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Ask and answer questions on Google Maps

Former Google Contributor

 UPDATE: This feature is now available to all Local Guides on both Google Maps for Android and Google Search on any mobile device. 

 

Q&A (2).gif

 

There’s a new way to learn and share knowledge on Google Maps for Android, and we’re inviting Local Guides (Levels 2 and up) to try it now.

 

Want to know a restaurant’s most popular dessert? Or if a museum offers free tours? Or the best place to park near a popular beach? Now you can ask questions about places directly on Google Maps.

 

When you ask a question, we’ll send it to business owners and other people who know about the place. When you get an answer, we’ll notify you through Google Maps. You can also help answer questions from others.

 

See a great question? You can upvote it. Upvoting makes popular questions more visible, so they’ll be more likely to get answered. You can also upvote helpful answers, so others can find them easily.

 

To try it right now, search for a place on Google Maps for Android and look for “Questions & answers.” Or, check it out on these top sites around the world:

 

Abbey Road Studios, London

 

Abbey Road Studios, London (photo by Bintang Pramodana)Abbey Road Studios, London (photo by Bintang Pramodana) 

 

Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi

 

Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi (photo by Chandan Anand)Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi (photo by Chandan Anand)

 

Kuromon Ichiba Market, Osaka

 

Kuromon Ichiba Market, Osaka (photo by Ramlee Tamin)Kuromon Ichiba Market, Osaka (photo by Ramlee Tamin)

 

Opera Bar, Sydney

 

Opera Bar, Sydney (photo by Wilson Yan)Opera Bar, Sydney (photo by Wilson Yan)

 

Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas

 

Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas (photo by Isaac Recuero López)Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas (photo by Isaac Recuero López)

 

We’d love to hear what you think of this new way to talk to others on Google Maps. Let us know.

 

FAQs

If I ask a question, who will answer it?

Other people on Google Maps can answer your questions, and so can business owners. To help you get an answer quickly, we’ll notify people we think can help answer your question.

 

Why can’t I use this feature on my desktop computer or iOS device?

Right now, questions and answers are only on Google Maps for Android. We will be rolling the feature out on mobile Google Search soon, so watch for more.

 

Do I get points?

You get 3 points for every answer you provide on this new feature.

161 Comments

It seems like a good addition to the app, but very few people actually ask questions (from what I've seen over the couple past days), so it's not that useful yet.

Level 1

awesome, following

Level 9
Hi, Its a really nice option to find out about somethings details when you are unknown about that places.

Great!

Level 10

what kinds of question i asked in google map

Jayanta Ghosh
Level 9

Hi @Somsenater,

 

That's new feature, rolled out recently. Read more about it here: Ask and answer questions on Google Maps

 

Best,

Johnny..

Level 9

@lisawang will the Q&A's be curated on the businesses GMB page so they can easily be reviewed? 

@lisawang

 

Hi Miss Lisa!

 

I just read your post.

 

Was interested in answering the questions put up by people.

 

I have seen this Be the first one to ask a question box on Google map but could you please let me know when to search for questions to be answered,in case l know the answer to a particular question?

 

I would like to answer people's quiries.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Warm Regards!

Sameena Kausar

Indian Air Force

Level 10
Level 7

It will be interesting to see if businesses react negatively if they are spammed by questions that are unrelated to the products and services they offer or by spammy answers to serious questions.

 

I will bet that GMB-registered businesses will ask for a revoke-type option, so that they can remove inappropriate questions.

Level 8

Thanks

I have already started.😉

Level 9

@sputnikjim  I was just looking at some map spam listings for pest control company and boy wait till this group and locksmiths get hold of the video option. It will be interesting to see how Google controls it.

Level 5

I can't believe that the Earth has such much nice places!

Level 8

This can help people to know more about a place

Nys feature.... 

Level 2

that great

Level 8

HI @lisawang,

 

When my question got answer, will I got an notification?

 

Can multiple people reply to the same question?  Can I mark one of them as best answer, etc?

Level 10

@lisawang when will this feature available in iOS?

Ou such a beauty, I will visit the Sudney bar

Level 9

@JohnnyE thanks, I have since figured it out.

New WriterNew SolutionistGood FriendSuper Popular| 9 Badges so far! | My Connect Profile | My Contributions
Level 10

Thanks for information about this new feature. Things are getting well day by day. 🙂

Level 9

Great new feature. Looking forward to seeing how it pans out. Am curious to know if questions will reach business owners who haven't claimed their listing.

Level 9
Level 9

@lisawang: Is there a mechanism for tagging/reporting inappropriate questions? For example, if the question is not relevant to the location that it was asked at.

 

Thanks! 🙂

Please post publicly so others can benefit as well. I do not have private messages. Thanks!
Level 10

I appreciate the new Q&A section. It's interesting, but I'm hoping there will be more features as such included in this. Some from the top of my head:

  • When it comes to missing information, there should be a way to find unanswered questions, like in 'uncovering missing facts'.
  • I've seen way too many questions that are simply poorly made, such as "el goirla rest u acn" or something ridiculous. Some that I've seen still are like that after being reported. It would be nice to have some sort of fixed text. So my guess is upvoting the better-formatted questions.
  • I think it's also starting to ask questions when the only thing I've interacted with the place in question is take a picture. I think the questions should only be asked if a maps user/Local Guide had marked in their timeline as 'Visited this place'.
Level 10

@lisawang this is a useful feature to get latest information about a place. Its a great addition to Google Maps.

After a week of using it, I've noticed that few users are posting their concerns as 'queries' 🙂  

It all comes down to how effectively the users use this feature.

Connect Moderator

I've been waiting for an easy, yet secure way to get direct instant feedback from Local Guides all over the world. This is pretty close to what I had in mind. Can't wait to try it out during my layover in Tokyo this weekend 🙂

Level 8

Thank for the info

Helpful

Level 8

Another awesome feature @lisawang

It's more easier to ask questions and get quick replies now. 

Hope more exciting features are on the way.

Thanks !!

Level 8

I got my first prompt to answer a Q&A.  I stayed at tha place not long ago.  So Google is inviting users that should have experience with the pkacevto answer those Q&As.

Level 8

@lisawang Wow...That's the feature I wanted...Thanks a lot.. 🙂 Ask a Local Guide button

Sovon Biswas • Level 8 • Community Moderator • Love to- Travel, Photography, Mapping • Google Fan

@lisawang

Good morning Miss Lisawang!

The Question and Answer option is not available for Tourist places.Eg: Tank Bund of Hyderabad city India

 

It would be helpful in bringing about improvement in tourist places too by posting genuine questions pertaining to cleanliness,upgrading the facilities etc,etc.

 

My last post to you was about not being able to see the option of answering the questions.

 

Last night l received a prompt for answering a question.Thanks for resolving that query.

 

Warm Regards!

Sameena Kausar

Indian Air Force

Level 7

@lisawang Hi Lisa, hope you had a great weekend.

 

Excellent update on making this new feature available on Google Search too!

 

I've been using this feature quite a few times and here are 2 potential

enhancement ideas:  

 

1. Places owners/staff involved - it seems that at the moment all the answers come from Local Guides. It would be cool if places owners/staff also answer these questions as obviously they have a lot of the latest information about their own companies.

 

2. Answer you own questions - sometimes you ask a question before you plan your visit to a certain place. In case no one responds and you do go to that place, it would be great to send a notification/prompt to answer your own question.

 

Best,

Ivan London 

Level 6

 I see a ton of value in this but a terribly daunting administrative task for enterprise level (corporate business with 200+ locations).  I haven't heard anything about efficient administration for enterprise.  We want to participate and contribute but thus far administration is overwhelming.  Hoping to see admin tools in GMB in the future.

Level 10

Local Guide team must be super busy these few days, with the new video and Q&A features. 

Unfortunately Q&A is quite tough as most people submitting questions are giving very very weird questions that are mostly impossible to answer. It does not look like a suitable place to engage in a long conversation or clarifcation, and many questions are directed at business owners. i don't think right now many owners seem active on Google Maps. 

I hope we find a way to make it better. I have answer 2 or 3 questions but I don't know what else happen after that. It's a weird experience. 

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Level 7

@SPTN Thanks for your note. Could you please advise what 'GMB' stand for? 

 

Kind Regards,

Ivan London

Level 9

@IvanLondon it stands for Google My Business

New WriterNew SolutionistGood FriendSuper Popular| 9 Badges so far! | My Connect Profile | My Contributions
Level 7

@Somsenater Thanks buddy!

Level 7

I love it

Now LG will be real LG to answer each queations of public map on smartphone android and iOS

Level 6

With this update it will be soon become the wikipedia of places.

Level 7

Great new feature! I allready got a local (Haarlem, The Netherlands) question to answer.

Madrieco.
Level 6

 Effective moderation tools are needed for this new Q&A.  Notifications of submitted questions are inconsistently received and there is no central repository to retain history of questions submitted across multiple locations.  Reputation management is at stake for business owners who do not take the lead in responding to questions.  Local Guides don't have the specific business knowledge as an authorized employee would have, especially in enterprise/corporate multi location business operations.

Level 8

I love this feature! Thank for your note.

Level 6

I would like to recommend to Local Guides that when the Business answers a question, that we take into account that the Business Owner answer should be THE answer.  No further input is needed as the Business Owner knows their business far better than anyone else.  Just a suggestion....

Level 9

This is really a nice new feature, thanks for sharing @lisawang

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Level 10

Awesome and useful feature. 

Google Maps In new update in iOS simple question and answered update. 

 

So,now google maps easily to asking questions and answers..

IMG_5044.PNG

 

 

 

 

JayKumar Panseriya
Level 7

@lisawang Hi Lisa, happpy Friday!

 

Here is a potential enhancement for our new feature - let's add Google Translate option there as well, as people sometimes ask and answer in different languages. 

 

Here is an example of Citi Bank UK:IMG_7390.PNG

 

 

 

 

Level 9

Perfect! I've had my eyes on this feature for some time now and just today I recieved a notification about a question. SUPERB!

 

Side note; Can we expand this one day in the future to allow people to reply to reviews to ask about more details about something not so clear in the review? the disadvantage of this that it could lead to arguments in the reviews section which would distract users from finding important information so maybe some restrictions can be made in terms of frequancy of reply or length of message? I don't know but Google always find a way.

 

Thank you @lisawang for the good news.

Level 6

@lisawang that's a great option to really improve and development of the places you love or visit.