[November 07, 2011] Google+ expands, offers pages to businesses Tweet Nov 07, 2011 (San Jose Mercury News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Google (GOOG) announced a highly anticipated change to its Google+ social network Monday, allowing businesses, celebrities and other entities to create pages. In a blog post, Google Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra said the company wants "to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about -- from local businesses to global brands." The expansion, called Google+ Pages, increases the Mountain View Internet giant's direct competition with Facebook, which businesses have used for years to connect directly with consumers. San Francisco-based Twitter also found popularity by allowing Internet users to follow products and famous people in addition to their friends. After a series of failed attempts at social networking, Google launched Google+ to great fanfare on June 28, offering it on an invitation-only basis at that time. The site opened for personal profile pages to any users 18 and older on Sept. 20, after managing to attract tens of millions of users during the invitation-only period, according to outside measurements. Google allowed a small group of businesses and other groups to create pages early to show off the new feature, including the nonprofit Save The Children, the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise, Fox News, Pepsi, Macy's, rock band Train and The Muppets. Popular Muppets characters Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog will host a Google Hangout -- the service's popular group video chat -- at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time today. Other businesses can build a Google+ page by visiting plus.google.com/pages/create. In the blog post, Gundotra pointed out the benefits for consumers and businesses. "For businesses and brands, Google+ pages help you connect with the customers and fans who love you," Gundotra wrote, adding that fans can "+1" the business, the equivalent of hitting "Like" on Facebook, or follow the business directly with Circles for news and special offers. "For you and me, this means we can now hang out live with the local bike shop, or discuss our wardrobe with a favorite clothing line, or follow a band on tour," he wrote. Google+ pages will now show up in Google search results, and the company will soon add the ability add a "+" in front of a search term in order to go directly to a page, a service it is calling Direct Connect. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at Twitter.com/mercbizbreak. ___ (c)2011 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]