Do I Need a Local SEO Agency, or Can I Do It Myself?

Do the basics yourself first, then hire a local SEO agency when the map still isn't sending you calls. Local SEO means being found near you, which is a different job from being found at all. An agency that only does the second kind of work will miss the map.

What a local agency works on that a general one doesn't

A general SEO agency works on your website. It looks at your pages, your words, and links from other sites. That work helps people searching from anywhere.

A local agency starts somewhere else. It starts with your Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows your hours, photos, and reviews.

Then it works on the map results. That is the short list of nearby businesses Google shows above the regular links. For a business that serves one area, that map often sends more calls than the website does.

Four things sit at the center of the work. The first is proximity, which is how close you are to the person searching.

The second is consistency. Your name, phone number, and hours must match on every listing site.

The third is reviews: how many, how recent, and what they say. The fourth is local mentions. These are things like a chamber of commerce page or a Nova Scotia news story that names your business.

A general agency may touch one or two of these. A local agency treats all four as the job.

Want the longer story on why a business can be missing from the map? I wrote about it in why your business doesn't show up on Google Maps.

How to tell if the person you're talking to does local work

Ask them what they would look at first. If the answer is your website pages, you are talking to a general agency. If the answer is your Google profile, your categories, and your listings, you are closer.

Ask how they handle reviews. A local agency has a plain, honest way to ask happy customers for them. It also has a plan for replying to bad ones.

Ask who will own the Google profile when the work ends. The answer should be you, every time.

Ask how they will report. Rankings change with where the searcher stands, so one ranking number from one spot tells you very little. Better numbers are calls, direction requests, and website visits from your profile.

Be careful with anyone who promises a spot on the map. Nobody controls Google. My longer list of questions is in how to vet a marketing agency.

What you can honestly do yourself

More than most owners think. Claim your Google Business Profile and fill in every field.

Pick the category that best describes what you sell. Add real photos, and make sure your hours are right, holidays included.

Then check that your business name, phone number, and website read the same everywhere they appear. Ask every happy customer for a review, and reply to each one you get. I explain how to ask in how to ask for Google reviews.

This is a few evenings of work, and it costs nothing but time. It is also the part an agency would do first. So you are not behind by doing it yourself.

If you have not done it, hiring anyone is too early.

When hiring one starts to make sense

Hire when the basics are done and the results are still thin. Your profile is complete, and reviews are coming in. Yet a competitor with a weaker business still shows up ahead of you.

That gap is usually about things that take time and repeat work. Examples are building local mentions and watching your listings.

It also makes sense when you serve several areas, or have more than one location. Each one needs its own profile and its own care. And it makes sense when you simply don't have the hours, because the work only helps if someone keeps doing it.

Price has its own post, how much should I pay for local SEO. One channel with My Ads Team starts from $1,500 CAD per month.

If you want a straight answer on which side of that line you are on, book a call. I will look at your profile with you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between local SEO and regular SEO?

Regular SEO helps your website show up for searches from anywhere. Local SEO helps you show up when someone nearby searches for what you sell. The main work moves to your Google profile, your reviews, and your listings.

Can a general SEO agency do local SEO?

Some can, but many treat it as an add-on. Ask them to walk you through what they would do on your Google profile and your listings. If they go straight back to your website, they are not doing local work.

Do I need a local SEO agency if I work from home or travel to customers?

You can still have a Google Business Profile if you serve an area, and you can hide your home address. The work is the same: a complete profile, steady reviews, and matching listings. Hiring help depends on the same test.