Being a local guide is all about contributing to Google Maps, but at times it can be interesting to exchange information and experiences with other local guides. One of the best ways to do this is attending or even hosting so-called Meetups. In this episode you find out what these Meetups are all about and what typically goes on when local guides meet in real life.

SHOWNOTES

• • Email: letsguidepodcast@gmail.com
  • Reach out to me on Twitter: LocalGuidesGuru
  • My personal blog: janvanhaver.com/
  • The local guides section on my blog
  • The official Meetup website
  • AriMar’s post How to organize a successful meet-up
  • Adrian Lunsong’s post How to prepare for a meet-up submission
  • AriMar’s post How do I write a great meet-up recap
  • Announcement about Supported Meetups
  • My post with 9 Tips to host a successful meetup
  • The recap post for the Virtual Meetup on Lovely Lists
  • The post containing the rules for closing ideas in Idea Exchange
  • Sign up to become a local guide yourself
  • Local Guides Connect – the official forum for Local Guides

 

TRANSCRIPTIONS

Jan Van Haver 0:05
Hello, and welcome to yet another episode of the LetsGuide Podcast the ultimate podcast for Google Local Guides. This is already episode number 14. Today we talk about what happens when local guides meet in real life. Being a local guide is all about contributing to Google Maps, as you know, but at times it can be interesting to exchange information and experiences with other local guides. One of the best ways to do this is attending, or even hosting so called Meet-ups. In this episode, you’ll find out what these Meet-ups are all about, and what typically goes on when local guides meet in real life.

Jan Van Haver 0:49
Before we start, I want to point out once again that I am not an official representative of Google. I’m just a local guide myself. Everything I say is there for my personal interpretation of the things that you need to know about being a local guide. I want to emphasize this even more than usual today as there is some very exciting news about me myself as local guide. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to find out what this is all about. Today’s episode is recorded the middle of October 2019, and therefore describing the situation as it is today. If you’re listening at a later date, things might have changed dramatically. Continue reading “Episode 14: Meetups” →

The way local guides can and should interact with Google Maps is constantly being updated. What has changed since the last News & Updates podcast episode? What is new? Are there updates for the topics we already covered?

SHOWNOTES

• • Email: letsguidepodcast@gmail.com
  • Reach out to me on Twitter: LocalGuidesGuru
  • My personal blog: janvanhaver.com/
  • The local guides section on my blog
  • Connect post by MoniV What photos should I share on Google
  • Announcement See fellow Local Guides Google Maps profiles in Connect
  • Announcement about Supported Meetups
  • My Connect post about new categories
  • Arimar’s post about My Activities
  • This epsiode’s What a great idea: Check the Facts: green indicators should change again
  • Sign up to become a local guide yourself
  • Local Guides Connect – the official forum for Local Guides

TRANSCRIPTION

Jan Van Haver 0:06
Hello, dear listener, and welcome to the LetsGuide Podcast, the ultimate podcast for Google Local Guides. We’re recording episode 13 already today and just as we had in episode number 8, this is an episode about, or with news and updates, as there’s simply so much new stuff going on these days. The way local guides can and should interact with Google Maps is constantly being updated. So what has changed since the last news and updates episode? What is completely new? And are there perhaps updates for topics we already covered? Stay tuned to find out this and much more in episode number 13.

Jan Van Haver 0:51
As usual, at the beginning of the episode, I want to emphasize that I have no official affiliation to Google whatsoever. I am just a local guide, like most of you, and everything I say is therefore my personal interpretation and nothing more than that. The episode today is recorded at the beginning of October 2019, and therefore describing the situation as it is today. Should you be listening at a later date, then perhaps things might have changed, of course. Continue reading “Episode 13: News & Updates” →

Google Maps can be used in surprisingly creative ways. An excellent example is #EdPins, an initiative with the motto Putting learning on the map. In this episode we have an interview with Dale Plotzki, the man behind #EdPins – and more.

SHOWNOTES

• • Email: letsguidepodcast@gmail.com
  • Reach out to me on Twitter: LocalGuidesGuru
  • My personal blog: janvanhaver.com/
  • The local guides section on my blog
  • The #EdPins project: www.edpins.org
  • #EdPins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdPins1
  • Dale Plotzki’s webpage: daleplotzki.com
  • Dale Plotzki on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dale_rickardo
  • The #LocalGuidesSurf list on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/3N6q3jNHv6J1rmL8A
  • This epsiode’s What a great idea: Opportunity to Flag Irrelevant Pics
  • Sign up to become a local guide yourself
  • Local Guides Connect – the official forum for Local Guides

 

TRANSCRIPTION

Jan Van Haver 0:06
Hello and welcome to episode 12 of the LetsGuide Podcast, the ultimate podcast for Google Local Guides. Today we’re trying out something new. It’s not an episode where I am talking for 15 or 20 minutes about one specific topic related to Google Maps, but we’re having an interview. Yes, indeed, I have a guest on the show today. I hope it will be interesting for all of you, but especially the people who have a link to education might be in for a nice surprise with this interview.

Jan Van Haver 0:41
Google Maps can be used in very surprisingly creative ways. An excellent example is #EdPins – that’s the topic for today. #EdPins is an initiative with the motto ‘putting learning on the map’. And in the episode today we have an interview with Dale Plotzki, the man behind #EdPins – and more, as you will find out. As usual, I want to point out, before we get started that I have no affiliation with Google or the Local Guides team. I’m just a local guide like most of you. Anything I say in the program is therefore my personal interpretation. This episode is recorded mid September 2019, and is therefore describing the situation as it is today – might have changed if you’re listening at a later date. And before we go to the interview, I want to point out also that it was the first time I did something like this, and I have noticed only afterwards that I still need to work on my recording skills, especially when it comes to getting the sound volume right. And it seems there was also a small delay on the line, on the connection, so I know what to work on for the next interview episode. Continue reading “Episode 12: #EdPins” →

A crucial data point for each place on Google Maps is the Map Marker (or pin), the exact point where the place is located on the map. Why is that so important? What is the optimal spot to put the pins? And how can local guides help to correct errors on the current map?

SHOWNOTES

• • Email: letsguidepodcast@gmail.com
  • Reach out to me on Twitter: LocalGuidesGuru
  • My personal blog: https://janvanhaver.com/
  • The local guides section on my blog
  • Sign up to become a local guide yourself
  • Local Guides Connect – the official forum for Local Guides
  • This epsiode’s What a great idea #1: Additional icons to indicate types of places
  • This epsiode’s What a great idea #2: Adapt, not replace map marker when adding POI to a list

 

TRANSCRIPTION
Jan Van Haver 0:05
Hello, and welcome to yet another episode of the LetsGuide Podcast, the ultimate podcast for Google Local Guides. I received quite some nice feedback about the previous episode, the one about getting to level 5 in a day. So that’s always really nice to get, of course, this kind of feedback. If you haven’t heard it yet, that episode number 10, you should perhaps go back and listen to it right now because people seem to have liked that a lot. So I hope you will also like it, if you haven’t heard it yet.

Jan Van Haver 0:40
The summer break is over. We’re back on track now with episode 11, the episode about map markers. A crucial data point for each place on Google Maps is the map marker or so called pin, the exact point where the place is located on the map. Why is that so important? What is the optimal spot to put the pins? And how can local guides help to correct errors on the current map? All that we will find out in this episode. Continue reading “Episode 11: Map Markers” →

To reach Level 5 as Local Guide, you need to “score” 500 points. That sounds like a lot, but it is actually perfectly possible to do that in a single day – without violating any of the rules and, most importantly, by making genuine and meaningful contributions.

SHOWNOTES

• • Email: letsguidepodcast@gmail.com
  • Reach out to me on Twitter: LocalGuidesGuru
  • My personal blog: https://janvanhaver.com/
  • The local guides section on my blog
  • Sign up to become a local guide yourself
  • Local Guides Connect – the official forum for Local Guides
  • This epsiode’s What a great idea: Multiple stars to rate a business

 

TRANSCRIPTION

Jan Van Haver 0:05
Hello, and welcome to the LetsGuide Podcast, the ultimate podcast for Google Local Guides. You’re listening to episode number 10, which is a bit of a milestone for me because, well, with 10 episodes we go into the double digits with respects to the number of episodes. And that’s a bit of an achievement, of course, because you might have noticed in your podcasting app that by far not all podcasts reach 10 episodes after starting out. Not sure if I will ever reach 100, because you have to realize this is just a hobby for me; so I want to point out also that I have no official affiliation to Google or the local guides team, I’m just a local guide like most of you and everything I say here is just my personal interpretation. This episode is recorded at the end of July 2019 and is therefore of course describing the situation as it is today. That might have changed if you’re listening to this episode at a later point in time.

Jan Van Haver 1:10
The episode today is called ‘Level 5 in a day’ – that sounded like a nice topic for this 10th episode. To reach level 5 as a local guide, you need to ‘score’ so to speak 500 points – we’ve talked about that and discussed at length in the first episode, about the basics. That sounds like a lot, but it’s actually possible to do that within a single day, without violating any of the rules and most importantly: by making genuine and meaningful contributions. Continue reading “Episode 10: Level 5 in a Day” →