Month: August 2012

2 months back Google Places changed to Google local+ see my in-depth article with a lot of Q&A. There was a lot of confusion as to what this was some people thought it was google + business pages and now the wait and confusion is over… maybe…

key focus points:

• must verify via postcard in the mail
• must show your physical address
• must already have created a google plus page
• The process is initiated from the Google+ Business page

Why Merge Pages?
By merging an existing Google+ Business page with your Google+ Local listing, you add a variety of new tools and resources to make your Google+ Local listing more dynamic and engaging to consumers visiting your page. Because this listing will show up in Google+ search as well as Google organic search, merging the two adds increased visibility for your social presence on Google+ and also provides more information about you to consumers searching for a local business. Not only will they see your business information, photos, and reviews, but there will also be more emphasis placed on other types of content, like your posts, videos, links to social media profiles, and more.

Plus, when you merge your pages, you will be able to monitor and manage both your Google+ Local listing and your Google+ Business page from one place – the Google+ Pages admin page.

Here is an example of a verified, merged page that includes both listing information and the social components of Google+:

To get started:

• Simply log into this account and then, on the left-hand sidebar, scroll down to the to “more” icon and select “pages.”
• This will take you to a section called “Manage Your Pages,” and from there, you can select the page you want to manage or choose to create a new page.
• Then, follow the prompts to either set up a new Google+ Business page to merge with your listing, or begin to merge your existing local Google+ Business page with your Google+ Local listing.
• You will use the business phone number associated with your listing to identify which page you want to merge and then confirm all the business listing information on the listing is accurate.
• In this process, you need to make sure to verify your page by selecting the “Verify Now” button on the right side of your page admin panel.
• Then, Google will send you a postcard in the mail to the address you confirm on the listing and prompt you to verify this listing by going to www.google.com/local/verify and entering the pin number on the postcard.
• Once you have merged your pages, you will be prompted to set up your page, add new content, and share your page with people in your circles.