GBP optimization means making your Google Business Profile as complete, accurate, and engaging as possible so Google shows it prominently when people search for businesses like yours in your area. The profile itself is free, but showing up in the top three map results (the "local pack") requires deliberate optimization. Start with the basics: claim and verify your listing, choose the most specific primary category (this matters more than most people think), fill out every available field including hours, phone, website, services, and attributes. Add 15-20 high-quality photos showing your storefront, interior, team, and work examples. Google explicitly favours profiles with recent, diverse images. Reviews are the heaviest ranking signal after proximity and category relevance. Aim for a steady flow of authentic reviews, ideally one to four per week depending on business size. Respond to every review within 24-48 hours, including positive ones. A 4.5-star average with 60 reviews typically outranks a 5.0 with 12 reviews because volume and recency matter. Post weekly Google updates (offers, events, or simple business news) to signal activity. While posts don't directly boost rankings, they improve engagement and click-through rates, which do. Use your posts to highlight keywords naturally, like "Ottawa furnace repair" if that's your service. Consistency across citations (business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Apple Maps) is critical. Your name, address, and phone number must match your GBP exactly, character for character. One discrepancy won't tank you, but five will. Ottawa SEO runs GBP optimization for local clients by treating it like an ongoing campaign, not a one-time setup. We track ranking position in the local pack weekly, monitor review velocity, and update posts and photos monthly. For most local businesses in mid-sized Canadian cities, a well-optimized GBP delivers 30-50% of total website traffic within six months.