Search for almost any local service and Google shows a map with three businesses at the top. Those three get the calls. Everyone else competes for scraps below the fold.
For a local business, ranking in that map pack — and in “near me” searches — is often the single biggest source of new enquiries. It’s high-intent traffic: people who are nearby, ready to buy, and looking for someone exactly like you.
Local SEO is how you make sure that someone is you.