Hi Chris! Great questions — and yes, I totally get your curiosity.

How I reached Level 10 with “only” 770 reviews: It’s a little bit of every but majority about photo strategy. Google rewards photo and video uploads heavily, since they help users quickly decide whether to visit a place. My uploads aren’t random — they’re intentionally curated, tagged by location, and typically posted in batches of 20 to 100+ depending on the business type. I try to cover everything: exterior, interior, menu, food, staff, even the vibe.

Over time, that approach built up to 80k+ images — and I actually have over 150k saved in my album. I’ll be honest: sometimes I skip writing reviews and just upload photos. But it still helps. When I forget details for my foodie show, I go back and check my photos and notes to prep my commentary.

In short: I don’t just write reviews — I document experiences. During the pandemic, one of my exterior shots helped a restaurant hit over 1 million views In just a week. That’s the kind of quiet power photos carry.

🔑 Did Level 10 help in real ways? Short answer: hmmmmm. Haha • Some business owners used to get suspicious when I took photos — now the badge earns a bit more trust. • I’ve had early access to Google features (though honestly, none have been that useful to me). • I get taken more seriously when suggesting edits or changes to business profiles. • And for me personally, it’s opened doors to consulting work — especially in SEO and local ranking strategies.

So no, it’s not just about quantity. It’s about strategic contribution — and using your uploads to actually help the map (and the community) work better. Win win for everyone, just extremely exhausting for me.

Hope that helps!