Google has introduced Google+ Pages, an element of its Google+ social network that has been much anticipated by corporate brands.

Pages provides a public placeholder on the Google+ network for any entity -- not just companies. Companies have been clamoring to have an official presence on Google+, and there is no shortage of corporate early adopters, with Toyota, Pepsi and Macy´s among them.

With the official version now available, brands have a number of ways of connecting with customers and fans, and vice versa. The +1 button lets customers recommend a company or add it to their circles.

Direct Connect

Google has incorporated Pages into its search engine, including them in search results and via a new feature called "Direct Connect." Maybe a consumer is watching a movie trailer, or just heard that a favorite band is coming to town, Senior VP of Engineering Vic Gundotra suggests in an official Google blog post.

To connect automatically with these events, he explains, "go to Google and search for [+], followed by the page you´re interested in (like +Angry Birds). We´ll take you to their Google+ page, and if you want, we´ll add them to your circles."

In the future, if you don´t have a robust Google+ presence, you may not rank effectively in search results. Establishing a presence now can be seen as a defensive move to protect future organic search position.