Late last month, you may have heard the news that Google Places is being replaced by Google+ Local. Don’t worry if you didn’t know. If your business has already been managing your Google Place page, it was automatically converted to a Google+ Local page.

A Google+ Local page features a new layout that puts more emphasis on photos and reviews and gives a much more social aspect than the old Place page. Users will be able to interact with your new Google+ Local page in several ways: through a search on Google.com, Google+ or Google Maps, and in mobile apps. Users will also be able to sort and filter search results by several criteria, including “your circles,” which will reveal reviews from your peers.

If you already have a Google+ page and a Google Place page, you’re still encouraged to maintain both pages, but there are still more changes to come. From what it sounds like, Google will eventually merge your Google+ business page with your local page presence sometime TBD.

Here’s an example of WDC’s newly designed Google+ page:

WDC's Google+ Local page

Here are a few videos that help give you a quick look at Google+ Local: