Beyond Foodies: How diverse is your contribution to Maps?

Google Maps tips & tricks
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Beyond Foodies: How diverse is your contribution to Maps?
Beyond Foodies: How diverse is your contribution to Maps?1376×768 229 KB

There is a stereotype that Local Guides tend to focus mostly on reviewing restaurants and cafes. That’s usually because it’s easier to snap a quick photo and judge the food than it is to wander around a national park or museum.

A cafe is often more photogenic than a bike repair shop (bike lovers might argue though). Plus, people are far more likely to search Maps for a place to eat than a shop that sells charcoal. Naturally, photos and reviews of food spots end up getting more views than other businesses, which motivates local guides on further posting photos and reviews of food spots only.

But Local Guides should not be just food bloggers, we need to cover all kinds of places and businesses around where we live, work, study, and commute. This is something many of us tend to overlook.

Sure, you might visit more cafes and restaurants because you are hanging out with friends every now and then, meeting clients or going on frequent date nights (lucky you! :wink:), but it doesn’t take much to snap a picture of that newly opened flower shop right beside the entrance of the cafe. Or you can just post a review of the pharmacy where you bought medicine for that bloating after eating so much junk food, giving them a good rating for staying open late at night! :grin:

So, keep your eyes open for new spots as well as old businesses that have shut down. Make it your quest, it might just make your daily routines a little more interesting!

Now, what about me? What do I do to keep my contribution diverse?

These are the categories for my last five reviewed locations:

  1. Convenience Store
  2. Dessert Shop
  3. Buffet Restaurant
  4. Convention Center
  5. History Museum

Here are the categories for the last ten places where I uploaded photos:

  1. Grocery Store
  2. Asian Grocery Store
  3. Restaurant
  4. Gift Shop
  5. Supermarket
  6. ATM
  7. Dessert Shop
  8. Bus Depot
  9. Supermarket
  10. Bangladeshi Restaurant

Screenshot_20260814_163236_Maps
Screenshot_20260814_163236_Maps720×2271 569 KB

Hmm, it looks like I am more into grocery shops and supermarkets than restaurants. :thinking:

That’s because I came across a number of new grocery shops in the last couple of months that didn’t have good photos uploaded to maps. So pro tip: upload good-quality photos to maps yourself so I don’t have to! :wink:

Now back to my contribution diversity:

I try to avoid posting photos of locations in the same category twice in a row. I even try to do the same for locations in the same city, district and neighborhood, given that I have plenty of photos stored up from other places! Do you think I’m taking this a bit too far? :sweat_smile:

As for reviews, I write them less frequently, so the location categories naturally end up being pretty random anyway.

What about you? Do you think local guides should actively diversify their contributions to maps? Do you have any tips or strategies on how to do it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

2

Great insights @SadmanRafid
My contributions are diverse and dependant on the places I visit. I usually don’t focus on cafes or restaurants. My recent contributions are for historical places, parks and museums etc. I write review and post 1-2 photos relevant to Maps and which I think must be useful for Maps users. Through my reviews I highlight accessibility features and sustainability of the POI.

3

Xixixi keren sekali @SadmanRafid telaten sampai merinci semua ulasannya . Saya tidak setelaten itu :star_struck:
Suskes terus ya :+1:t3:

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I do very few reviews compared to photos @SadmanRafid. I don’t visit restaurants and cafes, so my photos of them are just drive-by exterior shots, simply to find something to post. Two categories you didn’t mention are hardware stores and pharmacies. Both my Star Photo and my Star Video are hardware stores.

Apart from photos and reviews, I contribute to Google Maps in other ways, including Roads and Answers. These two categories are where the majority of my points come from.

5

I try to do the same. While walking, I keep an eye on different places, upload useful photos, and check Maps for wrong information or opening hours. It’s a great way to keep my contributions diverse and Maps more accurate @SadmanRafid

6

Brother, I sincerely respect your opinion, but I’m afraid I don’t completely agree.

There is no rule saying that every Local Guide must diversify their contributions. We are all volunteers, and contributing as much as we can, according to our own interests and convenience, is already valuable.

You may prefer exploring and reviewing different types of places, and that’s perfectly fine. But I personally enjoy focusing more on restaurants because there are many things about restaurants in our country both good and bad that I believe are important to highlight on Maps.

That doesn’t make me a food blogger instead of a Local Guide. Everyone should be free to contribute in the way they find most meaningful.

So, while you are absolutely welcome to diversify your contributions, I don’t think it’s fair to suggest that everyone should do the same or that focusing mainly on restaurants makes someone less of a Local Guide.

Hope you understand my point. Thank you. :sparkles::sparkles:

7

I usually focus more on restaurant reviews, but I also like documenting other places I come across—historical sites, tourist spots, bus counters, shops, banks, and various local businesses. I enjoy keeping a diverse record of places that can be useful to others. :blush:

8

Very good. There’s no limit to what we can do on Google Maps @kajemshakil. When I travel overseas, my contributions are quite different to what I do in my own familiar home country.

9

Not quite correct @tony_b and @kajemshakil , I’d rather say almost no limit :laughing: In reality there are many edits we would like to be able to suggest, but it is beyond our capabilities.

I suggest to read Google Maps explained: The Onion Theory - What we can / can’t edit in Google Maps

10

It’s okay, you have your right to disagree. In fact, I was expecting disagreements.

Yes, but then local guides are encouraged to support small businesses, women-led businesses, check accessibility etc.

This is my question for you: what makes you different than a food blogger or a food reviewer?

I am not asking you to stop focusing on restaurants. Rather than I am suggesting to not skip other businesses and places when it comes to contributing to Maps. In my opinion, only all-round contribution can make someone a better local guide.

11

That’s correct, @WilfriedB. I should rather have said, “we shouldn’t limit ourselves in what we do”, but that’s within the existing possibilities.

I don’t see myself as “better”, @SadmanRafid but here is what Local Guides Ranking says about me: “A true Maps all-rounder: Beyond just photos, this Local Guide is highly engaged in other areas, such as answering questions and adding new roads. On average, the guide uploads 1 photo per day. An outstanding performance: Anthony B ranks among the top 10% in our database.” Anthony B - Rank 20,936 on Google Local Guides Ranking

12

First of all, thank you so much, brother, for respectfully accepting my disagreement.

Among the three things you mentioned that Local Guides are encouraged, I believe two of them, small businesses and accessibility, are already largely covered through restaurant reviews in our country. Many of the restaurants we review are small businesses, and since people spend a part of their leisure time at restaurants, knowing about the accessibility facilities of different restaurants is also very important and reviews are one of the best ways to provide this information.

Of course, there is a major difference between a food blogger & food reviewer. If I were a food blogger, I would use reviews as a source of content and potentially income through Facebook, YouTube, etc. But as a food reviewer on Google Maps, earning money from food reviews is not my primary objective. I believe that itself is a significant difference.

I understand your point, and I genuinely appreciate your intention. I’m not saying we should ignore other businesses or places; I simply believe that volunteer contributions don’t need any goal or to be judged as “Good, Better, Best.” A cricket team doesn’t need all 11 players to be all-rounders. Similarly, every Local Guide doesn’t have to contribute to everything. Everyone can contribute in their own way, and together that makes the community stronger. Hope you’ll take my points in the same spirit. :heart::sparkles: