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Meet the women behind hashtags on Maps

Google Editor

Caption: A GIF that alternates between a variety of hashtags including #cozy, #trivia, #dogfriendly, #beautifulviews, and more underneath a drawing of a trophy on a green background.Caption: A GIF that alternates between a variety of hashtags including #cozy, #trivia, #dogfriendly, #beautifulviews, and more underneath a drawing of a trophy on a green background.

In November, we introduced hashtags on Google Maps. Whether you’ve discovered a #dogfriendly cafe you love or are looking for a park with #beautifulviews, hashtags make it easier to share and discover the details you care about.   

 

Adding hashtags to Maps was no easy task, so we asked Product Manager Catherine Wu and Software Engineer Keerthana Boloormore how they made it happen. Spoiler alert: Local Guides had a hand in inspiring this feature!

 

What inspired you to add hashtags to Google Maps?

 

Keerthana: Hashtags are now almost a standard markup for people to express themselves on social media. With hashtags, communities can contribute to the same theme across Google Maps, helping build niche communities and discover long-tailed interest groups.

 

Cat: We were also inspired by the Local Guides community. Local Guides have been incredible in helping our users find things they care about. With hashtags, we’re really excited to let the Local Guides community have an even bigger positive impact. As our local experts, when Local Guides add hashtags about things they care about, they help those who share their interests find new amazing experiences. We’re so excited to see what you come up with!

 

What kind of content can people find by tapping on hashtags?

 

Keerthana: When you tap on a hashtag you’re interested in, you’ll find local places that other users have tagged with the same hashtag in reviews, photos and other user generated contributions. You can also search for your favorite hashtags directly on Google Maps.

 

Caption: A GIF that shows a four-star review that says, “Delicious restaurant with tons of options for everyone. My favorite place for vegetarian #paella #eatglobal” against a blue background with a drawing of a fork and knife.Caption: A GIF that shows a four-star review that says, “Delicious restaurant with tons of options for everyone. My favorite place for vegetarian #paella #eatglobal” against a blue background with a drawing of a fork and knife.

 

How do you hope this new feature will make a positive impact?  

 

Keerthana: We hope this helps users find things they care about, be it a unique hobby or general preference. We know that Google Maps doesn’t serve all our users’ needs today and we hope this empowers users to better help their communities.

 

Cat: Last year, we also worked with you all to improve accessibility on Google Maps. One piece of feedback we heard was that users wanted to have more control over what accessibility features to share; hashtags let you choose what is important to share and help Google Maps users all over the world.

 

Can you include emoji in hashtags? 


Cat: Yes! We’re especially excited about this because emoji are universally understood, no matter what country you’re from or language you speak. Also, they add fun to reviews. #🍦#🚴

 

Caption: A GIF that shows a five-star review that says, “Scenic beach with bonfire pits. Come at sunset and roast #smores #fire emoji” against an orange background with a drawing of a sun and marshmallows on sticks.Caption: A GIF that shows a five-star review that says, “Scenic beach with bonfire pits. Come at sunset and roast #smores #fire emoji” against an orange background with a drawing of a sun and marshmallows on sticks.

What were some of the biggest challenges with this project?

 

Keerthana: From an engineering perspective, identifying scalable solutions to search across different kinds of user generated content with infrastructure built by several teams was a challenge. We worked with teams across the world in California, New York, Bangalore, Zurich, and Japan to build this!

 

What hashtag tips do you have specifically for Local Guides?

 

Cat: If you have already written many reviews or uploaded many photos, you can go back and add hashtags to your existing contributions. We are also always looking to feature contributions that mention #letsguide, so we’d recommend adding that to all your favorite places! 😉

 

What are your favorite hashtags?

 

Keerthana: For my vegetarian family, #vegetarianfriendly and #vegan have been super helpful. Searching for #vegetarianfriendly helps us confidently check out restaurants of different cuisines. I am so excited to add #playdates, #kidfriendly, #indoorclimbing to places in my neighborhood as I explore them with my daughter and her friends!

 

Cat: I’m really excited about improving accessibility on Maps so my favorites are #stepfree and #accessibleWC. I also love seasonal traditions so I’m excited to add #iceskating #holidaylights and #fallleaves to my reviews as well.

 

Anything else you’d like to add?

 

Cat: We built this feature for you, so if you have any feedback, we’d love to hear it! And of course, hashtag away! #keepcalmandhashtag

226 Comments
Level 7

Like it, 👍

Anonymous
Not applicable

#keepcalm and hashtag on

Level 10

Once full on, Hashtags will become very helpful and popular. Thanks Keerthana 🌸😊. @AriMar what properties are needed for giving a hashtag of trivia?

Level 6

Great post!  I will definitely use more #'s in my reviews

Brian A Masserman

#vegas

I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet.
If I can't dance, I don't want your revolution.
Earnestly,
Preston David Lewis
Level 8
Spoiler
 

Thanks @AriMar after reading your article I tried hash tags and it's great. I work with PwD and so I put the tag #kiel_barrierefrei to some of my reviews. Kiel is my hometown and barrierefrei is the german word for accessible. 

Two questions:

Can any local guide use this same tag?

If I put this tag into the maps search field the result is a list. Is there any way to get a result with a map view?

 

Level 8

Thank @AriMar for sharing it. We will get more update in future. Thank the women who are contribute for the work. 

Level 2

yess Good 

Level 6

I am so excited about this feature. I have been frustrated in the past not being able to #vegan or #veganfriendly. I am a Local Guide who highlights these kinds of establisments.

Also #roadtravel #safebathrooms for transgendered folx are good ones to have.

Thank you for all the work to make this a reality!

Sincerely,  Johnna (Johnnie)

Level 8

Excellent! I will totally use this next time! Thanks

#Uruguay 
Level 8
Mantap, sangat membantu 👍 # mantap
Alfacopy
Level 7

I'm very much expected that you make me as a Google local guider.

It impressed me very much adding new places ,giving reviews and answering as well as uploading photographs and videos.

I fond of create new places , giving reviews and uploading photographs.

I really expresses my expectations

Thanks #Arimar great job .

 

Level 9

I personally love this hashtag feature & now I know the members behind it as well.
Thanks for sharing @AriMar
Salute to the team 

Level 7

We’re so excited to see what you come up with! Search for your favorite hashtags directly on Google Maps. It impressed me very much adding new places ,giving reviews and answering as well as uploading photographs and videos.

I fond of create new places , giving reviews and uploading photographs.

 

Thanks #Local_Guides
great job .#1

We are a Google Local Guides
Level 5

Ahh, how come I did not think of this before. Thanks for sharing!

Level 8

informative and thoughtful! 🙂 

Will start using this in my next reviews!!

Level 2

#Brilliant XXX and #DankYou 

Jeannie420
Level 9
  • That sounds great.... We must think something new to make it more helpful to common man....
Level 4

Great post. I plan to using more hashtags in reviews. Thanks for the update  

Level 7

Adoing emoji is new for me @AriMar let's make world a better place 😍

#GLG


Level 7

Wow didnt know this. Will start # now. Thans.

Level 7

Thanks for your tips

We are a Google Local Guides

Wooww hashtag on 

Woww hashtag on Google Maps!!

 

Fitur baru ini pasti akan semakin menambah keseruan mengulas suatu tempat. 

 

#thankyou

Level 7

how to get rewards

Level 8

Wow, this is cool... I'll start using hashtags

@NgindaNganga
Level 8

Great tips on #hashtags

rgds

keshavan

Level 8

sangat bermanfaat sekali

Nice work

Level 1

Makasih

Level 9

@AriMar

Thank you for sharing this will be very helpful in the near future

Level 5

I'm glad!

Thank you! 

Level 10

Nice to know about this

Atma Ram
Level 10
Great post, thanks for the insight.
Level 5

Bonne idée, simple, facile, utile !

Bien joué 

Level 7

شكرا..

Level 8

Impressive 👍 you still Rock 

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Level 7

Very impressive💞💞💞💞

Level 10

@AriMar

All I can say is WoW!🌈

Keep rocking. #alliswell #alliswell

Thanks & Regards

aaryesdee

 

R S Dev
Level 8

Excellent article....didn't even think about #'s in my reviews etc...but will from now on!

 

From a 'business' perspective - do Google 'see' any #'s in Map entries i.e. Google My Business? e.g. in a description of a GMB coffee shop in Google Maps or an accountants etc?

thanks for nice advice 

Level 8

Excelente artigo. Vou começar a testar a utilização dos hashtags! Obrigado!

Rafael Coelho Peixoto
Level 3

hope you be find and dong healthy so kindly upload my all locations 

regards

 

Muchas gracias por la información,  soy fan de los #hashtag y de los emojic así que me parece fantástico, cierto iniciar primero con las fotos, los vídeos y reseñas enviadas, en simultáneo con los lugares que que voy explorando ir añadiendo a todo lo que suba actual. 

Level 10

I love Alls

cool

All local guides will contribute more n will make the world a better place.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Brilliant job thanks Keerthana and @AriMar for sharing with us

Level 8

I had started to use hashtags on my lists and reviews a while tad before this announcement.

I am glad that now hopefully it is fully functional.  Thank you.

 

I was not aware that we can also hash emojis #🎉  so visually cool.  I will have to test it and see how it functions. I have used emojis on my reviews at times.

 

While I have hopefully both your attention, Cat and Keerthana, I would love to be able to elegantly insert images within my review text in order to illustrate context. 

 

I have been asking for this posting functionality ever since I became a LG in September 2017.

 

Again thank you both 🧚‍♀️

~ Virginia Benedict 🕊

 

 

 

 


Anonymous
Not applicable

Thank you