Google business pages for personal branding

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

• 
  Andrew Moyers: I created a Google business page for myself. I'm an insurance agent who works at an insurance agency. I don't own the agency so the Google business pages is my name.
  
  Does Google frown upon this? If not I'll delete the page...
• 
  Tony Wang: If you are one of many agents in the office, you can have your own page, but I you should read the google guidelines, the whole thing can be tricky. I would also ask why you want to do that?
  
  https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en
• 
  Andrew Moyers: +Tony Wang thanks for the link, I'll check it out.
  
  Reason why I like my own page..
  
  My page appears on maps when someone local is searching for an insurance agent.
  
  It gives me somewhere to post my insurance website blog updates.
  
  It gives my clients a place to review me.
• 
  Andrew Moyers: Ok so after reading that link I CAN keep my business page. I'm considered a "practitioner" - they used lawyers, realtors, and even insurance agents as an example..
• 
  Tony Wang: Yes, I think your page is valid. However, I don't think you have much chance of ranking on Google for a search for insurance agent. The agency you work for will likely have most of the clout.
• 
  Andrew Moyers: +Tony Wang that may be the case, but now business hours, reviews, and directions show up when searching my name.
  
  That and once I get reviews and publish authoritative informational content ranking higher then my agency won't be very hard.
  
  Thanks again for sharing that link!
• 
  Tony Wang: It's worth having for people that are searching your name, but those people already know about you. Getting ranked is for helping people find you that have no idea you exist, and that's where the real business starts to roll in.
  
  Would that ranking were so easy. It's possible, but I can't say outranking the agency "won't be very hard." The local pack also requires citations, and if your agency has been around a while, they probably have a lot. Reviews will definitely help, and good content on your website will, too. Keep at it, it'll take a while; it's difficult but not impossible.