Getting to Know What Makes a Topic “Featured” or “Pinned” on Connect 🙏

Google Maps tips & tricks
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1

One of the things most of us have been curious to understand better on Connect is the criteria behind Featured Topics and Pinned Topics/Posts.

We are hoping the Google Moderator, can kindly help us understand something that I believe many of us may have wondered about from time to time.

Could you please share some guidance on the criteria or considerations used when selecting a topic to be Featured or a post/topic to be Pinned on Connect?

For example, does the selection take into consideration:

• Relevance and usefulness to the community?
• Quality, originality, or uniqueness of the content?
• Engagement and interaction?
• Timeliness or importance of the topic?
• Or perhaps a combination of several factors?

At times, it can be a little difficult for us as community members to understand why posts or topics with similar themes or content may have different outcomes; where one is Featured or Pinned while another is not. I completely appreciate that there may be several factors and considerations behind these decisions, and that each case may be evaluated individually.

We would simply love to understand the process better so that we can learn from it and contribute more effectively.

I have also tried searching Connect for any official guidelines or best practices on this, but I may have missed them. If such guidance already exists, could someone from the Local Guides team kindly point us in the right direction or share the relevant information with the community?

This is purely a learning exercise and a request for clarity, rather than questioning any particular selection. Having a better understanding of the process would help us as Local Guides create content that is more meaningful, useful, engaging, and valuable to the wider community.

Thank you to the Local Guides team for everything you do to nurture and manage such a diverse and vibrant community. :folded_hands:

Let’s learn, understand, and continue creating stronger :flexed_biceps: community together!

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy!

JAI HO!!!

@AngieYC, @TsekoV

2

Very true, my dear friend @Kumaarsantosh
This guidance will help LGs to create more meaningful posts, not only for Featuring/Pinning…
Appreciate your initiative and thanks
:folded_hands:

3

Hi @Kumaarsantosh sir thank you for raising this thoughtful point! Clear insights on what makes a post featured or pinned would certainly help us all craft higher-quality, more valuable content for the community. Looking forward to hearing the team’s guidance on this!

4

Thank you so much for your support, @TravellerG, and for being the first to resonate with and appreciate this initiative. :folded_hands: You are absolutely right, this is all about learning, improving, and finding ways to make our contributions even more meaningful and valuable to the community.

I truly appreciate your encouragement, kind words, and the positive spirit you have brought to this initiative. :folded_hands:

5

Thank you for your kind words and support, @Vandana_shines. :folded_hands: I completely agree with you, understanding the process better will empower all of us to create even stronger, more valuable content. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

6

@Kumaarsantosh . Very relevant question. Hope we get some answers

7

أهلاً بك @Kumaarsantosh وشكراً على طرحك ، ولكن خلني أكون معك واقعي تماماً من واقع تجربة ومتابعة مستمرة هنا ..

السماء أقرب لك من أن تجد إجابة أو نقاشاً حقيقياً من مشرفين قوقل للأسف ..

اكتشفت بعد فترة من التواجد المستمر أن مشرفين قوقل هنا أشبه بأنظمة برمجية آلية تقتصر مهامها على النسخ واللصق ، أو نقل ومسح المواضيع وتطبيق القوالب الجاهزة فقط ..

ولو وضعت لهم ألف منشن فلن يتجاوبوا معك وكأنهم لم يروا شيئاً أبداً ، لا توجد أي رغبة حقيقية في النقاش أو الإنصات لأفكار المرشدين المحليين ومقترحاتهم لتطوير المنصة ..

طرحك جميل ومثالي جداً، ولكن الواقع يؤكد أنك تبحر في بحر هادئ بلا شواطئ ..

8

Thank you for sharing your honest perspective, @Khalil_Jouf. I completely understand where you are coming from, and I genuinely appreciate you expressing your thoughts so openly. I agree that it can sometimes be frustrating when we don’t receive clear or timely responses from the moderators or Googlers.

That said, I strongly believe that the real strength and value of Connect comes from us, the Local Guides and the community we create together. Our interactions, experiences, ideas, encouragement, and willingness to help one another are what truly keep this platform meaningful. Even when an official response is missing, a thoughtful discussion can still create awareness, inspire new ideas, and help someone else facing a similar situation.

We may not always have control over how or when Google Moderators responds, but we certainly have control over how we contribute, support one another, and shape the community around us. Sometimes, the most valuable answers come not from an official response, but from the collective experience and wisdom of fellow Local Guides.

So, rather than waiting for someone else to steer the ship, I would prefer that we keep sailing, keep sharing, and keep building our own shores together. :handshake: Every meaningful contribution adds another brick to the community we are creating.

I truly believe that when passionate people continue to engage positively and constructively, the impact eventually becomes impossible to ignore. Let’s keep the spirit alive, keep supporting each other, and continue making Connect a place where our voices, ideas, and experiences genuinely matter. :heart:

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You are most welcome, dear friend @Kumaarsantosh
I’m extremely happy to receive your valuable feedback, dear friend.
Most sincerely
:handshake::heart_with_ribbon::folded_hands:

10

Hi @Kumaarsantosh, I agree. As you mentioned, this is all about learning and clarity rather than questioning any specific post. Understanding what makes content stand out helps us create posts that are more meaningful and valuable for everyone on Connect.

11

Well said, @PrasadVR. Collaborative learning is exactly what makes this community so special. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

12

Just as a funny aside, I found this post as I was searching to see how far down my last post had been buried. :rofl:

Seriously, though, this is a great topic. I think most of us write on Connect for the joy of sharing and communicating, not the expectation of being featured. But, just as we have spent years trying to break the code of what makes a Featured Photo on the Map, it’s a fair question to figure out what makes a Featured Post on Connect.

Thank you for starting this conversation, @Kumaarsantosh. I’m gonna get back to scrolling to find my post. :smiley:

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I truly appreciate your accidental landing on this post, @JustJake, and especially your valuable comments.

Of course, no one pursues their passion with the expectation of a return, nor is there any compulsion to contribute; contributions are entirely voluntary. However, you rightly pointed out:

I believe it is always helpful to understand the rules of the game to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to play. :blush:

Thank you for sharing your thoughtful observation and perspective. I hope you have found the post you were looking for by now. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: