Google Maps rankings depend on three core factors Google calls relevance, distance, and prominence. Relevance means your Business Profile matches what someone searched for—choose your primary category carefully and add every applicable secondary category. Distance is literal proximity to the searcher, which you can't control, but completeness signals help. Prominence reflects how well-known your business is online, driven by review quantity and quality, citation consistency, and overall web presence. Start by claiming and fully completing your Google Business Profile. Fill every field: business name (no keyword stuffing), exact address, local phone number, website, hours, attributes, and a keyword-aware business description. Upload high-quality photos weekly if possible—businesses with photos get 42% more direction requests. Post updates, offers, or events every 7–14 days to signal active management. Reviews carry substantial weight. Businesses with 50+ reviews typically outrank those with fewer, assuming similar relevance. Respond to every review within 48 hours—both positive and negative—to show Google and users you're engaged. Never buy reviews or incentivize them directly, as Google will penalize or remove your listing. Build local citations on platforms like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Facebook, and industry directories. Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) must match your Google listing character-for-character. Inconsistent data confuses Google's algorithm and splits your ranking signals. Ottawa SEO runs citation audits using tools like BrightLocal or Whitespark to find and fix discrepancies across 50–80 top directories. Earn backlinks from local websites—news mentions, chamber of commerce listings, sponsorships, or guest posts on Ottawa blogs if you're local. A handful of relevant local links outweigh dozens of generic directory spam. If you operate from home or a service area, hide your address in Google Business Profile and define service areas instead—this keeps you eligible for Maps rankings without exposing personal addresses. Track your map pack position with tools like Local Falcon or GMB Crush. Rankings fluctuate by searcher location, so monitor from multiple points in your service area. Most businesses see meaningful movement within 30–90 days if they execute the basics correctly.