A Google My Business profile — rebranded to Google Business Profile in 2021 — is your business's free storefront on Google. When someone searches for a plumber in Ottawa or a café near them, the map results and local pack listings pull directly from these profiles. You control your business name, address, phone number, hours, categories, photos, and how you respond to reviews. The profile appears in two critical places: Google Maps and the local pack (the map block with three listings) in regular search results. For local businesses, showing up here drives 30–50% of discovery traffic, especially on mobile where map results dominate the screen. Without a verified profile, you're invisible in local search even if your website ranks well organically. Key elements include your primary category (choose the most specific option — "SEO agency" not "marketing agency"), service areas if you don't have a storefront, business description (750 characters to work in keywords naturally), and attributes like "women-led" or "online appointments." Photos matter more than most businesses expect — listings with 100+ photos get 520% more calls and direction requests than average according to Google's own data. The Q&A section is underused but critical. Competitors or random users can post questions, so monitor it weekly and seed your own FAQs. Reviews directly impact rankings — velocity and recency matter more than sheer volume, which is why we tell Ottawa clients to ask their best customers for reviews within 48 hours of project completion. Verification is mandatory. Google mails a postcard with a code to your business address, though some categories qualify for instant video verification. Once verified, you can access Google Posts (mini-updates that appear in your profile), booking buttons, and messaging. The Insights tab shows how people find you — through direct searches for your name versus discovery searches for your category. At Ottawa SEO, we optimize profiles as the foundation of every local campaign. A properly dialed-in profile often outranks weak organic results, and it's the only ranking factor you control 100% outside of your website.