Is the rel=publisher (in webmaster tools) only applicable to a Google+ page or can it also apply to a Google+ Local page?

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

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  Valentina Alessandrini: Is the rel=publisher (in webmaster tools) only applicable to a Google+ page or can it also apply to a Google+ Local page? I connected our client's Google+ Local page but it's not showing up in rel=publisher in Webmaster Tools. I wasn't sure if that's because it has to be an actual profile page rather than a local Google+ page.
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  Mike Stetzer: Have you tried using Google's Rich Snippet Tester? I don't know the URL off hand.
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  Mike Stetzer: Found it! google dot com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets
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  Valentina Alessandrini: Yes and when I put our client's website in there, it says rel=publisher isn't verified. But we have the Google+ local page on the website, so I'm trying to figure out if we just can't use a Google+ "local" page as the rel=publisher
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  Mike Stetzer: If you dug through some of the old posts in this forum, you'll see mine about a related issue. The whole "Google Plus page vs. Google plus local page" is a nightmare. I wish they didn't have to be separate pages. What I did though (and I hope this helps) is used rel=publisher to link back to our product page on Google+, not our local page. I don't think it's intended to work with the local page, but don't quote me on that.
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  Valentina Alessandrini: +Mike Stetzer ;I couldn't agree with you more that this whole local vs page thing on Google+ is an absolute nightmare. I think you're right that linking to a local page rather than a regular page might be the problem...however, I tested a couple competitors and their rel=publisher is verified and they linked to their Google+ local not to a regular page :?
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  Mike Stetzer: Yeah +Valentina Alessandrini, I can't really speak to what other companies are doing. I just remember that for it to work for us, we had to link to our Google+ brand page and not our local page. What is the URL for your client's site that you're referring to?
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  Blake Smith: +Mike Stetzer +Valentina Alessandrini I agree that it is a complete nightmare... Lately I have been connecting my clients local page to their business page, and using the rel publisher markup from there. It's the best result in my opinion. Your competitors may be operating in the same fashion I have been, Valentina.
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  Valentina Alessandrini: +Blake Smith ;So you're saying you created 2 Google+ Pages, one local, one regular, and then you're connecting both of them?
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  Blake Smith: +Valentina Alessandrini typically the local page was already in existence. In my recent efforts no one in the company knew how they were started. They're established businesses and companies, so I assumed Google added them automatically. I would then "manage" that page, connect it to G+ business page and verify it. It even combines the profile pics, if there are any!
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  Valentina Alessandrini: Thank you +Blake Smith ;!
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  Blake Smith: You're very welcome +Valentina Alessandrini ;
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  W.E. Jonk: From the expert panel in this weeks SEO Questions hangout on air on 01:43:56 into the YouTube video: https://dumbseoquestions.com/q/is_the_relpublisher_in_webmaster_tools_only_applicable_to_a_google_page_or_can_it_also_apply_to_a_google_local_page