Most people are probably aware of the fact that when it comes to online, Google reigns supreme. However, many business owners are unaware of the fact that they likely have a Google+ business page (even if they didn’t set one up) and that their business page could bring an increase in customers and sales – that is unless someone else claims it first.

So how do you know if your business has a Google+ page? Simple, go to http://www.google.com and search for your business name, city, state and the words “google plus”. If your Google+ page business page exists, a URL that resembles https://plus.google.com/1162xxxxxxxxxxx should appear in the search results. Your Google+ page should look similar to the image above.

Now that you’ve found your Google+ business page, you will probably want to claim it. To do this, simply scroll down on your Google+ business page. On the far left you should see “Is this your business?” and a button you can click that says “Manage this page”. Click the “Manage this page” button and follow the instructions that follow. In addition to a few basic questions, Google will mail you a post card to verify your address and info. It is extremely important to verify your business with this card when they send it.

So why bother claiming your Google+ business page? There are multiple reasons but it will mainly give you more control over how your business is presented in Google’s search results. A claimed Google+ business page will contain more accurate maps, venue pictures, updated links and a prominent star rating. These differences may not seem major but they are important. It will make you stand out more and will reinforce that your business is reputable and authentic.