Google's + Local business rep (I guess formerly Google Places rep) Vanessa started a thread at Google Business Help answering common questions from business owners concerned about managing and maintaining their business listings in Google Maps with the new Google+ Local changes.
She posted some FAQs for business owners:
- You should still manage your business listing at Google Places for now.
- Your verified Google Places listing will not display a checkmark on Google+ Local. Google is working on this.
- You can no longer upload videos or use the Post to Place page feature.
- Google adopted the Zagat scoring system (more on that here: http://goo.gl/JO7p1)
- Reviews from Google and Zagat users will live on your local Google+ page and attributed to "A Google User" or "A Zagat user" until the user chooses to attribute their name with the review.
- In your Places dashboard, the "See your listing on Google Maps" is currently directing you to the old Google Places page. Google is working to update that link so that it redirects to the new local Google+ page. Stay tuned.
- Google will be combining any Google+ page you may have created with any matching upgraded Google Places listing
You have a few options with the last item:
1) You may create a Google+ page to try out the social features in Google+. Be sure to choose the Local category so that Google can bring your multiple pages together to create one listing later on.
2) Go to this form give Google you're email address, and we'll let you know when Google can combine your pages in to a single page - like the ones Google feature on the Google and Your Business blog post.
3) Sit tight, and as Google mentioned in the blog post, Google is going to have a solution for everyone that's verified today that will make upgrading to the full local Google+ page experience seamless and easy.
Forum discussion at Google Business Help.
