screen recording showing how to create a Google+ Local page for businesses, See Step 3 for step by step guide as well.
Google Places & Google+ Local
Google Places used to be the local results for Google. Shortly after the arrival of Google+ we received a renewed version of Places, Google+ Local. At the moment Google Places and Google+ Local co-exist and for the time being we need to act as if this will never change. Whether this will at some point change, nobody knows for certain.
Step 1 – Creating a Google Places listing
Adding a business is done through looking up the phone number. Select your country of residence and enter the phone number of the business that you wish to add and you will be taken to a page that requests various business details in order to submit it as a Google Places listing.
If you know a business already has a Google Places page, copy the phone number in the format that it is displayed.
Step 2 – Verifying the Google Places listing
After you’ve filled in all the required fields you can continue on to the next page by pressing Submit. This will take you to the verification page detailing how and when the information will be sent to you. Due to spamming issues in the past the only manner of verification is through post card which can take up to 2 weeks to arrive.
If after 2 weeks you have NOT received a PIN code, request a second PIN code through your Google Places Dashboard.
Once you receive the pincode, simply visit your
Google Places Dashboard and input the PIN code that was received via mail.
Congratulations you now have a Google Places listing.
Step 3 – Creating and Verifying a Google+ Local listing
In order to create a verified Google+ Local listing you must already have your own Google+ Profile
Visit the
Create a Google+ Pages tab and select the first category ‘Local Business or Place’. Select the country of residence of the business and Input the phone number of the business in the exact same format that you added it to Google Places, press
Locate.
This will present you with a search result of Google Places listings of businesses matching the phone number. Select the business that you added and verified through Google Places and press Ok.
Input a Page Name, I recommend the business name. And if available link to the external website, this should be the same external website that you added to the Google Places listing from Step 1.
From here on you can decorate the website to your liking but this is of no relevance to the verification so I will skip all of it.
Next to the page name you will see the Google+ Pages icon and the text ‘Unverified‘. Hover over this text and click ‘Verify Now‘. Fill in the required contact details and have the pincode send to the businesses adress.
Step 4 – Celebrate
You’ve now successfully created and merged a Google Places and Google+ Local page resulting in a Google+ Local verified local business.
But hey, why do I need Google Places & Google+ Local, what’s the difference?
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- Google+ Local has no analytics, but because your Google Places and Google+ Local are now merged you can review the analytics through the Google Places Dashboard.
- Ownership of Google Places can NOT be transfered to another email. If you create a Google Places listing for a business using your personal email, you’re screwed. Not only are you creating a world of shit for yourself, you’re doing an even worse job for the business. Always request a business email and create and verify using their email.
- Ownership of Google+ Local can be transfered to another email. Google+ Local listings can have multiple moderators and a single owner. Once a moderator has been a moderator for 2 weeks, ownership can be transfered.
- If you want to edit the information as it appears on Google+ Local you will need to do this through Google+ Local. Edits done through Google Places will not appear live.
- The reason you need both your Google Places and Google+ Local account is because Google+ Local can’t be created without selecting a Google Places listing.
What i’ve described above is the ONLY correct way, but there are many and I do mean many variations to how this will work in reality.