Lead Generation Question! Doesnt this make SEO & Content Worthless?

Im working on a lead gen website, lets say Kitchens for Albany, ca. (Just example). I want to rank it, then sell the leads I get from google searchers. But I noticed whenever you type in a lead gen term, like "kitchens" or "Albany Kitchens" or "dentists" google will always show the Yelp results and google map listings of local businesses at top. So why would building a lead gen site, and doing lots of SEO and content for it, matter, if google is just going to show the yelp results & google reviews over your lead gen site? Thats all people will see. (see screenshot)



Even if you setup a yelp page (which has to get reviewed and approved) and make a google listing for your site, Then you would need dozens & dozens of reviews on yelp and google reviews to get your site ranked over the existing local businesses with 100+ reviews. If thats correct, then really SEO and content is worthless for a lead gen site, its really about paying someone to make a hundred google accounts, and post a hundred reviews for your google listing right? So I dont get it....thats what confuses me.

Thanks

You can rank above the local reviews/yelp. You may or may not be able to rank on top for some terms but it is possible to get above the reviews which can make a lead gen site worth creating.

From my experience, it depends on the keyword.
Not every keyword triggers Google 7-pack (maps) and yelp. So I wouldn't quite say "SEO is useless".

At the same time, it's a fact that Google is putting more weight to "local" results nowadays, and reviews/ratings do matter. And that is also why ORM (online reputation management) is getting more and more popular in addition to traditional SEO services.

For example: It wouldn't make sense if I am from NewYork, and search for "pizza", then give me a search result with a pizza location in Houston, correct? And it wouldn't make sense to show me the worst pizza location to buy from neither. That's really not search-friendly at all.

If I do create a yelp page and google listing, get it confirmed my mail via the pin # they send. Is the only way to get those listings ranked at top of "7box" is by having lots of reviews and ratings on them? Or does send backlinks to them also work? I would think listings in the "7b0x" would be purely based on quantity of reviews/ratings.