The Google Local Guide program: Does it help your rankings?

What is the Google Local Guide program?

Google Local Guides is an incentive program that encourages people to contribute useful information and reviews to Google Business Profiles. There are currently more than 150 million Google Maps Local Guides posting reviews, adding photos, answering questions, and suggesting updates. Users earn points for their contributions, which unlock different levels, benefits and recognition within the Google Local Guides community. Google Maps Local Guides can also participate in community forums, attend Google-hosted events, and even get early access to new Google features and products. 

Get noticed: Google Local Guides are potential ambassadors for your local business, so you want to make the best possible impression. Get your Google Business Profile up to scratch with Semrush Local, the all-in-one local SEO suite of tools for higher rankings and better reviews.

How does Google Local Guides work?

Consumer-generated reviews and content help users work out which businesses are worth their money and who they can trust; the Google Local Guide program is really just a bit of recognition for people that take the time to make local search more useful. Making a contribution to the Google Maps ecosystem is pretty straightforward, whether you have a Google Local Guides profile or not. All you need to do is open the Google Maps app and click on the “Contribute” button. But if you want your activity to start racking up points and benefits on the Google Local Guide platform, you’ll need to sign up. Once you’ve selected your city and agreed to the terms, you’ll start earning points for every contribution you make.

Can you earn money as a Google Maps Local Guide?

The more a Google Maps Guide contributes to the platform, the more rewards they can earn, but this never involves cash. In fact, any cash or discount incentive encouraging people to leave you a Google review is frowned upon, and can possibly result in penalties. And it’s the Google Local Guide community that are the most likely to report you for it. Instead, the program works best as a community of contributors who love discovering new places and sharing their opinions. Sometimes they even meet up in the real world at special get-togethers. 

Google Maps Guides are rewarded with a different number of points for each action they take:  

• Post a review = 10 points 
• Post a review over 200 characters = 20 points 
• Leave a star rating = 1 point per rating 
• Upload a photo = 5 points per photo 
• Add a photo tag = 5 points per tag 
• Upload a video = 7 points per video 
• Respond to Q&As = 3 points per response 
• Make an edit - 5 points per edit 
• Add a place = 15 points per place 
• Add a road = 15 points per road 
• Check a fact = 1 point per fact 
• Publish a list of places = 10 points per list 
• Add a description to a list = 5 points per description 

Once a user reaches level 4, they unlock their first Local Guide badge, which appears next to their profile on reviews. 

Level 10 is the top tier for users that have earned 100,000+ points. 

Some Google Maps Local Guides may receive other special perks from Google, but the search engine offers no clear indication as to what those benefits might be.

Does the Google Local Guide program help with local SEO?

Semrush’s 2021 Local SEO Rankings Study revealed that the quantity of reviews matters just as much as the average star rating, if not more. So it stands to reason that Google Maps Guides actively boosting the number of reviews for local businesses can only be a good thing for those looking to improve their rankings. However, with Google Local Guides incentivized to post as many reviews as possible, there’s an argument that some submit just to boost their own levels, rather than sharing useful feedback with the community. 

If you’ve received a review that doesn't seem genuine, look into the Local Guide’s profile and check for unusual behavior like posting the same thing on multiple GBPs. If you suspect the reviewer isn’t the real deal, you can report them to Google through the search engine’s Help Center . But Google Local Users are encouraged to submit specific reviews and high-quality images, risking removal from the program if they engage in any spammy behavior. Negative reviews for otherwise popular businesses don’t happen that often, and it’s better to focus on drowning them out with positive reviews through a strong review generation campaign. 

Five stars: Overall, the Google Local Guide program is a positive thing as the vast majority of users are only reviewing businesses they have genuinely interacted with. Reviews are great for your local SEO, but you’ll need to stay on top of getting back to them all. Use Semrush Local's Review Management tool to consolidate your client testimonials into one handy interface and thank them all more efficiently.