Creating a Google Business Profile is straightforward but requires real verification. Start at google.com/business and sign in with the Google account you want to manage the profile. Enter your business name exactly as it appears on your signage and legal documents. If Google finds existing mentions of your business, it may suggest claiming an existing profile instead of creating a duplicate. You'll fill in your business category (choose the most specific primary category, like "SEO agency" not just "marketing agency"), service area or physical address, contact details, and hours. For service-area businesses that visit clients, you can hide your address and just show your service regions. For storefront businesses in Ottawa, Toronto, or other cities, displaying your full address helps with local pack rankings. Verification is mandatory and typically happens by postcard with a 5-digit code mailed to your business address, arriving in 5-14 days. Some businesses qualify for instant phone or email verification if Google has high confidence in the listing. Enter the code in your dashboard to unlock full editing and response capabilities. After verification, complete your profile with high-quality photos (exterior, interior, team, work samples), a keyword-aware business description, attributes relevant to your industry, and your website URL. Add all service offerings and products if applicable. At Ottawa SEO, we also immediately enable messaging, set up the Q&A section with common questions, and create the first post to signal an active profile. Watch out for duplicate listings, especially if you've moved locations or changed business names. Merge or delete duplicates through the Google Business Profile support flow. Also, avoid keyword-stuffing your business name ("Ottawa SEO Inc. Best SEO Agency" violates guidelines and risks suspension). Keep your NAP (name, address, phone) exactly consistent with your website and directory citations. Set up two-factor authentication on the Google account managing the profile because losing access means starting verification over, which can take weeks.