After publishing my series on Storefront Photography, I’m now considering what should be next. I have a few ideas and would love to know what you think. What would you care to read in the future?
The following are some preliminary ideas for Connect articles:
Do flagging pictures on Maps work?
Motivations for contributing to Google Maps
Testing the effectiveness of the Redressal form
Place naming rules
Where can I find out when Total Photo Views were last updated?
Are pins and addresses any different?
How can Google stimulate Local Guides’ sense of excitement and joy in making quality contributions?
What is a helpful video for Google Maps? Good and bad examples. Done not by me: See this post by @Rednewt74 and this and this and this by @AZ_2021 .
Checklist for writing better reviews. Done! Click here.
Importance of editing your images to make them pop. Done. Click here.
Discussion: Good moderation practice on LocalGuidesConnect.com (Forum moderation: Tips and lessons learned)
Tips for Road Editors series:
Creating folders and filters in Gmail. Done. Click here
How to keep track of your road edits. Done. Click here
Lessons learned from making 72 road edits. Done. Click here
Examples to learn from: Why were these photos taken down?
How to send feedback on a faulty navigation step.
We need a common terminology.
How to write a negative review without violating the guidelines.
The true value of being a Local Guide compared to just being a Maps User
Free tools to blur faces and license plates in videos
Dear business owner - But Why? (about Keyword stuffing: Location, Category, and All Caps)
Some articles are well underway, while others are a lot less likely to be completed. That is why I would love some input from you. Which articles, do you think are more interesting and hence should be prioritized?
Some of the titles will need to involve more people. So please let me know if you would be willing to collaborate and help in different ways. I would love a few people to help to test flagging photos and keep track of actions taken by Google for article A.
Articles B and G will need some brainstorming and discussion.
It would also be fantastic if some of you would care to comment on drafts or help proofread now and then.
Let me know in the comments below what articles you would like to read, and if you would care to get involved somehow. Just to be clear, this is purely voluntary and not paid work.
Firstly, let me thank you & appreciate you for this valuable mission.
“… if you would care to get involved somehow…”
Yes, I would love to be associated/collaborate with this mission (within the limited time available), fully understanding that this is not a paid assignment.
All the topics have its own priorities and importance - would love to read & comment (or associate with) any article.
A. Flagging: it does not have any impact, at least in India, as of now - just a waste of time and effort.
My suggestion: This is a very massive operation, especially in India - I would suggest that “Flagging by TRUSTED LGs” should be automatically removed, immediately.
Google has to create a single layer or double layerd “Trusted LGs” for many purposes, including removing SPAM from Google Maps - hope you got me rightly.
Regarding flagging photos, I hope with proper documentation we will be able to draw the attention of Googlers to make a fix. But first I think it is worth testing a) if repeated flagging will increase the chance of Google taking action. and b) if coordinated flagging (where different people flag the same image) will be more effective. Also, I would like to test if our choice of platform plays a role.
I will certainly keep you updated and involved as you please when moving forward.
Highly appreciate and thank you for your prompt & quick response, dear friend @MortenCopenhagen .
Regarding the individual & Coordinated flagging - I fully agree with your view.
“…with proper documentation, we will be able to draw the attention of Googlers…”
Shall listen to your suggestions - Thanks - but, looking at the volume of “Spam” photos available in India, I don’t know what to tell you - there are probably billions of them.
“…I will certainly keep you updated and involved…”
Thank you so much; shall wait for your instructions.
F. What is a helpful video for Google Maps? Good and bad examples.
In conjunction with your idea:
I’m currently doing a randomized test using 3 virigin POI’s to measure if portrait vs landscape- which one will AI pick (based on views received). Seems like portrait was winning at first and now landscape has taken over. So I will be publishing those results soon, and then maybe a follow-up article to check in after some time to see if the results stay like that or if portrait views pick back up.
Secondly, I’m thinking of posting an article about why I post videos and in what instances I post videos. So I’m happy to promote or mention your article about F when I post my article.
When are you thinking of doing your article on Point F? I’m happy to also share some tips with you by Zoom, however you are more expert level than I am at photography. Perhaps, we can regroup in a few weeks to discuss by Zoom. Things are a bit hectic and still processing some crazy news this week. Feel free to DM me.
I concluded that my old assumption about GM preferring tall format videos over wide videos is no longer correct. In the comments, you will find a discussion with another LG interested in this. And I shared some view counts to back it up.
@MortenCopenhagen keep me posted when & how you want to collect feedback on A, I will defintely join then. My personal experience (in, admittedly, a limited number of cases) is that it does help.
Wonderful @MortenCopenhagen I love how we thought alike for doing the test. I will echo you and post the results as well from my end to support the findings- to show that your findings are also true in the US and will reference your article. AI in 3 virgin POI locations has favored landscape in 2 of the 3. I will post the graph to show week over week- seems portrait had a lead then dropped.
I still want to check back in a few months to see if portrait trends up again… TBD.
Awesome, excited to further talk with you. I will DM. Also, I think it’s great that more posts are made about videos. The more users posting about videos can help to spread awareness for it in US and other regions of the world.
Lots of great ideas on your list. Personally, topic H (making videos) has been on my mind.
Just in general (outside Google Maps) I have been watching lots of videos on filming and editing techniques with mobile phones and already thought, what better way to practice than making some videos for Google Maps…
But before I do so, I also concluded that I need to do some desk research on good video contributions for Maps. Your article would probably be more than 80% of the work or as you suggested, we could share the burden.
G is a tough one, that I predict will tage quite some time.
The one on links across platforms needs only a day or two more work. It is comlicated and depends on which platform you use and what platform you audience/reiver is using. Hang on.
When you visit a place there is a tab under photos called By you. Try that.
Danke für deine schnelle und wie immer hilfreiche Antwort.
Den kommenden Artikeln sehe ich mit Spannung und Vorfreude entgegen.
Für uns Guides wären mehr Such- und Sortiermöglichkeiten im Profil ein Thema, in dem ich noch viel Potential sehe (auch um unsere Motivation zu erhöhen). Schauen wir mal, was sich da noch ergibt…
Perhaps, we can regroup in a few weeks to discuss by Zoom. Things are a bit hectic and still processing some crazy news this week. 
Feel free to DM me.
or as you suggested, we could share the burden.
