The art of being a good local guide is to be as helpful as possible with your contributions, especially on the Google Map.
Each of us who is tagged as a ‘Local Guide’ is doing something important. Most of the time we are either rating or reviewing a place that we visit or clicking and adding relevant photos of that place.
This is all fine and good. But here I am trying to draw your attention on how to be ‘the’ most useful local guide.
Call of the Google Map
If you want to be most useful as a Local Guide, then you need to answer the urgent call of the Google Map. The Map is fervently calling out to us committed local guides to improve it as soon as possible so that it can serve everyone well.
#1. Remove Duplicate & Non-existing Places: Once you open the map you will find so many places with multiple listings (also called duplicate places) staring at your face. Now what do you do?
You can check out each of those listings; zero in on one primary listing that matches the business; tag other listings as “Duplicate of another place”; and send it for review.
At the same time, you can also remove all those places on the Map, that you can see no longer exist on the ground. This will be your most useful contribution.
#2. Shift Map Marker: I have often heard complaints from people that Google Map does not give proper direction. Place locations are all wrong.
As you look away from the Google map and check out the area around you, you will find many places not listed at their real location on the map. To check if a place is there, type the business name on the Google Map. If the business gets displayed, then it is listed on the map.
Many times you will find that location of that business on the Map is somewhere else entirely, when you know its actual location. What you can do here is shift the Map Marker of the business to its correct location and send it for review. This will be your most useful contribution.
#3. Edit Information: Whenever you are rating a business, leaving a review or adding photos, just check out the rest of the information too. Take a minute, use “Suggest an Edit” and correct the name of the business, whether in English or the local language if you can see the error. Also Flag irrelevant photos of the business. This will be your most useful contribution.
#4. Check out facts: To be honest, this requires some effort. But Google Map has clearly marked places where it wants help of contributors. In the “Check the Facts” and “Uncover missing Info” categories found in “Contribute” section of your profile, you will find the Map filled with marked places. Tap any of those orange markers and Map tells you what it wants. If you can help there, you make a most useful contribution.
Irrespective of these points, every contribution you make to the Map counts and has meaning.
Google Map does thank you every time for your effort and feedback, doesn’t it? 
– Raza
