Setting up a Google Business Profile takes about 10 minutes for the initial form, but verification adds 5–14 days if you're doing it by postcard. Go to google.com/business or search your business name on Google and click "Claim this business" if it already exists. You'll need a Google account tied to your work email, not a personal Gmail if you can avoid it. The setup flow asks for your business name, category (choose the most specific one that fits), and location. If you're a service-area business like a plumber or consultant, you can hide your address and instead list the cities or postal codes you serve. For brick-and-mortar spots, your address must match what's on your CRA registration and other citations. Google's increasingly strict about this in 2025, especially in competitive markets like Toronto and Vancouver. Verification methods depend on your business type. Most get a postcard with a 5-digit code mailed to the address, which arrives in 5–10 business days in Canada. Some categories (lawyers, dentists, established brands) may get instant phone or email verification. You can't skip this step. Once verified, fill out every field: business hours, phone number, website, attributes (wheelchair accessible, free Wi-Fi), services or menu, and at least 5–10 high-quality photos. The profile photo should be your logo on a clean background, and cover photos work best at 1024×576. At Ottawa SEO, we treat the Google Business Profile as the foundation of local visibility. A complete profile with regular posts (weekly is ideal), fresh photos every month, and consistent review responses can rank you in the Local Pack even without a perfect website. The most common mistakes are choosing the wrong category, stuffing keywords into the business name (Google suspends profiles for this now), and forgetting to update hours during holidays. If you manage multiple locations, use location-specific phone numbers and landing pages, not the head office number for every branch.