Both aim to bring you search traffic, but they compete in different places. Choosing the wrong one is the most common reason SEO spend produces nothing.
What local SEO actually targets
Local SEO competes for the map pack and for searches that carry an implied location — "dentist near me", "web design company in Siliguri". The main levers are your Google Business Profile, consistent name, address and phone details, location-specific pages, and reviews.
What traditional SEO targets
Traditional (organic) SEO competes nationally for informational and commercial searches. It is won with content depth, site structure, technical health and links — and it takes longer to compound.
How to choose
If customers must physically reach you, or you serve a defined radius, local SEO comes first — it converts fastest and costs least.
If you can deliver remotely or ship anywhere, traditional SEO gives you a much larger addressable audience.
Most growing businesses eventually run both: local to capture demand nearby, organic content to create demand everywhere else.