If you haven't already, you will soon realize that Google Places pages are no more. Last week, Google announced its exciting merger between Google Places and Google+, resulting in what they are calling "Google+ Local" or "Local+". This integration is one step in Google's effort to creating an entirely social experience for the consumer- a goal they have been working towards for quite a while now. A more versatile local search and social media channel (think Facebook meets Yelp), Local+ has generated a lot of buzz in the last week since its introduction. Let's explore what's new in Google+ Local and see how this affects the business owner.

Attempting to fully grasp the process by which search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing provide results to search inquiries is like opening up a hefty can of mangled worms- or in this case "spiders". For most, learning how the magic machine (that we call Google) can find you the dimensions of the sun in half a second is confusing to say the least. However, as search engine optimization has become a key component in new age marketing, it is important to understand how these major search engines operate. Here are answers to a few common questions about where your search results come from:

Apple sold 37 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone, an intimidating number that propelled the iPhone back to its number one ranking in the league of smartphones. The iPhone 4S' new feature, Siri, can be accredited for this sudden craving for the desirable smartphone...but why?