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Google is introducing a range of new features to help users share information on Google Maps and drive community-led updates.
“We’re introducing three new Google Maps features that will help make sharing and finding local recommendations and information easier,” Google said in a blog post.
The tech giant, over the years, has made it easier for anyone with a Google account to contribute their local knowledge about “more than 200 million places” in Google Maps.
Local Guides
At the heart of these community-led updates are Local Guides. Local Guides are a community of contributors “who help others by updating Google Maps,” the tech giant explained.
It now has around 150 million Local Guides around the world. The tech giant is now introducing new features to help users update information on Maps.
In the coming weeks, Google will roll out a new content type in Google Maps called photo updates. With this, users can find and share their experiences on Maps with recent photos.
Photo updates
“A Google Maps photo update is a recent snapshot of a place with a short text description, without the need to leave a review or rating,” it said.
Users can go to the “Updates” tab on a place in Google Maps to see the latest photos that merchants and other people have shared.
They can also add their own update by taping the “upload a photo update” button, selecting their photos and leaving a short description and post.
“You can post as many photos as you want and find photo updates that others have left in the Updates tab,” Google said.
It has also made it easier for users to report road changes with a new, immersive desktop road editing tool.
When users see a road missing on maps.google.com, they can click on the side menu button, go to “Edit the map”, and select “Missing Road.”
“Add missing roads by drawing lines, quickly rename roads, change road directionality, and realign or delete incorrect roads. You can even let us know if a road is closed with details like dates, reasons and directions. To make sure the suggestions and edits are accurate, we’ll vet contributed road updates before publishing them,” it said.
The feature will be rolled out over the coming months in more than 80 countries where people can already report road updates on Google Maps.
Apart from this, it is also starting a new campaign in the United States for Android users.
“For the next month, most people using Android in the US can join our first nationwide challenge to rally helpful reviews, photos and updates from sea to shining sea. Simply jump into the Contribute tab in Google Maps to join the “Local Love challenge” and add ratings, reviews and confirm information to support local businesses you’ve visited, from your go-to bakery to the neighbourhood hardware store,” it said.
“Each contribution will count toward a collective goal of updating 100,000 businesses. We’ll use feedback on the Local Love challenge to guide future campaigns in more countries,” it added.
Local Guides have contributed over 70 per cent of the reviews, photos and other types of user-generated content that users see on Google Maps since the program was launched six years ago.
“In 2020 alone, Local Guides added more than 8 million places to Google Maps, from local businesses and services to parks and plazas,” it said.
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