Local SEO optimization starts with your Google Business Profile. Claim it, verify it, and fill every field—business category (primary plus 5-9 secondaries), service areas, hours, attributes, photos (minimum 10-15 high-quality images), and a keyword-informed business description. Post weekly updates or offers. GBP is the single highest-leverage asset for local rankings. NAP consistency comes next. Your business name, address, and phone number must match exactly across your website, GBP, Facebook, Yelp, Yellow Pages, industry directories, and any citation source Google might cross-reference. Even small discrepancies (Suite vs Ste, missing postal code formatting) can dilute trust signals. Run a citation audit using tools like BrightLocal or Moz Local, then fix inconsistencies manually or through a service. Reviews directly impact rankings and conversions. Aim for 1-2 new Google reviews per week minimum. Send post-purchase emails with a direct review link, train staff to ask in-person, and respond to every review within 48 hours. Volume and recency matter—businesses with 50+ recent reviews consistently outrank those with 10 older ones, even if ratings are similar. Local link building means getting backlinks from other Ottawa businesses, chambers of commerce, local news sites, sponsorships, and community organizations. A link from the Ottawa Board of Trade or a .ca news outlet carries more local weight than a generic directory. On-page optimization includes location keywords in title tags, H1s, and naturally in content. Create dedicated service-area pages if you serve multiple cities (Ottawa, Kanata, Barrhaven), but only if you genuinely service them. Schema markup (LocalBusiness, Service, Review) helps Google parse your data. Ottawa SEO runs this playbook for our own portfolio and clients—GBP optimization first, citation cleanup second, then reviews and links. Most businesses see measurable map-pack movement within 6-8 weeks if they execute consistently. The common mistake is half-completing GBP or letting reviews stagnate after the first month.