Just because it’s local, SEO is still an amalgam of different strategies to build the reputation of your business and convince search engines to display it among the first results. Generally, local SEO is easier than national or global SEO because of the lower reach and the lighter competition.
That doesn’t mean local SEO is free. While there are certain things you can learn and do yourself, the truth is a consultant’s experience is much more valuable and will bring in better value for money in the long run. Even if you do it yourself, SEO can still be costly.