Who Local Guides are, what their levels and badges mean, what you can and cannot offer them, and how to respond to their reviews and protect your listing from wrong edits.
Local Guides is the Google Maps community program for people who contribute reviews, photos, ratings, answers, and edits. Anyone with a Google account can join, and contributors earn points that unlock levels and a visible badge. For a local business, that means some of the people reviewing you are experienced, prolific reviewers whose profiles other customers recognise.
You cannot choose who reviews you, but understanding the program helps you respond well, spot suspicious offers, and keep your listing accurate when contributors suggest changes.
Contributors earn points for activity on Google Maps. At the time of writing, Google's help centre lists 10 points for a review, plus 10 bonus points for reviews over 200 characters, 5 points for a photo, 7 for a video, 1 for a rating, 5 for an edit, and 15 for adding a missing place. There are 10 levels, from Level 1 at 0 points to Level 10 at 100,000 points. From Level 4, at 250 points, a Local Guides badge appears on the contributor's reviews. Google has refreshed how levels and badges look over time, but the points system has stayed the same.
The badge tells readers that the author reviews often, which can make their opinion feel more credible. Active guides also tend to write longer reviews and add photos, since both earn points, so their reviews are often among the most useful on your profile. Because frequent reviewers compare you with many similar places, their ratings can be stricter. A three-star review from a Level 8 guide is rarely an attack. It is usually detailed, specific feedback worth reading closely and answering well.
You can invite every customer to review you, Local Guides included, and you can reply to every review. You cannot offer free meals, stays, or discounts in exchange for reviews, even to guides with a large following. Google treats that as an incentivised review, and its contributed content policy prohibits it. Be wary of anyone offering to post reviews from high-level Local Guide accounts for a fee. Paid reviews violate Google's policies and can lead to removed reviews or restrictions on your profile. The full list of rules is in our Google review guidelines for businesses.
Treat every reviewer the same, but match the depth of your reply to the depth of the review. When a guide writes several detailed paragraphs, respond to the specific points they raised, thank them for any photos, and mention changes you have made. For critical reviews, stay factual and invite them to continue the conversation privately. Review monitoring alerts you when new reviews arrive, and AI review responses can draft a detailed reply for a manager to check before it is published.
Local Guides also earn points for suggesting edits, such as new opening hours, a different phone number, or a closed status. Most suggestions are helpful, but wrong edits are sometimes accepted, and they can send customers to a closed door. Check your Business Profile regularly for updates Google has applied, correct anything inaccurate straight away, and keep your name, address, and phone number identical everywhere online. Our NAP consistency checklist explains why consistent details give Google fewer conflicting signals to act on.
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Get startedWho Local Guides are, what their levels and badges mean, what you can and cannot offer them, and how to respond to their reviews and protect your listing from wrong edits. Local Guides is the Google Maps community program for people who contribute reviews, photos, ratings, answers, and edits. Anyon...
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