GOOGLE PLACES IS BEING UPGRADED TO GOOGLE+ LOCAL

   Google launched Places in the year 2010. In 2012 Google integrated Places with Google+ by creating Google+ Local. Google is rolling out an update to upgrade Google Places to Google+ Local. Local businesses can maintain their business related information which will be shown in search results with the help of Google Places Dashboard. The new dashboard offers some new functionality. Local business owners manage their business data by combining Google+ and Google Places.

How it Works:

  Google+ local search results will be shown in the new local tab on Google. The extra features added in the upgraded Google+ Local pages are followers and hangouts. The information can be updated by the business owners through Google Places for business.

  The below screenshot is the Google+ local page which has been transferred from Google Places that is not upgraded.

The below screenshot shows the upgraded Google+ local page which includes additional features like posts, followers, videos, hangouts and more.

What's New in the Google Places Dashboard:

1. New Design:

The Google Places design is consistent across many other Google Products like Google+, having navigation options at the left side. In this new look, you can see separate tabs for listing information, Google+ Local page, Adwords Express and Offers. The basic stats and Analytics tab that the current dashboard offers may be moved into one of the tabs or removed from the dashboard.

The below screenshot is the new look of Google Places for local business which has four different tabs in the left column highlighted in red colour.

2. Integration with Google Products:

In the above screenshot, you can see a tab on the left to manage your Google+ Local page. Local business owners can have access to some of the social features of Google+ like sharing photos, posts or videos using this dashboard. The business owners who don’t have Google+ account cannot be able to find the navigation tab in their dashboard. You can also manage your Adwords account from Google+.

The existing dashboard has no integration with Google+ local pages. You can update your business information in the dashboard but you don't have access to post it to Google+.

3. Faster Updates:

Google is promising to update the data faster. Most of the edits which have been made is shown on Google Maps and other services within 48 hours. To ensure the quality of local experience to be high, moderate changes have been made. Faster updates have to be made from edit to live action.