Definition
Local SEO is the practice of ranking for queries where the searcher wants a nearby business, explicitly ('dentist in Chicago') or implicitly ('dentist near me'). Anchored by Google Business Profile, reinforced by geo pages, citations, and schema.
Why it matters
For any business with a physical service area, local SEO is where revenue comes from. National SEO matters less than local in trades, medical, real estate, food service, and most B2B field services.
How we think about it
We run a three-layer stack per client: Google Business Profile optimization, per-city geo pages with local content, and Organization + LocalBusiness schema with verified NAP consistency. Each layer reinforces the others.