2022
We’re excited to continue our Ask a Googler series with our next guest, someone you all are likely very familiar with…Traci Cappiello! @TraciC is a Program Manager for the team and an avid Local Guide (Level 10!) herself. In honor of Connect’s birthday, Traci is joining us to talk all things Local Guides and help us celebrate the past five years on Connect.
Many of you reached out with some great questions for Traci. Before we dive into those, we asked her a few questions we thought you’d be interested in to get to know her a bit more.
Read on to learn more about Traci.
Are you a Local Guide? Why or why not?
I sure am! I’m a proud Local Guide, Level 10!
What’s your favorite type of information to contribute on Google Maps?
I have always enjoyed writing reviews, but as I look at my contributions, it’s clear that I really like to add photos probably because pictures help people to see the features of a place.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
One of my favorite quotes is “I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list,” but one place I have always wanted to visit is Antarctica. I’ve been fascinated with it since I was a child, learning about its climate and inhabitants in school. I know that when I’m ready, @FaridTDF will take me around Tierra Del Fuego before I get on the cruise ship.
What’s the one question your friends and family always ask you about working at Google/on Google Maps?
I think it’s more like what DON’T they ask me! As a Googler, you become the default go-to for all things Google, but if I had to pick one thing about Google Maps, it’s probably “Does Google really have amazing cafeterias?” and the answer is yes. 🙂
Local Guides Q&A with Traci
Editor’s Note: Some questions submitted by Local Guides below have been edited for length and/or clarity.
@SaifIS from Bangladesh asked: What do you suggest we do in the Local Guides community to make an impact?
Answer: It’s easy to make an impact with your contributions, but I always suggest that you find something that feels authentic to you so it’s fun AND easy. For example, I started taking note of accessibility features of places a few years back after a trip to London, so now I always keep my eyes open for accessible places, taking photos and writing detailed reviews of those features.
@SP31 from the United States, Connect Moderator, asked: Considering this is the 5th year of Local Guides Connect and we've seen a number of great additions and enhancements tying to the IRL Local Guides experience, where do you see Connect in another 5 years and what are your biggest hopes for Connect in 2026?
Answer: Ooh, this is a tough one, Steve! Connect is meant to supplement a Local Guide’s experience on Google Maps and provide you with a community of folks just like you (whomever you may be), so I would love to see Connect provide more educational opportunities for Local Guides. That way, if you’re a photographer but you want to explore editing the Map, we can make it easier for you to feel confident. So much can change by 2026, but I hope Connect is a home for millions of Local Guides who visit regularly.
@LaloPadilla from Mexico asked: What is your favorite place on Google Maps?
Answer: To pick just one, I will go with Walt Disney World because it includes so many different parks and within those, fun destinations. I love opening Google Maps and just “walking” down the road to zoom into places where I then read the reviews and check out the latest photos. Disney World is so popular, the content is always changing and is like a mini vacation without leaving your home!
@iorikun301 from Indonesia asked: Who named Local Guides Connect? Is there any particular reason for choosing this name?
Answer: A year or so before we launched Connect, maybe in 2015, a bunch of us were brainstorming what to call our soon-to-launch community and I was the one who said “Connect” since that’s the kind of space we wanted to create for Local Guides. I hope you feel like you can connect with one another and Googlers, on a number of topics and interests.
@karinchavoll from Mexico asked: What motivated you the most to become a Local Guide?
Answer: While I was born, raised and currently live in New York City, I went to college in Orlando, Florida so after graduating, I moved back home and had a LOT of visitors. Each time someone came to town, they’d ask me what to do, so I started writing reviews to be able to point them to my profile so they could see what I thought of different places. At the time, lists didn’t exist, so now I have tons of lists to share with friends. Now that I travel more, I have a lot of lists and am often the first stop a friend makes when looking for places to go.
@BudiFXW from Indonesia asked: What are your tips for taking photos that people want to view?
Answer: I focus on things that I find interesting, like my hotel in Anaheim that had Mickey on the roof, or things that will help others, like being able to grab a map outdoors at a national park without contact.
@Kamalhasnainee from Bangladesh asked: What is the most important thing to include and the most helpful format to follow when writing Google Maps reviews?
Answer: I actually follow Google Maps’ tips for writing good reviews! Specifically, I most often follow this formula: what did I think overall, what was notable, what can others expect, and is this place accessible.
@RJ1 from the United States asked: What is your favorite review or photo that you've left on Google Maps?
Answer: I think this photo I took of a Prohibition-era wine cellar at NYC’s 21 Club is my favorite photo. I found that you can ask for tours of the wine cellar from reviews on Google Maps many years ago when I first visited. So few people appear to visit (at least they did at the time), so I knew my photo would be helpful for others interested in history like me.
@PaulPavlinovich from Australia, Connect Moderator, asked: How much do you rely on the contributions of fellow Local Guides to find the great places to see and the things worth doing when traveling (for non-work time)?
Answer: I rely completely on the contributions of fellow Local Guides! Especially when I travel for work, I want to make sure I soak up the best of a location, even if I’ve been there before. It’s important for me to find great places and Local Guides’ reviews and photos (as well as other contributions) are critical to that. I always give a thumbs up to helpful content, too!
@LuigiZ from Italy, Connect Moderator, asked: Since you are a Local Guide yourself, were you on the team before joining the program or were you already a Local Guide when you joined the team?
Answer: I started contributing to Google Maps in 2010 before joining the team in 2012, so while the program didn’t launch until 2015, I’ve always been a Local Guide and always will be!
@StephenAbraham from Malaysia, Connect Moderator, asked: As a Local Guide, what are your favorite types of places to visit, review, and take photos of? Do you write the review on the spot, sometime during the day, or the next few days when you find time?
Answer: Whenever I visit a place, I either rate it on the spot or add it to my “Review” list on Google Maps, so that I can come back to it when I’m ready to write a review, most often at my laptop (I’m old school!). I will usually add photos after I’ve visited, usually a few days later. I love to visit ALL types of places, but attractions are usually the most fun as we all find something different interesting about them, like this photo of Mine Kill Falls in upstate New York.
@FalguniP from India asked: What has been your favorite topic on Connect?
Answer: This is a good one to end with, because you’ve stumped me! I can’t pick just one topic; so many topics are great, even when Local Guides are having a spirited discussion about something. I love seeing how you all interact with each other, helping each other, sharing your stories and celebrating how you represent yourself and community on Google Maps, and then here on Connect!
Stay tuned to hear more about the next Googler in our series soon! Want to see other posts in our Ask a Googler series? Read previous posts below:
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