Google have recently introduced vanity urls for users with google profiles. The  Google profile is a good way to aggregate all your online profiles and present in a manner that Google can index and search (which is always a good thing re: ranking etc..). You can add in a professional and personal bio, integrate with flickr for photos and also add in all your profiles and feeds that you have accumulated and use online. Until recently users were identifiable by an id such as www.google.com/s2/profiles/107462389711797385918 – which is meaningless in terms of identifying you in a useful way. Now you can identify your profile using your actual name – e.g. http://www.google.com/profiles/keith.feighery.

This is all very useful for both businesses and individuals and should be added as part of your optimisation and visibility effort. Also, another useful google service is google local business centre. Businesses can register themselves which is a two step process – firstly, add in all your details and then google verify you. It should be done as a matter of course as again it increases the visibility for local customers who are searching for your related business as well as increasing Googles visibility and indexing of your business.

Google Local Business