Google has now enabled those with Google+ business pages to connect their page to their local business listing on Google Maps.

On the help page Google gives detailed directions on how to connect your Google+ business page to your Google Maps verified listing. This process will connect your current page to Google Maps and apply the business information, including the business address, the Google Maps reviews, business hours and more from Google Maps to your page. The followers, posts, and managers of your page will be retained.

Many businesses have a few Google+ pages listed in their Google+ manager page, this will help combine at least two of them. How does it work?

(1) Log in to Google+, select Pages from the left-hand navigation ribbon, and click Manage this page on the local page.

(2) The local page will look almost the same as your current page. It will include a verification shield next to the name of a page. If you hover the badge, you’ll see “Verified local business”.

(3) From the top left corner, choose Dashboard > Settings

(4) Scroll to the “Profile” section. Next to “This page is connected to Google Maps”, click Connect a different page.

Connect a different page

(5) In the “Link a different page to this location” dialog, pick the page that you’d like to connect to Maps and click Next.

(6) You’ll see a list describing the changes to the newly-created page you’re connecting to Maps, and the local Google+ page you’re disconnecting from Maps. Click Confirm.

The page that’s newly connected to Maps will:

(1) Display the name and verification badge from the former local page.

(2) Display the business information (hours, phone number, etc.) and reviews from the former local page.

(3) No longer display prior owner responses to local reviews. Your existing reviews may take a few hours to show up after connecting the page.

(4) Carry over followers, posts, and managers.

(5) Carry over the custom URL (if you’ve set one up).

(6) Possibly remove ad campaigns associated with the page. To start a new campaign, visit http://www.adwords.google.com/express and follow the step-by-step instructions.

The former local page will:

(1) No longer display on Google Maps

(2) No longer display local business information or reviews

(3) Be renamed to “Backup of page name”

(4) Still be visible on Google+

(5) Retain followers, posts, and managers from the former local page

(6) Retain the custom URL from the former local page (if you’ve set one up)

(7) No longer display AdWords Express campaigns associated with the page.