So, have you seen that Google Places (Googles online directory that is excellent for local businesses to get new customers). This may be a away for Google to force more and more people to get onto Plus. Plus is obviously Google attempt at competing with facebook. Amazingly, I actually quite like it and it already has 400 million users world wide, and this is now only going to increase.
Below is a snippet of CNN update on Google Places becoming Google Plus Local
(CNN) — Google Places is gone, replaced by a new feature that combines its Google Plus social site and renowned restaurant reviewers Zagat.
Announced Wednesday, Google Plus Local is the latest push by Google to incorporate its networking site into more of its other products, with the goal of creating a single, seamless Web experience.
Plus Local is designed to let users discover and share information about local restaurants, shops and other sites.
“Finding the best places to go is an essential part of our lives, as are the people and resources that help us make those decisions,” Google product manager Avni Shah wrote on the company's official blog. “In fact, the opinions of friends, family or other trusted sources are often the first we seek when looking for the perfect restaurant for date night or the cafe that makes the best latte ever.”
A new “Local” tab on the side of a Google Plus page lets users click and search….More at Goodbye Google Places, hello more Google Plus – CNN
What does this mean for you? Well, first off you will need to upgrade your account to a Plus account, but to be honest you will probably have done that. I have now finished all my testing, and I can confirm that I have the methods to ensure that these Google Plus pages for local rank well within Google SERP's. One major difference is that the video's do not show like they used to in the old Google places, I would suggest sharing them on the News Feed of the Google Plus page for the business.
Interestingly the place to update nd amend the business details, descriptions, opening hours and payment methods taken is still the old Google Places dashboard.
