how competitive is your local market? That's the first thing to figure out before you spend a penny.
Short-term, I'd go paid first. prioritise LSAs, then Google Ads, then Meta Ads - in that exact order. LSAs are a no-brainer for local service businesses if you can get in. Google Ads next because the intent is there. Meta is last because it's more about retargeting and brand building, not direct leads for something like CPA work.
make sure your Google Business Profile is optimised. That's where most of your high-value organic leads will come from, not your website. Your website exists to give authority to your GBP, not the other way around. Think of the GBP as the shop window, the website as the fine print.
Start showing up in SERPs and LLMs as a credible, authoritative brand. That builds both SEO and GEO over time. no shortcuts - just consistent, localised effort.
