Is Local SEO Still Worth Getting Into in 2026?

I've been spending some time learning about different services to offer and Local SEO is one that keeps getting recommended
From what I've seen plenty of businesses still struggle with their Google Business Profile and local rankings but with AI and search constantly changing I'm wondering if it's still a solid service to focus on
For those who have been offering Local SEO for a while:
- Are you still getting good results for clients?
- What type of local businesses have been the easiest to work with
- If you were starting over today, would Local SEO still be one of your first choices?
I'd love to hear some real experiences and any advice you'd give someone just getting started.

- Are you still getting good results for clients?
Yes, but it takes time. I usually tell clients to expect 3–6 months for meaningful results, depending on the competition and their starting point.

- What type of local businesses have been the easiest to work with?
Businesses where I can keep the Google Business Profile active with regular updates, photos, reviews, and fresh content. Those usually respond better over time.

- If you were starting over today, would Local SEO still be one of your first choices?
Probably not. Not because Local SEO doesn't work, but because of client expectations. Many local business owners expect page-one rankings within a couple of months. Even after explaining that SEO is a long-term process, they often judge the campaign too early, which creates unnecessary pressure for us.

I am still learning local seo myself, but it seems like it is one of the few services where business can actually see the results. A lot of small local companies still have not optimized their Google Business Profile, so there definitely looks like there is opportunity if you take the time to learn it properly.

local seo still works, the whole "AI is killing it" thing is overblown imo. If anything the AI overviews still pull from local pack and maps stuff heavily, google isnt gonna stop showing the map for "plumber near me" any time soon.

easiest clients for me have been the ones where the phone ringing = money. plumbers, hvac, garage door, towing, that kind of emergency service stuff. they feel the results fast so they dont nag you about rankings, they just care that leads went up. dentists and law firms pay more but the competition is brutal and they micromanage everything.

the expectation problem someone mentioned above is real and its honestly the main reason people quit. one thing thats helped me is not selling "rankings", i sell calls and form fills. put a call tracking number on the GBP and their site, then every month you show them "you got 40 calls from google this month" instead of some ranking screenshot they dont understand. changes the whole convo.

if i started over today yeah id still do it, but id niche down hard into one trade instead of taking any local biz that walks in. way easier to sell when you can say you already rank 12 other plumbers.