There’s a New Google Places in Town
In an effort to push Google+ into the mainstream, Google has announced that the local listings reviews portion of Google Places is changing.
What Does this Mean for Current Google Places Users?
According to Google, this means that as a business owner, you can still use Google Places to manage your business. As a user, you can now rate, review and upload photos through their new local search experience, Google+ Local.
As a user, you’ll have two options:
- You’ll have to switch all of your current information into the Google+ name
- You will have an option to keep all of your content public or to mark some of it private
If you don’t already have a Google+ account, you will need to sign up for one. For instructions on how to do that, click here.
If you choose not to sign up for Google+ Local and you post a review or photo, it will simply state “Google User” under the review or photo. Whatever content you deem as public will be seen by everyone on the web, but it will appear under your Google+ name; not your old nickname. Your Google+ name gives you access to all of the Google+ features, including Circles, Sparks, Huddles and Hangouts. Don’t know what those are? Click here.
In addition to being seen on Google+, reviews will still be accessible through Google search results and Google Maps.
Will this Change my Business Listing on Google Places?
The answer is not yet. At this point, only Google Places users/reviewers have the task of joining Google+ Local. However, we here at Verticalwerks are seeing the tide turning with Google and we DO anticipate the business owners will need to switch to Google+ Local soon. When that happens, we will be right here to get you through it. Verticalwerks is your one-stop internet marketing solution. Let us help you tell YOUR story.