We’re excited to continue the Ask a Googler series with our guest, Masa, a Product Manager for Google Maps. As we shared in our previous post, Masa works on contributor incentive systems and has some great tips for video contributions to share.
Before we dive into your questions, we asked Masa to tell us more about himself.
Are you a Local Guide? Why or why not?
Yes. I’m a Level 10, and it was a long and eye-opening journey that I thoroughly enjoyed. Product Managers should be experts in their own product, and this was so helpful. I ended up creating a list of nearly 60 issues and improvements to make Maps more enjoyable to use, especially for frequent and high-volume contributors. At one point, I was contributing so much, I had my account automatically disabled in error. Working through this, too, though, helped us improve how we detect and handle these cases!
What’s your favorite type of information to contribute on Google Maps?
Photos and videos because they’re easy. However, I get a big sense of accomplishment with a well-written review, especially since I love introducing people to local shops and restaurants.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I have always wanted to visit Antarctica and run the Ice Marathon! That’s a serious bucket list item!
What’s the one question your friends and family always ask you about working at Google/on Google Maps?
Interestingly, lately, a lot of friends with businesses have been asking me for help with registering their business, posting photos/videos, and communicating with customers. They’ve made me realize the huge opportunity we have with connecting contributors and business owners.
Local Guides Q&A with Masa
Editor’s note: Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity or grouped together.
@AdamGT, @Hana_K, and @PennyChristie asked: Is it better to upload videos on Google Maps in portrait or landscape format?
Answer: Vertical (portrait) videos are preferred since a majority of Maps users are on mobile devices. We can handle horizontal (landscape) videos as well, but vertical videos look larger and are more immersive.
@AdamGT asked: Regarding resolution, what’s the status of the 1080p HD video streaming rollout?
Answer: Having just gotten 720p off the ground, we’re still looking at this. It’s something we hope to be able to do soon.
@Atizol, @Cecilita, @ChiaraMariaC, @EmekaUlor, and @Trail_blazer asked: What is the recommended length for videos? What types of videos are most helpful?
Answer: For discovery, 10-15 seconds videos that show people experiencing a place or service are most helpful. For decision making (ie: placesheet of a place) shorter (under 10 seconds), simple clips of dishes/products or interior/exterior pans without people tend to be more helpful. The average viewing time of a video is about 4 seconds.
@PennyChristie asked: I upload all my videos raw and unedited. If I was to edit a video in the style of TikTok or Reels with a voiceover or music over it, would that be OK? Would the music get banned for copyright?
Answer: We like both kinds of videos. People find them helpful in different contexts. Raw, simple, and short videos are helpful for people trying to make a decision. They want to see videos of dishes/products, and interior/exterior pans. More edited, slightly longer videos are good for people looking for ideas for places to go, and not yet ready to make a decision. They like to see other people experiencing or enjoying a place, to help them picture what it might be like if they went there. Copyright is definitely an issue — be sure to use royalty-free or public domain audio tracks. But we also hear that sometimes viewers find background music distracting and they want to hear what the place sounds like as well.
@Cecilita, @Hana_K, and @Trail_blazer asked: Do you recommend muting the videos or is it better to leave them with the original sound?
Answer: This depends. Original audio makes a more immersive experience and better conveys the vibe of a place. It also makes the video feel more authentic for most viewers. However, in some cases, if there is a loud, irrelevant conversation going on, it might be better to mute it.
@EmekaUlor asked: How does Google Maps prioritize videos to show users looking for businesses/organizations?
Answer: We have a ranking system for videos that’s confidential, but we generally try to show users videos that are most helpful, whether or not they come from the business owner or visitors.
@SriSedono_id **asked:**There are a lot of videos in our area that are not related to the business they’re uploaded to. I tried reporting them but they didn’t go away.
Answer: Sorry to hear this, and thanks for reporting them. Our reporting process looks at a lot of signals to help it make a decision. If it’s not an illegal video, we need reports from multiple people to help confirm the relevance/irrelevance.
@SholaIB asked: On our Maps profile, we see all photos and videos mixed up together. Are there plans to have a separate tab for our videos only?
Answer: I have this same issue! One of the things I’m interested in is exploring how to better organize the profile page layout. No definitive plans yet, so please keep providing more feedback.
@Hana_K asked: We can sort our photos based on views. Are you planning on adding the same feature for videos?
Answer: We want a way to sort videos and provide impact metrics. However, we’re still investigating whether views are the best metrics. Unlike photos, videos have a time component, so we’re trying to determine how we should define a “view.” If someone watches 2 seconds of a 20-second video, should we count it? What if it’s 2 seconds of a 5-second video? Or should we look at what a person does after watching a video to understand helpfulness (for example: got directions, made reservations)?
@LaloPadilla asked: Are there plans to have a challenge (like the Local Love Challenge) just for videos? It will be a great opportunity to include tips to increase the quality of videos by Local Guides.
Answer: This is something we want to do. The first step is to better understand what kinds of videos are the most effective in Maps, and how this differs by where the video is shown in Maps: in the Explore tab or a business’s placesheet. Once we know this, we can design more interesting video challenges.
@KamalHossenR asked: How does Google incentivize users to contribute high-quality content on Google Maps, particularly videos?
Answer: Currently, we award more points for videos (7 points) than photos (5 points). However, as videos are becoming more desired by users and the production quality continues to increase, we would love to hear your thoughts about what point value you feel would be an appropriate score. Additionally, we are also trying to make it easier to contribute videos such as adding the trimming tool in iOS.
@Gezendunyali asked: Do you plan to add any other badges for videos or update the current badge?
Answer: No plans for this specific type of badge. However, we have recently started talking about updating badges from a broader perspective. No promises, but we are looking into this.
@Atizol asked: What is more important when choosing the people to whom you will give rewards or incentives, the contributions on Maps or your participation in Connect?
Answer: Thanks for the question. Currently, we only look at your contribution in Google Maps for awarding points and badges. However, we do look at posts and stories on Connect to meet interesting contributors that we might want to reach out to or feature in a blog or other post!
@AdamGT asked: On being able to showcase our interests and expertise in Maps: I think it would be useful to allow Local Guides to add a short bio or profile where interests and expertise could be added.
Answer: Thanks for this suggestion. I can’t comment on specific plans, but we agree that it’s valuable to let contributors express an identity to represent themselves on Maps! Please keep the feedback coming.
@LaloPadilla asked: Do you have a collection of swords? And I’m so sorry about Abbie, I’m sure she had a happy life full of adventures.
**Answer:**Thanks for the kind thoughts for Abbie. We had a wonderful adventure together, and I’m glad she got to meet many of you. She was really special. No (real) swords… yet. 
@mariorosas asked: I am currently a full-time student. I was wondering how you can run marathons outside work. Do you have any tips for someone who wants to pursue a career while also exploring other areas?
Answer: I always make time for important things. I choose marathons that are in interesting places so I can travel and make it a small adventure. My favorite is the Mt. Fuji Marathon, which runs around the lakes at the bottom of the mountain. The hard part is training; I’m usually running every day for 5-6 days a week, over four months. I’ve run in the rain, at midnight, at 3 am, on business trips, in gyms, etc.
The same goes for balancing a career with other things — if it’s important to you, you will naturally find a way to do it. Interestingly, dedication over time is more important than trying to do something perfectly. Hope that helps!
Want to see other posts in our Ask a Googler series? Read previous posts below:
) so insightful! I’m still trying to figure out my ‘style’ for my video contributions. I actually had a brief but interesting conversation with