Hi LGs,
I’ve been contributing for years to Google Maps, with +1,400 pictures uploaded and my pictures have been on the front page ~20 times.
I would like to know how to be there, and how does Google staff/algorithm choose some of our pictures to be shown first. I’m not looking to get more views, but this is very rewarding to be on the front page.
Here is my profile, if you have any suggestion to make better edits I’m listening 
Have a nice day
Of course having the cover photo will also give you more view, as I explained minutes ago here, so une part of the reply will be the same.
What we can do, as Local guides, is to provide our best photos. For some tip, just check @Christina-NYC profile. You will find a lot of tips on her several posts, about how to take great photos.
High quality, bright and sharp photos, with clear details, have more possibility of being chosen. Photos of the entrance of the business, well framed, with the name of the business visible, have more possibility to be selected.
New photos will probably have a priority, if the quality is good.
What I want to add is: make a choice. Putting everything in one photo can be confusing.
On a local business, I had the cover photo for a whole year. Not always the same photo, but always on top.
One of the photo was the entrance of the mall.
The other photos were all photos of veggies. Coloured, bright, changed according to the season
Thanks @ErmesT for your reply,
I’m trying to follow @Christina-NYC tips I read a few weeks ago, but does the quality of the camera is important ?
Does posting a review, or answering questions about the place helps to be chosen ?
And do I hve less chances to be on top by posting a lot of pictures ?
Google Maps Is developed for being used on mobile @MapsWithLulu .
All the phones right now have the possibility of a setting for HDR, and most of my contribution on maps are taken by phone, including the ones I shared with you.
Every photo is considered a a single photo, and reviews or other elements are not influencing the algorithm about defining the cover photo.
I think that a good principle is to give priority to quality, instead of quantity
Thanks for your answers @ErmesT ! Have a nice day
It is my experience that it helps a lot to have a good camera phone to increase your chances of getting a front photo. Good lighting. Lots of color. But also the framing. I’m beginning to compose my pictures more and more towards the very vide format often used on Google maps listings. So I try to keep the interesting part in the middle 1/3 of the frame. So boring road and sky can to fill the button 1/3 and the top 1/3. That gives a very wide center 1/3 to put the best part of you motive. The top 1/3 and the buttom 1/3 are often cropped away anyways. My last tip is to go very close when ever possible. And sometimes tilt your camera. I believe these tips have helped me to get my pics chosen to be front pic often. Which really boost my view count.
Two more tips: It helps a lot to submit a many good pics to increase your view count. And when you notice places with no or only few pics that will increase you chances to get your pic featured on the front. Hope this helps.
