have been to.In return, Google will from time to time reward you with some random perks which increase in value as you earn more points.
There are also incentives, levels and badges to unlock, and a certain status that comes with the title Local Guide on any reviews you leave. For every star rating, written review and photos you contribute, you earn points that carry you through the different levels of the Local Guide program.
Sounds interesting, right?
As you get further up there are other perks like movie tickets and online newspaper subscriptions, and ultimately meetups all over the world which is very cool, definitely something to strive for.
How does it work?
- The easiest way to earn points is to rate places. This is the simple star rating that you select and submit.
- If you want to put a bit more effort into it, you can leave a written review. Tell people about the place you’ve visited with a much or as little detail as you like. Be descriptive and share what’s good or bad, what does it look like and what is the vibe like. Anything that you think might be useful to future visitors. Reviews also help business owners refine their service with the feedback they receive. If you’re going to be critical, make sure your concerns are legitimate and written in a reasonable manner if possible, let’s all try to be kind people!
- A higher earner in Local Guide points is the photograph. Upload as many as you like, they help people get a feel of what the place looks like and what they might experience. Let’s face it, if you go somewhere with your phone you’re probably taking pics while you’re there so share!
- You can also add a venue or place. Some businesses don’t have a Google My Business page setup or claimed so you can help them out and put them on the map. There’s also something very satisfying about being the first to add a place to Maps.
- Along the same lines as this is editing existing information that’s out of date or no longer relevant. So if you look up a business and it says it’s open today and you get there are it’s actually closed, that sucks for everyone involved. In this case, you can suggest an edit for opening times, the category of the establishment or contact details for example.
- As you get a bit higher up the levels, you will be asked questions about places you’ve visited and reviewed. These questions earn you points and are useful for future visitors. A few good examples of this might be something like does a restaurant serve only vegetarian food or is a place suitable for children.
- And you can check facts about businesses. Like is that business still located at that address? If it’s not, you can say it’s permanently closed. By the same token, you can say that a business isn’t permanently closed even if some unscrupulous competitor says it is!
The points system
Google Local Guide points are your stepping stone up the levels, from one (the starting level from zero points) to level ten (100,000 points +). When you get to Level 4, you get a neat little badge that accompanies your reviews.
Following is the criteria by which points are earned.
| Maps contribution | Points earned |
|---|---|
| Review | 10 points per review |
| Review with more than 200 characters | 10 bonus points per review |
| Rating | 1 point per rating |
| Photo | 5 points per photo |
| Photo tags | 3 points per tag |
| Video | 7 points per video |
| Answer | 1 point per answer |
| Respond to Q&As | 3 points per response |
| Edit | 5 points per edit |
| Place added | 15 points per place added |
| Road added | 15 points per road added |
| Fact checked | 1 point per fact checked |
| Eligible list published | 10 points per published list |
| Description (in list) | 5 points per description added |
Badges
As you amass more points you get badges as follows:
| Level | Points | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 0 points | No badge |
| Level 2 | 15 points | No badge |
| Level 3 | 75 points | No badge |
| Level 4 | 250 points |  |
| Level 5 | 500 points |  |
| Level 6 | 1,500 points |  |
| Level 7 | 5,000 points |  |
| Level 8 | 15,000 points |  |
| Level 9 | 50,000 points |  |
There you have it folks. Google needs these Local Guides to help ensure accuracy on the millions of Google pages out there. So if you’re detail oriented, love taking photos, enjoy posting reviews, and like to get badges, go sign up! We need people like you to keep things running smoothly on Google. Those who have made it to level 2 and higher can expect occasional perks such as early access to Google’s new features. You will also get random perks which can be anything from free access to paid Google services, free subscriptions and bigger perks as you amass more points.
You can also read:
How to promote your business locally
Why is a Google My Business listing so important to my business?
