Trailblazer Badge Tips - 1

Trailblazer badge highlights the explorer in us and it is perhaps the most challenging badge.

In order to achieve levels (novice to expert to master), we must make an all-round contribution in three dimensions:

  1. Adding the first photo
  2. Writing the first review
  3. Adding approved places

In order to make strides, we need to know slightly more about Google Maps for we would need to use features like ‘adding a missing place’ and ‘suggest an edit’

However, to smartly score points in Trailblazer badge we need to understand the scoring mechanism. We must know:

A. Upon adding a new place, if we write a review but do not add a picture it gets counted in the 2nd category.

B. Upon adding a new place if we write a review and add a photo then it gets counted in the 1st category.

Would like to demystify the scoring process - I invite contributions in this post/thread

10 Likes

Trailblazer badge highlights the explorer in us and it is perhaps the most challenging badge.

In order to achieve levels (novice to expert to master), we must make an all-round contribution in three dimensions:

  1. Adding the first photo
  2. Writing the first review
  3. Adding approved places

In order to make strides, we need to know slightly more about Google Maps for we would need to use features like ‘adding a missing place’ and ‘suggest an edit’

However, to smartly score points in Trailblazer badge we need to understand the scoring mechanism. We must know:

A. Upon adding a new place, if we write a review but do not add a picture it gets counted in the 2nd category.

B. Upon adding a new place if we write a review and add a photo then it gets counted in the 1st category.

Would like to demystify the scoring process - I invite contributions in this post/thread

2 Likes

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Hello @spsood ,

Thank you for sharing! Please note that I have merged this post to your other one, since they are identical.

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Hi @spsood

I am agree with you that this badge is a challenging one. Why is this challenging (at least to my personal experience) it is because approval for adding a new place is not easy.

On the other hand, being the first to review or first to add photos can be done without having to add new place. You just need to be diligently look for a place that has no review and/or photo. Or let your luck takes you to reviewless/photoless spot.

I have a few contributions on first review and first photos for quite sometimes before my first approval of place addition.

It makes me very very excited.

Each addition place give me more understanding of how it works. My probability for approval increase along the way for similar type of place. However, when it come to another type, then the approval process become slower again, until I get my first approval for that type of place.

I guess my credibility for approval rate slightly increase along the process.

I have my Master badge for Trailblazer now, and still I always excited and cherish each and every approval of place addition.

Thanks again for sharing this with us @spsood

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@spsood

Yes, adding places can be a bit challenging.
First you have to find a place that is not on Google Maps. Depending where you are this can be difficult.

Second, sometimes a new place is too new. If the business doesn’t have a website or FB page. This makes adding a new place even more difficult. However, once Google reviews the contribution, it usually gets added within a week or so if there is no website or FB page.

Third, enjoy the process. We all learn from each contribution. Some contributions require a bit of effort and time. However, in the end, we get to meet some really cool people. We also have the satisfaction of knowing we have improved our community.

Side note, not every place will be added. Some places are deemed ‘spam’. I definitely don’t understand this, especially when a place has a storefront.

1 Like

Hi @O_Nate & @emuniruzaman

I agree with and thank you for your replies.

However, besides inherent challenges pertaining to the process, I am also looking forward to understand the scoring process. To me it appears that the scoring process is bit skewed (reference A&B in my earlier post in this thread).

Hi guys.

I’m just wondering if there is anan way way of findingfinding places your local area that are not already on the map

Is it a case of walking around and typing each address of shop/business/attraction into the map and seeing if it is there?

I have uploaded many 1st photos but trailblazer is not updating these . Can you tell me why it’s not updated yet?

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Dear madam, I have updated 1st photo of some places but trailblazer has not updated the number. Previously ,the number was 3 now its showing the same number. Nothing has changed.

Same thing is happening to me.

Did you find a solution?

Hi guys, I know… I’m late to the party. I just recently discovered how much fun and how important it is that we expand Google Maps and how special it is to contribute to something so big!

As several here point out, the Trailblazer Badge is a very difficult task. I just can’t get it done. I added 4 new places today, but I just can’t get the badge. Am I overlooking something?

Adding the first photo: DONE x1
Writing the first review: DONE x4
Adding approved places: DONE x4

1 Like

Have the same problem