Google+ Profiles-Google+ Pages and Google+ Local!
Is your head spinning trying to keep it straight? I have spoken to several contractors that have their pages set up incorrectly, Google’s changes over the past two years have caused many to set up pages incorrectly.
Let’s look at the different types first.
Google+ Profiles
If you are Facebook user, this is like your personal page. This is about you, not your company. This is also where you tie your Google Authorship to. This can be a place to share your company information with those in your circles, as well as any other topic. Make sure to fill out your profile completely, it’s helpful to others to see who you are before adding you to their circles, I often ignore requests that have no image or description.
Google+ Pages
Using the same Facebook analogy, these are pages you can create off your profile. Use the menu on the keft and choose “Pages”, then create a page and follow the instructions. If you already have one, and it’s verified, you can now merge them with the Google Maps listing.
Google+ Local (Also known as Places or Maps)
You can set this up and verify it here, then merge your Page with. This will allow you to have one page to promote your business, collect reviews and appear in the Google Maps listings. Barry over at Search Engine Land wrote about it here, and here is another article with helpful advice.
Don’t do what I did and use a different email address to set up a profile to use as a page! I set that up a few years ago and regret it! Now I have to move everyone over to the new page!
Follow us here please on our new page.
Editors Note:
Google announce that Google Places is now Google my Business
Google Help Center
Thank you Chris, your article is just in time! I am painting contractor in Chicago land. But same time I started my T-shirt business as a part time job. I have painting blog http://housepainting-interior.blogspot.com/ and starting new blog http://createtshirts.blogspot.com/ and trying to develop T-shirt business by taking T-shirt orders from painting companies and other groups for people who need designed T-shirts. I am doing T-shirts for one of painting companies right now.(later you will see in my T-shirt blog). So I am having little bit identity struggles now, because of transformation period from painting to making T-shirts. Your info will help me to put everything together in this process and to set better google+ page. Thanks again!
Glad we could help Virgil! You can have 2 businesses tied to one physical location, as long as they are different industries, so you should be okay! You can set up multiple pages off your main email account.
Thanks for the helpful info,great job
Glad you found it helpful!
One of the most important parts about setting up all these Google profiles is to make sure that you use the exact same citation (address, phone, etc) across all sections. This will help Google keep everything tied together. Even more important when you go to setup accounts elsewhere like Yelp or Yellowpages.
Very true! Down to the capitals and spacing! Thanks for pointing that out.
Thank you so much for this. I too am new to Google and SEO so I found this to be helpful. In addition to Google+ I have begun using Facebook and Twitter. I use a plugin through WordPress to update them all automatically. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing this Chris. I use my google email for everything’ makes life so much easier
Hi Gabe, yes, I doubt I could function without my google tools!