Sudden stagnation of photo views – possible system adjustment

[S.Moeller]

Hello everyone

My name is Sebastian, Local Guide from northern Germany Level 6

For about one month and one week I have been posting more consciously on Google Maps to understand how visibility and reach develop. Some of my posts received very high view counts in a short period, for example over 15,000 views for a multi location post.

I am based in a small town of around 32,000 residents, so these very high view counts are particularly noticeable compared to typical activity in towns of this size.

Recently I noticed that one of these active posts was suddenly reset to an older count. Since then the statistics have not changed and the curve has flattened without actively decreasing. This is unusual compared to other posts which normally continue to show activity over time.

I have followed all Community Guidelines and the content is authentic and compliant. My goal in sharing this is to understand the platform’s behavior and ensure my contributions continue to be effective.

My questions to the community
Have you observed similar sudden stagnation or flattening of post views?
Could this be related to a system update, internal review, or automated adjustment?
How did it resolve in your experience if at all?

I am attaching four screenshots showing the development of total views:

Total views 282,560 plus 120,476 new views over seven days after posting the Multi location content.

Total views 282,560 with 119,267 new views over seven days showing initial flattening after posting the Multi location content.

Total views 311,448 with 148,155 new views over eight days showing continued strong growth after second post.

Total views 229,916 with 66,623 new views over seven days showing flattening curve after second post.

I would greatly appreciate any insights or experiences you can share. Understanding how the system behaves in such cases is valuable for all of us contributing to Google Maps
Thank you for your time and feedback

Best regards
Sebastian Moller

[WilfriedB]

Hello Sebastion ( @S.Moeller ), welcome to the Local Guides Connect community!

A very short response: The number of total views is not always reliable! Usually, it is updated at least a day after the numbers of the individual photos did increase, some time (for example last Sunday) it increases too much and we see a decrease later.

Also have a look at here: My Google Maps All Time Photo Views Decrease

[S.Moeller]

Hello and thanks for the feedback!

I’m aware of the usual delays and fluctuations in total view counts and am fairly familiar with how the algorithm works.

What concerns me specifically is a sudden drop in views after my second multi-location post. The total count fell abruptly from around 311,000 to a significantly lower number, which surprised me a lot. I just wanted to ask if other Local Guides have experienced something similar and how it developed for them.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

[WilfriedB]

@S.Moeller

What concerns me specifically is a sudden drop in views after my second multi-location post.

What do you mean by “multi-location post”?

Again, as several local guides noticed last week, the total count was higher than the sum of the views of the individual media for one or two days and then was corrected later. This was not the first time this happened.

[S.Moeller]

By “multi-location post,” I mean a single post that I shared across multiple locations on Google Maps at the same time, rather than just one specific place. It’s one post, but it appears on several locations so people can see it when they visit any of those spots.

[WilfriedB]

You mean, you showed the same photos or videos at multiple places? This is against the rules and can cause your profile being banned.

[S.Moeller]

Thanks for pointing that out! Just to clarify: I don’t copy the same photos or videos to multiple locations. Each post is original and fully complies with Google Maps rules. By “multi-location post,” I mean a post that mentions or relates to more than one place I visited, so people can see it in context at each relevant location.
If you want, you can check my profile and take a look at the review to see exactly what I mean: Google Maps

[WilfriedB]

OK, the link pointed to the photos, but I think, you mean this review, where you mentioned “Mio Gusto” is located inside “Multi Ostfriesland Center”. This shouldn’t cause any problems. (@MortenCopenhagen what do you think?).

Looking at you profile, I also see all of you 116 photos and 3 videos are public, i.e. none were hidden by the SPAM filter. However, one of your reviews and two ratings did not go public, but that would not cause the media views to decrease:

[S.Moeller]

Yes, exactly. At first, I just thought it was a normal check, like the standard AB tests Google does after a post. But I constantly observe the numbers and analyze the statistics, and with them behaving so strangely, it made me think the algorithm might be recalibrating, making new connections, and re-evaluating everything. That seems like a plausible explanation for the drop. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me. I really appreciate it!

[MortenCopenhagen]

@WilfriedB

(@MortenCopenhagen what do you think?).

I looked at his profile earlier and saw close to no issues.

@S.Moeller The important thing is not to copy text and photos across places. The filter is very keen to detect and punish this. I once added the same sentence to 3-5 sculptures to invite Maps users to remember to see the other sculptures made by the same artist in the vicinity. Those reviews were immediately taken down because the SPAM filter spotted the ONE sentence I reused across my reviews.

And the guidelines mention we can get removed from the LG program for posting the same photo to more than one place.

Checking your contributions, I noticed this place: Google Maps. I believe you created it, as you are the only one who made reviews and added a bunch of videos and photos. Google uses the list of categories to communicate what places we can add and what we cannot add. If the specific = correct category is not to be found, then this is Google’s subtle cue that we should not add the place. To me the category “Sanctuary for Wild Animals” is a place where staff looks after injured wild animals and nurses them back to health before they are released back into the wild. It is very clear that this is a special place for you, but I believe you picked the category with some creative freedom. It is a pin in the middle of nowhere. Normally, places need to have some facilities, a signed name and maybe a parking lot to qualify for a pin on Google Maps.

There is no website, no phone number, and no opening hours.

Also, the place might be an area more than a place.

In the beginning of my LG career, I also struggled with understanding what can be added and what not. One great resource is this database

PlePer Tools - Google Business Profile Categories - Full List ( 2025 )

where you can find all the categories across all the languages. US English is the primary, and translations can be missing or be incorrect.

Adding poetic and philosophical texts is not allowed in still images. I’m not sure if this is also the case for videos.

It took me a long time to adjust to the fact that we need to consider the interests of Maps users before our own interests when making contributions.

If a Maps user decides to visit Hammrich Loga and there is nothing to see when they arrive, I think the place should not be on Google Maps. Or you will need to rethink the category.

I raised this because I see that you are a great Local Guide and mean well and understand most of the guidelines. Please don’t get upset because I brought this up. Please feel free to argue against me.

Cheers

[S.Moeller]

Thank you very much for your detailed feedback and the valuable insights! I really appreciate you sharing your experience, especially regarding which content Google may consider problematic and how sensitive the spam filter can be. Your tips help me structure my contributions more effectively and stay in line with the guidelines.

To give some context on how I manage my contributions:

I work in a deliberate, structured way, posting content in a timed manner and continuously observing how the algorithm reacts. My goal is not to post as much content as possible quickly, but to create sustainable visibility, make places accessible, and guide tourist flows. Every review and photo is carefully created, individually written, and always tailored to the specific place. Spam or duplicate content is completely avoided, as I pay close attention to originality.

My work is driven by the idea of providing real value for everyone, not just for myself. I want to make places visible and highlight the people behind them, showing readers the beauty around them. In daily life, it’s easy to forget to look around, but through my contributions, users can experience the place virtually and become aware of the little details and experiences they might otherwise miss.

For example, the location “Hammrich,” which I created, is a nature reserve and hiking area, and it is accurately categorized. All descriptions and media I add are relevant to the actual place and its characteristics.

While I observe numbers like view counts and statistics, my focus is not on the numbers themselves. Instead, I use them as tools to analyze behavior, track engagement, and understand how content is processed by the algorithm. This helps me make my work more transparent, consistent, and effective for all users.

I also want to thank you for your kind words and recognition! I really appreciate your encouragement and the time you took to share your experience. This community is fantastic, and it’s great to learn from each other.

Your advice regarding category selection and place criteria is very helpful. I will keep it in mind and adjust my contributions where necessary.

Once again, thank you for your tips, guidance, and time they really help me continue my work professionally and meaningfully, providing value for both users and the platform.

Cheers to you too!

[VikramSingh_Valera]

Congratulations @S.Moeller

[S.Moeller]

Update on the Stagnation of Photo Views

Hello everyone,
After careful observation, it appears that the view counts are slowly increasing again. The previous stagnation was most likely caused by a temporary internal prioritization of system processes. The system temporarily allocated resources to core functions and stability, which caused the total view count to update more slowly for a period of time.

Since August, I have been posting deliberately and paying attention to all details of my contributions. My focus is not primarily on the numbers themselves, but on the analytics of resonance, how my contributions are received and what kind of feedback they generate in the community and among users. The temporary stagnation was therefore a bit of a shock, as it made it more difficult to assess the development.

Normally, I factor in delays, stagnation, and timing to better understand content behavior.
Some content is already displaying normally, while other items still need time to fully synchronize. In my estimation, it may take another 1–2 weeks before the statistics are completely back to normal.
I am sharing this to show other Local Guides that such stagnation does not necessarily indicate a problem with your account or content. Especially under high traffic, the system sometimes rebalances internally after periods of heavy activity.
Thank you to everyone who shared tips and experiences. I hope this information is helpful to those observing similar situations.

Kind regards
S. Moeller