Google Will Now Reward Local Guides For Contributing To Google Maps

When you’re looking at your Google Maps, especially when you’re in unfamiliar territory, don’t you just wish there were more recommendations and reviews of the places you’re going to?

Local Guides is a global community introduced by the search giant, where regular people can sign up and add new undiscovered places into Google maps, along with photographs and reviews of new places like restaurants, tourist spots, and other locations. Those points go towards unlocking a series of new perks. Based on these variables, users participating can earn up to 5 points per place as each contribution type is worth one point.

Getting more points leads to better bonuses – Level 1 users, with zero to four points, get access to exclusive contests. Level 4, for example, comes with a free 1TB of Google Drive space for two years.

Level five is as high as the new scheme goes, making you eligible to apply to attend Google’s inaugural Maps-related summit in 2016. Then you’d need to update your Google Maps to its latest version where you’ll also be able to see your contributions and points you’ve earned and what level you’re in now. Although Google Maps has a few worthy competitors it does have an edge over others due to its extensively harvested local database and the listing of businesses. The update will be available on both Android and iOS platforms and will require users to signup, according to Google. Google has not detailed the summit plans yet but is seems that the attendees who make it to the summit will be able to meetup with the other top guides from around the world and checkout the Google campus as well.