Google Local Guides are highly influential Google Maps users who get perks such as early access to new features within Google. They answer questions about local businesses, write Google reviews that appear in local search results and influence local SEO rankings.
These super users also have the ability to add and edit places and check facts listed on Google Maps. According to the leading search engine, millions of Google Search and Google Maps users rely on the insights shared by Google Local Guides.
We’ll walk through how the program works and how Google Local Guides support and drive growth for local businesses.
Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements listed below can join the Local Guides program. Once you sign up to be a Google Local Guide, you can:
As you achieve new levels, you can earn early access to new Google features and updated functionality of popular Google products. Participants who achieve Google Local Guides Level 4 status earn the Google Local Guides badge.
To participate, you must:
Yes, Google Local Guides can undoubtedly help businesses tell their story online and get information about their products and services out to the wider community. Not only that, their contributions have the power to help local businesses stand out in Google Search and Google Maps.
According to Google support, one way to improve your business’s local ranking on Google is to keep your Google Business Profile up to date. Ensuring your page is “accurate, complete and engaging” will help you “maximize how often users find your business in local search results,” Google explains.
As a business owner, you can manage your Business Profile, but Google Local Guides that contribute to your page can help too.
Google says that high-quality positive reviews from customers help increase business visibility within their service area. Google Local Guides earn points for posting appealing photos and videos and leaving reviews — all part of the program’s gamification.
The Google Local Guides program is free to join and there’s no obligation to participate, so there aren’t responsibilities per se, but there are plenty of ways Google Local Guides can contribute if they want to. Participants can:
Participation is gamified, meaning the more contributions Google Local Guides make, the more chances they have to get recognized and earn points, special rewards from partners and access to new features in Google. For instance, Google Local Guides can earn 10 points for the Google Reviews they submit about local businesses on their Google Business Profiles.
You can find your Local Guides level by navigating to Google Maps, finding the menu and going to the section called “Your contributions.” There you’ll see your Google Local Guides level and total points.
According to Google Local Guides Help, the Local Guides program is only open to individuals. Contributions from local businesses are not allowed, and anyone who violates this policy is subject to removal from the program.
Businesses that want to edit their business listings can do so by creating or claiming their Google Business Profiles. By doing that, you’ll be able to keep your business listing up to date — something that helps your business visibility within local search. You’ll also be able to respond to your Google reviews, and yes, responding to reviews helps SEO.
Want to get more Google reviews and optimize your online presence on Google and other platforms? Learn how Broadly, a leading review management platform trusted by local businesses across industries, can make your goals a reality.
Broadly makes it simple for your local business to get more online reviews and star ratings. It features tools to respond to both positive and negative reviews on various social media and review sites. You can also streamline operations with automated review requests, a consolidated inbox and mobile invoicing.
Want to see how Broadly can help grow your business.
Watch your online reputation transform with Broadly
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!