Google+ Business Pages, no rules - yet.

The release of the Google+ Business pages yesterday introduce many businesses and new users to the new kid on the social playground. Now companies, artists, performers, individuals and brands can have a page a la Facebook to spread their word. Geat and long awaited, G+  finally has relevance to the business community.

This is a big shot over the bow for Google to companies like Facebook. The intention is to woo businesses with the promise of pertinence and relevance in search. If the forecasts prove true, soon a search for "+anybusiness" should yield that company's Google Business Page. Marketing GOLD! Not just yet...

Due to reasons yet explained, anyone can setup a Google+ Business Page for any company they choose. I could be IBM or Starbucks or Sears and Roebuck. That's going to mess with the accuracy of any search until Google has a method to verify that someone from the business in question is establishing the new Business Page legitimately. When you create a Google+ Business Page, it becomes a subset of your Google+ identity. Right now, a checkbox next to a "terms of use" statement is what validates your worthiness to create such pages. Google has said that they intend to incorporate a badge system that once hovered over, would signify that this Google+ page is the real deal. So the question is, where are the badges and how was this released without them?

Yesterday when the curtain came up on this, I scrambled into manifest destiny mode to quicly capture all of our brand names and get a Google+ page up for each of our brands ASAP. At the same time, a coworker, equally connected online, was doing the same thing. Highlighting the problem at hand, we were sitting less than 25ft from each other, thinking we were both beating the world to the punch and claiming our company's valuable names on Google+. Until I posted a tweet saying the Google+ Business Pages were live and saw a tweet announcing our company's new Google+ Page (that I hadn't posted) the plan was working well. I learned as early into the launch as possible that we had both created duplicate "official" pages for SIGNARAMA, EmbroidMe, Billboard Connection and Plan Ahead Events. So anyone could have done that, too. And I thought I was on top of the whole Google+ Business Page release?

We'll eventually be able to verify by address or some neat Google means that we are the rightful creator of our brand's Google+ Business Pages. Until then, we have issues with duplicates or unauthorized copycats. I'm glad we're not in a mission-critical industry, like Homeland Security! I have faith that Google will sew it all together now that it's being discussed worldwide. They have a good set of ideas to help push this Business Page concept forward and back it up with the search results that can drive traffic to the pages. The correct, verified, authorized Business Pages.