What does local SEO cost, and what should it include?
Local SEO is sold as a monthly fee for an undefined amount of work, which is why two quotes at the same price can mean entirely different things.
Why is local SEO priced so inconsistently?
Because the deliverable is rarely defined. The same monthly fee can buy a listing kept accurate and a few pages written, or an automated report and nothing else.
We are not going to publish a market range for this, because any figure would be invented. Get two quotes and compare the deliverables rather than the numbers.
What should local SEO actually include?
Your listing kept accurate, reviews responded to, pages that answer what customers search before calling, and a report that says what changed rather than showing impressions.
What should I ask before signing?
What specifically will be done each month, who owns the accounts, and what the report will contain. Any of those without a straight answer is the answer.