Google+ page for local businessIf you are looking for a new way to engage your local customers, using Google+ is one of the best ways to interact with them. Google provides a places listing for all the businesses that are legally registered. Some already appear in the search engine directory while others might be too new to appear. It is a smart idea to claim your listing and update it with correct company information if you want to improve your online visibility. Organic search traffic is one of the essential ingredients to building a solid website. Establishing your companies Google+ profile and linking it with your local page is an easy way to increase your visibility. Did we mention it is free to set up your companies Google + profile? This is just another reason why it is so important to get started with your Google + page for local business efforts.The BasicsLet’s walk through the basic setup process first. You will need to claim your listing, and verify your website and email address. Google will send you a code that you need to validate with them when you claim your listing. This code will arrive in the mail in a few weeks. While you wait for the validation code, you do have other options you can follow to get the page up and running. You need to include as much information as possible when you are filling out the profile information. After you have everything set up, start searching for people to add to your circles. Every time you have a new update to your page, your circles will receive a notification. This is a great way to keep your brand’s image relevant in the search engines. When you get a large circle following, you will start to see people share your company information with others. Connect with the local influencers to really build your audience. Local influencers can help you gain a high amount of visibility, and really do boost your credibility. Include all contact information to boost your Google + business page, as this information is indexed and will appear in the search engine results.Understanding Google + LocalThe Google + Local directory has replaced the “places” listing of the past. If you previously claimed your profile and filled out the information, it has automatically transferred to the new Google + Local page. You will need to do a few updates to make it look nice. According to Google, over 40 percent of their searches are done with a local intent. What this means for your business is that you’d better get your profile information filled out quickly as you could be missing out on a lot of potential customers. Once you fill out all the profile information, view your profile as a customer. Did you include your website, phone number, mailing address, and other relevant information? Encourage your customers to leave reviews, as this is one of the things that will really help your Google + Local page. Customers can rate your company based on a 5 star system, and they can leave a detailed review of their experience with your company. Potential customers often read reviews before they trust a new business. Having too many poor reviews can hurt your reputation. Having too many 5 star “excellent” reviews can also hurt your reputation as people can be skeptical that you are making up these reviews yourself. It is important to have legitimate reviews from your customer’s to obtain a fair rating.Enhancing Your PageWith a large number of customers using their mobile devices to find companies, it is a good idea to take your Google + Local page one step further by adding mobile offers. Google will allow you to add one free offer, and you can pay for additional ones if you want multiple offers. You are limited on the amount of text you can add to your offer, so use the right wording to keep it to the point. Pictures are another thing you need to add to your Google + Local page. Pictures allow you to tell a story to your customers, and often give you more visibility with the customers compared to words alone. Continue updating your company information with new offers, pictures, and posts. Google will reward local businesses that are active with their profiles. Google knows when a search has local intent, so take the time to get your information filled out to improve your visibility with a local audience.