Introduction:
When it comes to media contributions on Maps, each day we’re seeing more and more Local Guides contributing awesome videos, sharing their experiences so that others can get a much better appreciation and make better informed decisions about visiting the places they enjoy. This post is about such videos. More specifically, it’s about showcasing the “best” videos taken by Connect Local Guides from all over the world. In the absence of a better metric, we use the number of views that a video has gained as a measure of that video’s “quality” and we refer to the video having the most views as being our star video.
The post includes leaderboards for different Local Guide levels and in this way, whether you are a level 10 or a level 5 Local Guide, if you have contributed video on Maps, you can join in to showcase your star and it’s simple to do. To join the fun, sharing and learning about video contributed to Maps simply hit this link or leave a message on this post and someone will help you get started.
So what can you learn from the Star Videos Leaderboards?
By sharing our video contributions and achievements we can learn a lot about how to improve the quality of our videos so that we can achieve even better outcomes in terms of video views and the impact that they have on our communities. We have been doing this successfully with photos over many years and we can do the same with videos so join in and let’s see if together we can learn what type of videos work “best” on Maps.
Are you new to 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 Maps contributions made by Local Guides. To see an index to these different leaderboard posts and all posts associated with them, simply hit this link
Readme - How to Read the Star Video leaderboards (July, 2025)
Briefly, this is what you need to know about the leaderboards in this post. For more details see the leaderboard documentation and the Leaderboard System’s online context-sensitive help information.
1. The leaderboards in this post present details about the star videos of participating Local Guides from all over the world. If you have contributed videos on Maps then you will have a star video, it’s your video that has the most views and we call this, the star video.
2. As well as an overall leaderboard, you will see leaderboards for different Local Guide levels which provide you with direct comparisons of your star video’s performance with that of your peers. Finally, there’s a leaderboard ranking the top 100 star videos by average star views per day which gives an indication on how good your star video is. To be included in this leaderboard, your current star video’s views must have been updated in each of the last 3 consecutive months.
3. The average star views per day is calculated by dividing the star views by the life of the star video expressed in days. The life of the star video is equal to the number of days between when you first uploaded your star video on Maps and the date that you last updated the star views and thus, will be different for each participating Local Guide. Therefore, for accuracy of the information it is important that you enter the correct dates. When it comes to the date that you last updated the star views, point #2 above is very important.
4. As well as the star views and the date uploaded onto Maps, each listing on the leaderboards shows the Maps Category, and a description (e.g. Storefront, Building or Park) of the respective Local Guide’s star video.
5. If the Maps Category of a star video is shown as a link and if the name of the relevant Place of Interest was provided by the respective Local Guide, then hovering over that link will show you the name of the place and selecting that link will take you to a screenshot with details of that place as stored on the Local Guides, 2025 Star Videos post, a “star video album” if you will, of star videos.
6. If the Maps Category of a star video is shown on a colored background then that star video has been selected as one of the best that meets the formatting requirements as specified in the star video album post. Select that star video’s category and see why it has been rated as one of the best and read more about that star video on the “star video album” post.
7. Preceding some of the leaderboards, you may see a number of screenshots of featured star videos. If so, these are a selection from those that best meet the requirements as detailed in the “star video album” post.
8. Clicking or selecting any of the featured star video images shown will take you to where you can view the Local Guide’s video.
9. Where shown, around leaderboard sequence numbers indicate that this is the first time that the Local Guide has participated on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards.
10. Where shown, ( ) around leaderboard sequence numbers indicate that this Local Guide levelled up/down onto this leaderboard.
11. An asterisk (*) shown after a Connect Username indicates that that Local Guide is a Connect Moderator.
12. Double asterisks (**) shown after a Connect Username indicates that that Local Guide is a Googler.
13. Hovering over a Local Guide’s username will display the integration number that integrates that Local Guide’s details on the Leaderboards System and Connect; the umbilical chord if you will between the two disparate systems.
14. Selecting a Connect Usernames will take you to that Local Guide’s Connect Profile.
15. Local Guides suspended or who have left the Local Guides program as well as those who have hidden their Maps profile are excluded from the Leaderboards.
16. A ? or the words “Not set” in a cell indicates that the respective value cannot be determined or hasn’t been provided by or for the respective Local Guide.
17. The data for the leaderboards in this post was read at 0200 on Wednesday, August 2, 2025 (UTC).
18. Local Guides included on the leaderboards must check their entries for any errors. If you should find any errors or omissions, please add the details in a comment on this post. Regarding omissions, please note point 15 above.
Caption: @tony_b’s Star Video of Kooyman Megastore uploaded onto Google Maps on 2024 and showing star views of 332,264 as at 2025-07-20
In his post in the Local Guides’ 2025 Album of Star Videos, @tony_b describes his star video taken when he visited Barbados’ newest and largest hardware store. He took his video of the whole glove section when purchasing a new pair of gloves. This reminded me of a visit to a local hardware store here in Melbourne, Australia when I recall seeing at least 4 or 5 people taking photos or videos of the products on the shelf and I wondered if they were all Local Guides or just taking photos and/or videos as part of their research for a particular product. With the widespread use of smartcameras, it seems to be very much accepted these days that people are doing this in stores. Have you noticed this?
This month we see yet another month with no new participants in the star videos and very little activity in terms of views generated for our star videos! Has your star video gained any views throughout July?
I’ve been anxious to see how the Star Videos were moving since mine seems to be going in fits and starts. Thanks for posting up the Star Video Board, @AdamGT.
BIG Congrats to @katydarhel for being at the top of the Level 7 Board! Way to go!
Thank you @JustJake for your congratulations!!! I am very proud to lead the Level 7 leaderboard. As you can see, I have surpassed all my competitors !!!
Thanks for featuring my video @AdamGT. As you know, some of my actions are deliberate, just to keep going on Maps. This hardware store is definitely not the nearest one to home, but I had to buy the gloves from there because I’d never visited since it opened, and I wanted new Maps contributions that wouldn’t be from a POI that I previously photographed or reviewed.
No idea why it is growing so rapidly, but this is in line with my Star Photo which is also a hardware store. My original Star Video has now dropped to #4, the second one dropped to #3, and the #2 position is now held by the video that almost became the Star before this one leapfrogged over everything in its path and became the new star by a long shot.
Yes I’ve noticed people are more comfortable taking photos and videos in stores now, but I hate it when an LG posts dozens of photos derived from walking through every aisle in a single supermarket. In situations like my hardware store scenario, I’d do the shelf I’m shopping from and maybe one other shelf, plus exterior storefront photos or videos. By the way, there’s a shop in a mall near home which has numerous signs inside and out which state “Absolutely no photography”. I’m not sure what his thinking is, but I’d like to ask him one day.
Yes!! It gained 54,000 in July following 51,000 in June. There was a gain of 47,000 in May when it was NOT the Star, preceded by 33,000 in April, 35,000 in March and 22,000 in February. A general upward trajectory.
Possibly evidence of the 1% rule working @JustJake.
No movement if the increase for the month is less than 1% of the previous total, then a sudden movement the next month when it finally crosses the 1% threshold.
now, August will arrive with some surprises 
!!!