Local SEO is a discipline, not a person. It refers to the tactics and technical work required to make a business visible in Google's local search results—specifically the map pack (the three listings with pins that appear above organic results) and the broader local finder. Businesses that benefit most include restaurants, law firms, dental clinics, home service contractors, retail stores, and any company serving customers in a specific geographic area. If someone in Ottawa searches "plumber near me" or "divorce lawyer Ottawa," local SEO determines which businesses appear. Core local SEO components include: - Google Business Profile optimization (formerly Google My Business): categories, business hours, photos, regular posts, review management. - NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) across your website, citations, and directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific listings. - On-page signals: location keywords in title tags, H1s, and content; embedded Google Maps; locally relevant schema markup. - Inbound links from local sources—Chamber of Commerce, local news sites, Ottawa Business Journal, community sponsorships. - Reviews and ratings, which directly influence ranking and click-through. At Ottawa SEO Inc., we treat local SEO as foundational for any client serving a defined geography. A Toronto chiropractor or a Gatineau HVAC company won't rank nationally, nor should they try. Local SEO focuses their budget and content on the 5–30 km radius that actually drives revenue. The difference between local and traditional SEO is intent and competition scope. Local queries have transactional intent and hyper-local competition. You're not fighting Healthline or Wikipedia; you're fighting the clinic two blocks over. That makes local SEO more achievable for small businesses but requires ongoing attention to Google Business Profile activity, citation accuracy, and review velocity. Neglect it for six months and competitors who post weekly and respond to reviews will outrank you.