Caption: The cover image is a storefront photo of Yalla Vermont, a Middle Eastern vegetarian eatery, Brattleboro, Vermont, USA taken by Level 9 Local Guide @Rednewt74
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Introduction
This post is all about the photos contributed to Google Maps by Local Guides from all over the world. More specifically, it’s about the views that these photos rack up. The post consists of a series of leaderboards showcasing the view counts of these photos. There’s a leaderboard for each Local Guide level and in this way you don’t have to be a “top gun” level 10 Local Guide with a mega million views to be featured!
Why are photo views important?
While as Local Guides we don’t get points for the views that our contributions generate, we all know that views are important as they give us a pretty good indication on how we are impacting on our communities at the Local Guide level. For example, they give us a good indication on how many people we have helped make a decision such as what place to visit or what meal to have.
So while we don’t get points for photo views, we certainly get an awesome feeling when we see that our photos are being viewed by lots of people and being visible across Google services, like Search, means that our photo view counts can increase significantly and you will see on the Leaderboards, how significant this can be.
Is this just a competition?
While there is an inherent competitive element within them, the Leaderboards are more than just about seeing who has the “best” photos or the most photo views. Far from it! They have been specifically designed to motivate us, help us to monitor our contributions and performance, and show us how to improve and make better contributions so that we achieve better results, and all in a fun and enjoyable way!
The Cover Photo
The Leaderboards series exists to celebrate, analyze, and inspire the incredible contributions of Local Guides worldwide. Because this series is all about our community, when possible, each cover features photos of, and taken by, our fellow members.
This month’s cover of the Photo Views leaderboards post features a colorful storefront photo of Yalla Vermont located on Main Street in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA. The photo was captured by Level 9 Local Guide @Rednewt74 (Alfred New).
Yalla Vermont is an intimate Middle Eastern vegetarian eatery whipping up down-home Eastern Mediterranean dishes for brunch and lunch. Alfred shares that he is a Local Guide because he loves supporting small businesses, noting: “I am an avid photographer and videographer and enjoy that my photos and videos are seen by so many people and that they help make Maps more useful.”
His shot is a great example of how community contributions empower local independent businesses. Beyond showcasing the vibrant green and yellow facade, a crisp photo like this provides critical real-world details for Maps users—from easily spotting signage on a busy street to helping visitors evaluate accessibility before stepping through the door. Alfred’s passion for capturing small business storefronts helps put local gems on the map for thousands of hungry diners.
Want to join?
No matter your level, whether you’re a star Level 10 Local Guide or just starting out, there’s a place on these boards for you. Participation is straightforward—simply Register your interest or comment below for assistance. We’re excited to see you rise and shine on the Leaderboards!!
If you’re new here then you may not be aware that this post forms part of a series of leaderboard posts each covering different aspects of the contributions made to Google Maps by Local Guides from all over the world. To see an index to the leaderboard series and related posts and all the posts associated with them, simply hit this link. Alternatively, you can scroll through The BIG List of Leaderboard posts.

