Google Places have been replaced with Google+ Local pages by Google. Google+ Local Pages will now showcase all the business listings. But yet Google Places can be accessed directly from the business center. Moreover the Google Listings will be updated or created from Google Places Center only.
Following are some of the points which Google has updated at present majorly:
- A check mark on Google+ Local will not be displayed by the verified Google Places. But Google is working on this.
- Videos or use the Post to Place page feature cannot be uploaded by Business owner any longer.
- The Zagat scoring system has been adopted by Google (more on that here: http://goo.gl/JO7p1)
- Reviews from Google and Zagat users will live on your local Google+ page and accredited to “A Google User” or “A Zagat user” until the user chooses to feature their name with the review.
- Ratings have been updated. Earlier it was 5 stars and now business can have only 3 star.
At present the business owners yet don’t have access to all the social features of Google+. But it is expected that soon Google will make it simpler to take full advantage of Google+’s social features and manage the listings on Google, particularly for those who have already verified Google Place pages.
With Google+ Local, you can avail the following services:
- you can get place recommendations on the basis your circles, your past reviews, and your location
- Facility of Publishing reviews and the photos of your favorite places
- Reading Zagat summaries of user reviews for a place
- You can view the local Google+ page for business purpose and can see reviews, photos, and other useful information
- You will be able to find reviews from people you know and trust highlighted in your search results
Furthermore Google is functioning to combine Google Places page with Google+ Page. Now all the business owners will have a single page for the business i.e. Google+ Local Page.
It is a compulsion now to have a Google+ profile to get the reviews and if you don’t have a profile in Google + then you won’t be able to post reviews.
Below are the few resource links:
http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/google-plus-local-google-places.html
Also David Mihm has launched an overview of the ranking factors according to the new update of Google.
Here is the link for the same.
