What should businesses with brick and mortar locations create to show up in local search results and Google Maps?

A Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is essential for businesses with physical locations because it directly feeds information to Google Search and Google Maps, enabling local search visibility. It allows businesses to list their address, hours, phone number, website, photos, and collect reviews, all crucial for appearing in "near me" searches. A paid Google Ads account is for advertising, not for organic local search visibility. A premium SEO subscription service might offer tools but doesn't replace the direct listing provided by a Google Business Profile. Creating multiple website domains for different locations is unnecessary and can complicate SEO; a single website with location-specific pages is generally preferred.