Google introduced the Local Guide Program, allowing people to share their experiences of visiting places. For example, if you visit an interesting place, you can share your experience by rating it and sharing images and videos. The Local Guide program is directly linked with Google Maps, so you can also add a new place or road to Google Maps with the help of the Local Guide Program. People earn points for their contributions.
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Hi @Ak1430
When possible it is best to link to information directly from Google Maps.
Keep in mind that all Maps users can add reviews, ratings, new roads, new places, and they can add photos and videos. The Local Guides Program is an add-on to being a Maps user.
All the best
Morten
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@MortenCopenhagen reg. “The Local Guides Program is an add-on to being a Maps user.”:
This raises an interesting question:
“What exactly is the Local Guides Program or better, what is it meant to be and what is it not?”
Starting to participate not so long ago, I understand it just as some kind of incentive to encourage users of Google Maps to contribute more information .
I have the impression, many members of the Local Guides Connect forum overestimate the added value generated by this program and therefore each local guide’s activities for Google’s businesses.
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Hi @WilfriedB
Good question.
I think many Local Guides wrongfully believe that sharing photos and reviews and making other contributions is a privilege linked to being a Local Guide.
The purpose of the LG program was likely to get the ball rolling for getting users to add photos and reviews. This mission is accomplished to the fullest extent as a lot of Maps users regularly share photos and reviews even without being part of the LG program.
Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to why the program is kept alive even today. But having an engaged group of users constantly providing feedback is probably very valuable. The Connect Moderator group sometimes functions as a focus group of experienced Google Maps users for the teams and this community is one of the ways Google learns about what its billions of users think, like, and want.
With 150+ million Local Guides enrolled in our network, we are likely one of the biggest networks of volunteers in the world. If not the biggest.
My vision is that Google one day will decide to make better use of us and leverage our efforts to something bigger and more spectacular than what is the case today.
Cheers
Morten
PS. Ask again if I failed to answer your questions.
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Correct @Ak1430 and you earn many more badge and increase your level while working properly
Thanks a lot @MortenCopenhagen you confirmed what I was guessing.
Who sees the number of views for individual media/reviews? Only local guides for their own posts or also other non-local guides users? Business owners for media/reviews posted to their business pin?
To “why the program is kept alive even today”, I would add “, but with reduced resources”. 
. I am sure, we will never know, but your guesses sound reasonable.
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I don’t know if business owners have access to the view counts. This would be interesting to know.
On some platforms we are able to see the photo views under other Local Guides. Not on Desktop, though.
Cheers
Morten
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Welcome back to Connect after a long time, @Ak1430
Well, I find quite interesting that you want to tell us what the Local Guides are, because this is the Official community of the Google Local Guides.
As you can read on the Overview of the Local Guides Help Page “Local Guides is a global community of explorers who write reviews, share photos, answer questions, add or edit places, and check facts on Google Maps. Millions of people rely on contributions like yours to decide where to go and what to do.”
I think the help page is a page you should visit ASAP, especially the part related to the Community policy and the Maps user-generated content policy
In there you may understand the difference between a Local Guide and a Former Local Guide.
As I mentioned already, "Millions of people rely on contributions like yours to decide where to go" so where should I go to get the pizza in your photo?
When we see a duplicate photo like yours, Maps invite us to "Report inappropriate user profile policy to take action."
What should we do when we see stolen photos like the ones below, even with the author’s profile and the text “Images may be subject to copyright”?
What should we do when we see photos stolen from the web, like these?
Are your five selfies here representing a Phone repair shop?
Is this screenshot taken from the web an original content?
What I have shared above are just some examples of the violations in your contributions, that is, of what a True Local Guide should NEVER do. So, thank you for letting us know what the Local Guides are. My question to you is: do you want to be a Local Guide too? If yes, now you know what to do. But do it now. Luckily for you, Google doesn’t work on Sundays, so this post will only be seen on Monday.
Obviously mine is just advice, what you decide to do from here on is entirely your choice. I can only wish you good luck
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