Business owners can now verify their own Google+ pages

For businesses that are using Google+ to interact with customers and potential customers, the Google+ Local rollout was a big moment for them. Google is taking this social integration with its Local product even further by allowing businesses to verify themselves on the Google+ platform.

Here’s what the Google Business team had to say about it today:

Are you a storefront business who loves connecting with your customers through the Google+ page that you already created through Google+ for Business (google.com/+/business/)? Now you can verify your Google+ page in the Local Business or Place category. This will unify your business’s online presence across Google Search, Maps, and Mobile and ensure that your customers get the right information about your business, wherever they are looking for you! Verification will enable you to update your business address and hours, respond to reviews, and more — from the the same Google+ page where you currently share posts with your customers. And stay tuned — we’re working on extending the full benefits of a verified Google+ page to more local businesses soon. Learn more here (http://goo.gl/0yHbS).

Up until now, Google itself held the power to verify specific accounts, but that’s clearly changing now. By having a verified account on Google+, consumers know that they can trust the source of the information you’re sharing. It’s much like it works for brands and personalities on Twitter.