As with our successful Local Guides Google My Business Talk, the driving force for having our “Local Guides Lists for Google Maps Talk” was to help demystify and provide tangible, concrete examples for attendees:
- Why Google has wanted us, Local Guides, to create lists as part of the last two Connect Lives application requirements.
- Why creating “Lists” are vital to our local communities and can help local businesses.
- How creating lists highlight a Local Guide’s particular interests or passions.
- Help with social or cultural causes and guide your community.
For Megan and me, meet-up success was to give our 32 attendees “the tools,” or our tips, to immediately start using and creating high-quality, useful lists for Google Maps for themselves, for their community, and the world.
Our Attendees
Our Local Guides Lists for Google Maps Talk Highlights
What is a List and the Importance of Creating It
Lists are free to create and publish on Google Maps. You can create them for your personal use, to only share with your friends and family, or to list publicly on Google Maps.
Our Tips
Anything that is on Google Maps or if you can add it can be part of a list. Use your imagination. The possibilities are endless.
Be sure to write a concise, useful description for each place on your list. You will get 5 points for each description!
Our List Examples
Lists can be anything you want them to be–personal (or private) or for the public. Be creative with your theme.
Here is your chance to share your passions or interests. Write a descriptive title that will inspire others to click.
For your descriptions for each place on your list, include useful information from your experience. Do not use someone else’s words (no copying and pasting from the internet), but your own
Lists Can Impact Your Community
Create a list for a local festival where participants can use it to get around. The Google Maps list link can be shared socially, emailed, texted, added to the festival website, etc.
You can include places or businesses (the blue pin markers) that are participating in the festival. A list can help drive traffic to these locations.
In real-time, you can create a list to share relevant, critical information for your community.
Megan’s Tip: If you want to make sure people know your list is up-to-date, add a “last updated (date)” in the main list description.
The beauty of creating a list is that it is done one time. You can always add (or update) to the list. You can share a critical list with a set group of friends or family members. They also may have the ability to add (or update) to your list, too, if you allow it.
For example, you can create a Medical Health list including your children’s doctor, dentist, school, etc. information with contact and vital information, and share it with family members, your baby sitter, school administrator, etc. Once the list is created, you have the flexibility to add or update and share it with whoever you want to share.
Local Guides Point Values
We emphasized to earn Local Guides points, and for Google to be aware of your created list, a Local Guide must make their list public. If a Local Guide only creates and shares it with a limited number of people or keeps the list “private,” the Local Guide is not eligible to earn Local Guides points.
Read more details here: Local Guides Points, Levels, and Badging.
Our Challenge
To help jump-start creating lists for themselves, we created a fun Local Guides Lists for Google Maps Challenge on Connect for those attendees who wanted to create a list and to receive Megan and my honest feedback.
Our Challenge Winners
Megan and I were overwhelmed by the high-quality list Challenge Accepted submissions. For many attendees, this was their first time creating a list for Google Maps. Many of the lists reflected the creator’s hearts or passions, helping their communities.
We could not just choose one winner!
Each contestant is an excellent example of what they learned from our practical tips during our virtual List Talk:
Places to Eat
@RosyKohli Restaurants & Fast Food Center (List of Yummy NonVegetarian Restaurants & Fast Food Center in Mumbai, India)
@NanduMuraleedharan 'sA Foodies’ Day in Alappuzha (Budget-friendly places to eat in a day in Alappuzha, India)
@TPattanaik 'sBest Bengali Restaurants in Kolkata (List of authentic and traditional Bengali restaurants in Kolkata, India)
@Globe_trotter_Ish 's Unique Gelato Spots in London (List of London’s best and most amazing gelato spots)
@LightRich 'sDesayunos Post-Training (List of breakfast spots after running in the Paseo de la Reforma area of Mexico City)
Places to shop
@Sagir 'sKasuwa (Mini Market) Gomba (List of local farmers markets shops in Gomba, Nigeria)
@Arati 'sList for a Bookworm (List of best bookstores in Hyderabad, India)
Community Resource/Business Tool
@kroza 's Eco Punto Vecino Sustentable - Posadas - Misiones - Argentina (List of neighborhood recycling drop-off locations in Posadas, Misiones, Argentina)
Business Tool
@Bernjam_TXREALTOR 's New Construction Homes of SW Houston, TX (List of new home builders for local and international buyers in Houston, TX)
Passion/Hobbies/Interests
Silvis’ Los Angeles Filming Locations Tours (Movie lover’s list of famous film locations in Los Angeles/Hollywood)
Surprise, surprise
On a side note, we were excited to get tagged by Local Guides, who did not attend this meet-up, joined our List Challenge.
Passion/Hobbies/Interests
Erik_van_den_ Ham’s Towers, Spires that can be climbed in the Netherlands
Ermest’s Nature & History - Alps of North East
Next Steps
To learn more about creating lists for Google Maps, please check out these excellent Local Guides resources:
- Your guide to creating lists on Google Maps Google Tip: Create a list with 5 to 15 places with a List title.
- The mechanics of creating a list
- Minimum requirements for a Local Guides list to be eligible (Look under Program Requirements)
- Make a List like a Local Guide
Want a copy of this Local Guides Lists for Google Maps presentation? Want to translate it to your local language?
Thank you for attending and taking on the Challenge!
Local Guides, we hope you enjoyed learning more about what, when, why, and how to create Lists for Google Maps.
We hope you are now motivated and will start creating lists for Google Maps for yourself and your community.
Cheers,
Karen & Megan
Want to learn how to be a fantastic, helpful Local Guide?
With a combined experience of being Local Guides for 9 years and attending 7 Local Guides Summits and Connect Lives between us, Megan and I have a series of Local Guides topics we want to cover via virtual meet-ups.
If this interests you, please include your Connect ID in the Comments below so we can notify you of our future virtual meet-ups.
Read our 1st Virtual Meet-up Recap: Local Guides Google My Business Talk
My Next Virtual Meetup Will Be Saturday, August 22nd
For the third month in a row, I am teaming up with Italy Local Guide & Google Crowdsource Influencer @ErmesT again. We willprovide useful Local Guides and Crowdsource Dos & Don’ts Tips. To encourage knowledge-sharing, we will open the discussion to ask our Talk audience to share your Local Guides and Google Crowdsource Dos and Don’ts tips. Please join us. This exclusive Local Guides Google Meet meet-up has a maximum capacity of 100 attendees. RSVP NOW.
I was waiting for this Recap! It was great taking part of this Challenge. Hope to join you girls in the upcoming virtual meetups!
