Late on Friday, Jade from Google announced in the Google Places Help forums that you can now merge your Google+ Business page with your Google+ Local page to have the Google+ Local information with all the social features of Google+ on the same page.
You can combine the best of Google+ Local with Google+ Business Pages on the same page. Jade shares one local shop that did this already named the The Meatball Shop where you can see the Google+ posts and local data all on the same profile.
How do you do this? Google explains:
Click on Verify now on the right side of the page. You'll need to verify that you're representing your business by having a postcard sent, even if you're a verified business owner on Google Places for Business. Also note that verification will only work for pages created in the "Local Business or Place" category in Google+.
Google posted instructions on how to do this:
After you've created your page, you can verify it:
- Hover over Unverified at the top of your Google+ page. Click the Verify now button when it appears. Or, click Verify now in the Is this your business? section below the map.
- Confirm your address and click Request postcard again. Your postcard should arrive within a week or so.
- Once it’s arrived, go to the website listed on the postcard, www.google.com/local/verify.
- If you've requested a postcard for multiple Google+ pages, make sure to click on the name of the business that the postcard is for.
- Enter the PIN listed on the postcard and click Submit.
Michael Blumenthal has a detailed step by step walk through with screen shots on how this works on a specific example.
Here is a FAQ on this from Jade from Google:
Can a local Google+ page that I make in Google+ have multiple administrators? (ie, Can multiple Google+ profiles manage my page?)
Yes! There are two types of administrators -- owners, and managers. Read more about each role’s capabilities here.Can I have one social local Google+ page that links to my many locations?
No, at this time, we only support one social local Google+ page linking with one location.What if I made my social Google+ page in a category other than “local business/place?”
Currently we only support verification of pages made in the local business/place category. You may make a new page in that category to access verification, but we cannot automatically move content or followers. There is currently not a way to change the category of a +page.What about if I’m a service area business with hidden address?
The new verification process does not currently support service area businesses with hidden addresses.What if I’ve just got a local Google+ page with reviews (in Google+ Local) but don’t have a social +page?
You may create a +page in the “local business/place” category to have access to verification, if you would like. We hope to offer the upgraded experience to all local businesses, soon, but currently, verification of the social +page is the only way to get the combined/upgraded pages.
Forum discussion at Google Places Help.
