One of the consequences of publishing podcast episodes less frequently, is that I will need to do a News & Updates episode every couple of episodes, I guess - especially if the Google Maps team keeps bringing out new features at the current pace. Bu

Google provides a dedicated forum for Local Guides to get in touch with one another and share their experiences. That is - as you will probably know - Local Guides Connect. On that platform the moderation is handled on the one hand by some Google employee

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is definitely one of the most used buzzwords in recent years. And Google is definitely a major contributor in that field. But when it comes to using Google Maps and being a Local Guide, some of the things we see pop up or get

There are a bunch of novelties again, both about Google Maps and the Local Guides program, so its time for another News & Updates episode.Check out the shownotes on https://www.letsguidepodcast.com. To get in touch, just send an email to letsguidepo

When you click on the profile picture of a local guide in Google Maps, a screen pops up listing the number of contributions (s)he has made, split up by type of contribution. In most cases there are high numbers for Photos and Answers, sometimes also for R

The Local Guides program in Google Maps is 100% based on volunteer work. There is no payment for the contributions we all make on Maps. Still the topic Local Guides and money is at times heavily debated, so in this episode I want to answer some questions

Not everything you see on Google Maps belongs there. Quite a few entries are in fact spam, often added on purpose for malicious or at least deceptive reasons. In this episode I discuss that topic with Jason Brown, an absolute specialist in fighting such s

Look, this Google Maps team is seriously messing up my planning. Typically I record one episode per month on a specific topic related to the Local Guides program, and I then add a short section at the end where I talk about new features. But they keep rel

An important element of the Local Guides program is the gamification - the fact that you can earn points by contributing to Google Maps and that those points help you reach higher levels. The highest level you can reach as local guide is level 10 - and ju

The last few weeks and months, quite a few of the ways you can suggest edits on Google Maps have changed - both in terms of the processes and the screens that are presented to Local Guides in the Maps app. In this episode we will explore what exactly has