Working Smarter not Harder

[TerryPG]

Yes, that’s the way I used to track my numbers on Local google guides. I have done this for over 3 years, I found it helped me know what my top 25 photos were and what the movers and shakers as I called them, and how they were performing. Also it gave clues as to what Google is looking for. I tracked my points, my photo views, average views per photo.

Here’s a closer image of my notes, please ignore my chicken scratch writing.

Out goes the old and in comes the new!

Then, around April this year, Connect Moderator @AdamGT introduced a new Top 100 Local Guide system. I’d been participating on his Top 100 Local Guide leaderboards since day one but this new system is a real cracker with some amazing in-built features and capabilities! Low and behold when I first started using the new system I found that Adam had also kept and added all my historical data off the leaderboards, right back from day one!!!

What’s more, with the new bells and whistles in this new system, it produced all the tabulations that I had been manually producing. But there was more! Not only tables, it also included all these beautiful dynamic charts that yes, I can dynamically change what I want to look at and the charts immediately change on my PC screen and I can see my points, photos and views data from many different perspectives that I was unable to do before! It truly is amazing!

The chart image below is one of my favorites. It shows the average daily views of 10 of my top movers and shakers. You can see my top daily mover is Yanks Restaurant with almost 12,000 views daily. The best thing about this is I can change whatever POI I want at any time.

And here I am today!

Recently Adam mentioned in a comment here that I might be the first level 9 Local guide to hit 1 billion photo views! This got me thinking! Damn you Adam (said in a nice way). So I decided to check my numbers on the new Top 100 Local Guides system.

First I Checked my points graph

Looks like I am averaging about 400 points a week so I may hit Level 10 in approximately 5-6 weeks .

Could I actually be the first Level 9 guide to reach 1 Billion photo views? As Adam knows photo views see link here has always been my priority and passion. Adam and I have had great discussions on this point over the years. I have over 8,900 photos posted and over 725 million views of my photos on Local Guides equalling an average of over 80,000 photo views per photo

Let’s check my Photo views,

Wow this is so much more simpler and efficient and way easy to track, and way easier to read than my chicken scratch.

I’m averaging 10-11 Million photo views a week.

So based on my photo views numbers and projected numbers I am still about 23-25 weeks away from hitting I billion photo views. My original goal was by April 2023, I’m going to be close.

I could slow down my contributions but it’s not my style. It’s part of my daily routine.

So No, I won’t be the first level 9 guide to hit a Billion photo views (Still wrapping my head around this number), I can’t believe so many people across the world look at my photos. There will be some other Local guides level 9 or even lower that can and will achieve this.

So you can see the difference between my old way and Adam’s more efficient way. And now I truly understand why Adam from time to time mentions that the Top 100 Local Guide leaderboards are more than just about rankings!

This whole process helps me try and understand what Google AI is looking for.

And to wrap up, I haven’t even mentioned the powerful inbuilt photo charting that Adam’s system provides. I think I’ll save that for a future post. But what really is amazing about all this, is that Adam makes this powerful system available to all of us Local Guides and what’s more, all the above mentioned features can be used by Local Guides at any level. It’s no wonder that so many Local Guides are participating. It really is a no-brainer!

Thanks Adam for constantly motivating me into being a better Local Guide.

[MashaPS]

Hi @TerryPG ,

I have just released your post from the Spam Filters. I would like to apologize for your post being marked as spam. Our filters run 24/7 and they can be a little harsh at times.

You can visit this article to learn more - Why was my Connect post marked as spam?

[TerryPG]

Thank you so much @MashaPS

[SholaIB]

Hello @TerryPG

It’s the heading of your post actually attracted me to your post. This is a very lucrative topic really,I like it. To work smart,you have to be a thinker.

I enjoy your story about the 1 Billion views. What’s the secret,give us some tips on photography please. Do you have a technical camera or special brand of phone etc. That’s no small achievements on the maps,well done.

Your work and documentation is quite intense and interesting. The graphs are beautiful. I was just wondering could the paper work be done on excel ??? Adam knows an awful lot about that he could even help you seeing he has motivated you this far.

That said,I had a look on your profile and you could pass for a prospective Level 10 local guide. You are just a couple of thousand away from 100,000. Personally I get an average of 2000 points in a month. At least I did last month. Anyways A big congratulations in advance. Please feel free to tag me on your achievements post when you eventually get there.

Nice to E-meet you man. Happy guiding and keep active.

Cheers

[TerryPG]

Thank you for the kind words @SholaIB No technical phone or camera, I just use my Samsung 10 phone I was told when I first started on connect by @MortenCopenhagen to make sure I take quality photos with the POI in the center . Everyone can eventually have access to these graphs, Just make sure you sign up for @AdamGT leaderboards. Yes I should be using excel , I know how to use it.

[LightRich]

@JuanEHdzVqz @Raulguzer @masdesandra @ErnestoGZamora @Imperiospice @LaloPadilla @MarianaFraest @Janis_delaluz

Durante el meetup que tuvimos el viernes pasado les platicaba sobre este post que @TerryPG acababa de publicar sobre su experiencia llevando un registro manual de sus contribuciones al Maps y lo revelador e interesante que resultó cuando comenzó a participar en los tableros que publica @AdamGT

Si aun no se han registrado en este proyecto pueden hacerlo en este link: https://tinyurl.com/t100register

Gracias por compartir tu experiencia Terry!

[TerryPG]

gracias @LightRich disfruté la reunión

[AdamGT]

Out goes the old and in comes the new…sounds like spring cleaning lol but yes, tracking your Maps contributions and analyzing can be very tedious and time consuming done manually, and I can see from your first couple of images, that this was certainly the case in your old way of doing all this @TerryPG .

Yes by April this year we had nearly two years of data for hundreds of Local Guides but all that data was on Connect so it wasn’t easy transferring all that history to our new system running on a platform totally outside of Connect. However, it proved to be a good move, well at least for those that kept updating their monthly data over those two years, like you did. Of course regularly updating your data continues to be important if you want to get the benefits of the new system as you have mentioned and beyond just the rankings shown in the leaderboards posted regularly here on Connect.

It’s great to see that you are using all the system’s features Terry and I look forward to seeing your future post on the photo charting, and perhaps even one after that on the BIG Data feature It will be interesting to see your view on the photo charting compared to that of @Mo_TravelleerX .

[AdamGT]

Haha yes you could use a general purpose tool like Excel or Google Sheets for the tabulations, calculations and some of the charting BUT and yes that’s a BIG but @SholaIB , there is no way you could do what you can do by using a “smart” custom designed and purpose-built system like the Top 100 system Here’s a challenge for you Shola. Try doing it using Excel and share your experience with us all, in a post here on Connect.

[AdamGT]

Like @TerryPG I also enjoyed your meet-up @LightRich . Watching someone else present the Top 100 system to a new audience was really an interesting and fun experience for me. Well done you!

[SholaIB]

Haha @AdamGT

Thank you for the inspiration and challenges. I like challenges and very often take them on. I commend @TerryPG For his effort but I don’t think I’ll be able to take it up myself for now.

Perhaps sometime later in the nearest future time,when am retired or so. Haha.

Cheers

[Stephanie_OWL]

@TerryPG WOW…

Was für ein beeindruckender Beitrag von dir!

Deine Daten sind erstaunlich und besonders hat mich begeistert, wie sehr du bereits zuvor deine Werte akribisch notiert und verfolgt hast!

Wenn ich mir meine Daten ansehen werde, dann nehme ich mir deinen Beitrag zum Vergleich vor und als Anreiz

Vielen Dank auch an @AdamGT für deine Mühe und Zeit die du für dieses herrliche Tool aufgewendet hast!

Und ja… Irgendwann werde auch ich über meine Daten und Erfahrungen hier berichten!

[TerryPG]

Thank you @Stephanie_OWL the new system does make it easier to track

[Dr_Drip]

Yeah… about that I don’t understand this.

[JustJake]

That notebook makes me anxious, @TerryPG . One poorly placed Tim Hortons cup could delete months of work. You need a laminator .

[TerryPG]

You must know me @JustJake because I do have coffee spills on a couple of my earlier pages.

[AZ_2021]

Nice job @TerryPG

So proud of you. Wow, 10-15 Million views a month- that is impressive! Hollywood needs to hire you as their cameraman with those skills.

[TerryPG]

LOL but a big thank you to @AZ_2021

[tony_b]

That’s an awesome transition from pen & paper to digital, @TerryPG

Although I agree with @SholaIB about the use of Excel, my own very limited Excel sheet came after I started in the @AdamGT program. I use the Top100 Star tracker to monitor 10 photos as it is designed, but I also collect monthly data on all photos with more than 25,000 views, which at the moment are 53 photos.

[TerryPG]

Thank you @tony_b but because I am admitting I am a “Nerd” I too have moved from paper and pen to Excel in so many charts and sheets and I do find it easier, I still use paper and pen for a few, but I am getting there.

Congrats on the views.