Best Practice for Editing a Business Listing on Google

Recently a poster on the Local Search Forum asked an important question regarding the best practice for editing a business listing on Google.  Google requires, or at least recommends, that editing be done on the Google+ Local dashboard for any business listing that has been upgraded from Google Places for Business to a Google+ Local page.  Given that Google property names are often confusing, I have added images here to make it more clear.

The key is to know if your Google listing is upgraded to a Google+ Local page.  The easiest way that I know to tell the difference is by looking at the listing as a customer would see it.  When viewing the listing, under the cover image will be a menu of choices.  If there are only 2 choices, About | Photos, then you know you are looking at a basic Google Places for Business listing.  If you see 4 choices, About | Posts | Photos | Videos, then you know you are looking at an upgraded Google+ Local page.

Accessing the Google+ Local Dashboard can be a bit confusing and difficult to get to.  My best suggestion it to go to https://plus.google.com/dashboard and you will then have a blue button to Manage this page.  Once you click that button, you will have another button that says, Edit business information, and that will get you into the Google+ Local Dashboard.

Good luck and I am sure this will quickly change and be outdated.  Go Google!