Local SEO without hiring an agency
For most local shops, the basics outperform any agency package. The agency just makes you do the basics.
Consistent name, address, phone everywhere
Your business name, address, and phone number must be byte-for-byte identical on every directory. Inconsistency is the number-one local SEO killer, and it's free to fix.
One page per service, one page per city
A page that says 'plumbing in Austin' and a page that says 'water heater repair' will outrank a single 'services' page every time. Specific pages win local search.
Real photos beat stock
Geotagged photos of real jobs, uploaded monthly, do more for local ranking than any backlink campaign. Stock photos do nothing.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.