Trusted Photographer and Local Guide Conflict

[DivineMsM]

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

[Umashankar]

Hii @DivineMsM

If you wants to register as a Google Street View Trusted Photographer Or Agency

You have to need Upload 50 Street View in Google Street view App

Either with your personal email or Agency email.

Hii @Yohanad please help DivineMsM !

[PaulPavlinovich]

@DivineMsM it is possible to be in both programs, SVT is managed out of these forums as part of the Local Guides program but they are still separate with separate rules. I'm in both with this account without any issues - just manage them separately. There are many others such as @LucioV who work this way. He does SVT commercially and will be able to talk about how he works.

Regards

Paul

[LucioV]

Thanks for tagging me in @PaulPavlinovich.

@DivineMsM i suggest you to keep your LG account as main account, for connect and post photos to maps (360 and standard) and to use another Google account to reach the certification requirements. You will be added as individual/agency to the SVT for hire list.

I try to avoid posting photo to maps as local guide with the SVT account and viceversa; but i'm absolutely keen not to make paid services using my main LG account.

[Yohanad · Accepted solution]

Hello, @DivineMsM

Great question - thanks for asking 🙂

We did try to summarize this issue at the "Getting started in the SVtp board + short FAQs" post. Over there, we share the info below. Let me know if this helps 😉

Is there any advice on how to continue to sell trusted photographer services while participating in Local Guides?

This is a good question and our teams are closely looking into way to make the policy clearer. In the short term, we can advise the following:

• Avoid prohibited behaviors in the Local Guides community, such as overtly selling your services. Keep your content relevant, constructive and positive.
• Make sure your non- 360 photo contributions are legitimate. For example, avoid one word reviews and content that could be perceived as spam or as bundling services. The Local Guides community tends to police itself, and spammy and other behaviors outlined in the Terms and Conditions are likely to reported to Google by the community.
• Choose a Google profile photo that represents who you are and choose it carefully. People want to connect with other people, not a logo. Accounts with photos that are obviously branded as businesses may be flagged by the community.
• Consider transferring photo rights of the 360 photos to the Business Owner. Instructions are here, on the Help Center
• If your account is flagged for spammy or suspect behavior, please use this board to ask for help! Tag one of the SVtp moderators- we can help investigate or, if necessary, help clear up any misunderstandings.
• Stay tuned for some upcoming feature enhancements in Local Guides connect, which may make it easier to distinguish your personal and professional activities.

[DivineMsM]

Thank you all so much for your help.  

I did transfer some of the rights to the 360 photos spheres from my personal account to my agency account and that went smoothly.  And I went out yesterday and took about 20 more 360s with my LG 360 camera and am uploading them today.  So far so good.  Thank you all for your help so much!

[Lajos_J_Hajdu]

I feel a different conflict between the two working methods, between the roles. My sentiment is that I do make a better, more useful job as LG (Local Guide), and I am honored more with points as SV. (Street View) photographer. The original question was about the conflict between the free and the paid work, but I am acting as volunteer, therefore I would like to discuss the difference between the two methods, their results and immaterial rewards.

Little nomenclature. SVT Street View Trusted Photographer is maybe a quality mark, the trusted persons photos dont need datailed sctutiny, let us make further distiction SVTH or SVH is for hire, getting paid for the work SVTF or SVF is free of charge, acting as volunteer.

As LG I have more time to go into details, to document important things, to talk to the owner, take photo of the menu, the sign with opening hours etc. On site I can immediately upload the photos because of my reasonable cellphone account with 5 GM/month limit. The maps info is richer, the owner, the users are happier.

As SVTF I am mainly busy with the gear, shooting overview photos, checking the success, the file sizes. There is hardly time to talk to the owner. The camera is connected to the phone via wifi, there is no possibility to upload, file sizes (mainly videos in GB size) are too big. When I download the film from the camera at home wifi and upload to SV often the coordinate info is lost. The struggle with the SV video is barely worth the effort, the work/reward ratio is not very good at the moment (January 2018). The video is split inti nonconnecting single photos, named randomly.

In 2016 I made ca 3000 LG photos (now I am up to 4939, 6 M viewers), In October 2016 participated in Theta S camera loan, afterwords purchased a Theta V and under 3 months did shoot 2,3 K sphaerical photos, 1.6 M viewers. Don't understand how these figures add up to 8203 approved photos, but never mind. As level 8 LG I am stuck at 35168 points because lately I do not have the time to take LG photos, just sphaerical ones. Are these two paths separate carreers and honored with different points? Or SV photos do not affect the LG level? Is a 360 photo equal value as a plain photo?

In my opinion the most valuable help a LG can offer is to help an owner to improve their Maps presence. Telephone number, opening hours etc should be there, that is basic, but one can explain them to claim the ownership, explaining the photo categories (from author, enterior view, 360, food photos) importance of caption wit examples, importance of reflecting to a review (good or bad), describing the atmosphere, the business profile. Can even trigger a Google My Business GMB website replacing their Facebook site. Several other posts were mentioning this role as Google Ambassador, I call this role as MAPI (Maps Presence Improver).

MAPI role is much easier to combine with the LG role as with SVT. MAPI, the Ambassador is most valuable function for Maps, for the Owners of the business and for the user of the Maps info. The reward system should reflect these values. The SVTH has no problem, for more work, for qualified work get the photographer more paid.

[Rajhesmy14]

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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@DivineMsM wrote:

Hi All - 

I'm trying to fulling understand Google's Local Guides and Trusted Photographer TOS.  

I was under the impression that you can only use Local Guides as an individual - not as a business or agency.  So I've used my personal account to work my way up to Level 7.

However, I'd like to start working towards a Trusted Photographer badge.  I own a digital agency and also have a Google account through my agency (I use the G-Suite). 

How can I achieve Google Trusted Photographer status through my agency account without violating the TOS? I have already taken several 360 photos through my personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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personal account - not 50 but I put a dent in.

Please help me follow the rules - I just don't understand them 🙂

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