Google Business Profile costs nothing. You can claim your business, verify ownership, upload photos, post updates, and respond to reviews without paying Google a cent. This has been true since Google My Business launched and remains the case today. The confusion usually comes from third-party services. Some agencies or software platforms charge monthly fees to manage your profile for you—posting updates, monitoring reviews, optimizing categories. Those costs typically range from $50 to $500 CAD per month depending on how hands-on the service is. You're paying for labor and tools, not for the Google listing itself. Another source of confusion is Google Ads. Running local search ads or map ads costs money, billed per click, but that's separate from your organic Business Profile. Your profile shows up in Maps and local pack results organically regardless of ad spend. At Ottawa SEO, we've set up hundreds of profiles at no platform cost. The real investment is time: gathering accurate NAP data (name, address, phone), choosing the right primary category, writing a keyword-informed business description, and uploading quality photos. Verification can take a few days to two weeks if Google mails a postcard. After launch, ongoing optimization—like weekly posts, review responses, and Q&A monitoring—takes 1–3 hours per month for most local businesses. Watch out for scam calls claiming you need to pay to "renew" or "secure" your Google listing. Google never cold-calls about this. Also avoid services that promise guaranteed top rankings in exchange for a fee—that's not how the algorithm works. Your profile's visibility depends on relevance, distance, and prominence (reviews, citations, engagement), not payment. Bottom line: the platform is free. Budget for the labor to do it right, whether in-house or with an agency, but never pay Google directly for a Business Profile.