A few months ago Google made a dramatic overhaul to their local business profile service, Google Places. What they have done is consolidated Google Places into Google+, calling these new pages Google+ Local. Many Google Places profiles have been automatically switched over to Google+ Local. If you have noticed that your profile looks different, this is why. Not to worry, your current Google Places page still exists and can still be accessed the same way you are used to. This will also allow you to manage your profile the same way you have been.
This a good thing for local business owners, as users that are logged into their personal Google+ profiles are able to better share and communicate local business information to other Google+ users they are connected to. Consolidating these services is also good from a usability stand point. Instead of having to visit different web properties, users can submit reviews on businesses while logged into Google+. Likewise, this will make using Google+ more useful and easy to use for business owners. Red Olive is encouraging all local business owners to create a Google+ Business page as Google+ is becoming more important everyday as an integral part of any online marketing strategy.
