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Level 8

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

Is there any use, or do you earn anything from this?

Level 10

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

Hello, I guess as a Level 7 - you already know and enjoy the Google Maps system and know the answer to this question. There is nothing to earn - only the fact is it nice to help people. The system is gamified with some perks depending on your area and what might be on offer. I started using Google Maps to give feedback to businesses I used, then I see the free upgrade on Google online storage.....by then I found it enjoyable to add reviews, photos and update my local areas as I use Google Maps every - so a nice way to give back.  If you enjoy exploring - why not document your travels. It is nice to give back to other people. Sure there are perks, badges and other things - but these are minor and not set up as a "reward" for hours spent, if that makes sense? Does this answer your query? 

Still learning......and trying to be better. Lets see in 1+ years 🙂
My google map profile is https://www.google.co.uk/maps/contrib/112319770317255529522/photos/@54.1462759,-6.9012176,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1 Thank you for reading my post!
Level 10

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

Hi @Svein! Thank you very much for sharing this information with us. I find it very helpful for my future contributions to Google Maps. I will certainly take it into account from now on 🙂

Argentina | Follow me on Maps! | IG
Level 8
Level 8

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

Nicely done @SveinR! Nice reverse engineering of the system, and great advice. The most comprehensive I could find. 

I followed your advice today, with one exception - was to lazy to edit in Lightroom, so some of the pics were dark. Normally I would white balance, sharpen, increase the blacks etc. for my pics. Not for this first batch. 

One pic was picked as the main picture right away, and is getting about 200 vies per day now. 

From this first experience, the AI algoritm picks up higher resolution uploaded, vs. uploading in Google Photos and selecting from there. To add to your "cookbook". 

Thanks again for the great post. 

Level 9

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

@ele  I find that interesting and also logical. To test it better have you posted two of the same shots one before edit and one after edit and see which one ranks better?  To avoid spam naturally, deleate the lower ranked one.  I have done most of my shots when doing a walkabout following contribute suggestions directly from my phone at the location. It would be interesting to see the effect of the edits in Lightroom first. I suspect you have hit on something. For speed just using the new Auto feature in the develope mode would make changes based on artificial intelligence that Adobe has created and just introduced.  Then experiment some to see how it matches with Google Photo's AI ranking system. Since the ranking display is so fast it should be interesting on a listing with a lot of photos to see how much a photo would move up.I have to think you are really on to something and it would not take that much work.   If everyone did that the maps product would be about 25% better.

Level 8
Level 8

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

@davidcox Great suggestion. My plan is to test iPhone vs. camera; camera low vs. hi resolution; edited vs. not (contrast, white balance, enhanced blacks). I believe the main post already answered questions on how to frame, and content that is picked up. 

Level 8

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

Its so lovely experience... Thanks for sharing @Svein... Its very very inspiring....

Level 9

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

@ele Please come back and post what you find. Soon this post will be a great guide for best ranking ideas thanks to @Svein

Level 10

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view

Thanks for such a good article

Sachin Sharma
Level 10

Re: What I have learned by posting 10600+ photos, earning 8300+ points and getting 130+ million view