Hoping to stock its database to get up-to-date information about local businesses, Google (GOOG) is trying to turn its users into paid contractors. The company has launched a program that will pay people to take digital photos of local shops and verify their operating hours and payment options – essentially, creating a digital Yellow Pages to layer on top of Google Maps.
Under the terms of the Google Business Referral program, representatives can earn up to $10 for each business they catalog for Google – $2 for the business’s information, and $8 for getting the company to verify that the information is correct by either sending in a postcard or approving it online.