TL;DR
Local SEO wins searches with a location - "plumber near me", "cafe in Boston" - and the Google Map Pack. Regular SEOwins searches without a location - "best CRM for realtors", "how to write a business plan". If you serve a service area, start local. If you serve customers anywhere, start regular. Many businesses need both.
What each one actually targets
Local SEO optimizes for one specific thing: getting your business into Google's Map Pack (the 3-result map that appears at the top of local searches) and ranking below it for location-modified queries. The work is heavy on Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews and location-specific pages.
Regular SEO optimizes for the main organic results across every search Google shows. The work is heavy on technical SEO, on-page optimization, content and backlinks - and it can run globally, regionally, or in any language.
Which one do you need?
Start with local SEO if…
- You serve customers in a physical area - a city, region, or set of postcodes.
- Someone would type "near me" or a city name to find you.
- You have (or should have) a Google Business Profile.
- Examples: plumbers, dentists, cafés, gyms, lawyers, contractors, retail stores.
Start with regular SEO if…
- You serve customers anywhere - online, nationally, globally.
- Nobody would add a city name when searching for what you sell.
- Your business is content, software, e-commerce or B2B services delivered remotely.
- Examples: SaaS, online stores, remote agencies, publications, consultants.
You probably need both if…
- You have a physical location and sell nationally (a specialist clinic, a boutique retailer with online shipping, a hybrid agency).
- You serve multiple locations that each compete locally, while your brand competes nationally.
Real-world examples
A dentist in Denver. Almost pure local SEO. Nobody searches "best dental crown" and books somewhere three states away.
A SaaS invoicing tool. Pure regular SEO. Location is irrelevant - it's a global product competing on "invoicing software", "quickbooks alternative", etc.
A boutique jeweler with an e-commerce store. Both. Local SEO wins the walk-in traffic; regular SEO ranks the online store for "engagement rings under $2,000".
A digital agency (like us). Both. Local SEO for clients who prefer working with someone nearby; regular SEO for global searches like "webflow developer" or "seo services for small business".
Which one is faster?
Local SEO. Because you're competing in a smaller pool - just other businesses in your area - you can see Map Pack movement in 4-8 weeks. National SEO takes 3-6 months to show meaningful traffic gains, and 9-12 months for the wins to fully compound.
Which one is cheaper?
Local SEO, usually. A solid local SEO plan runs $500-$1,500/mo. Regular SEO in a competitive niche often starts at $1,500-$3,000/mo because it needs more content and stronger links.
The right order to invest
If you're local first, do local SEO for 3-6 months, prove the ROI, then layer in regular SEO to expand reach. If you're national first, get technical and on-page SEO clean, start publishing content monthly, and only add local SEO if you open a location or start serving specific markets.
Not sure which one you need?
Book a free 30-minute SEO strategy call - we'll tell you honestly, even if it isn't the bigger contract.