Both are Vancouver local SEO agencies — but they suit different businesses. Here's an honest, side-by-side comparison on focus, who does the work, AI search and contracts, so you can pick the right partner for your size and goals.
Get My Free Audit →Lead Local SEO and North SEO are both Vancouver-based local SEO agencies, but they suit different businesses: North SEO is a Vancouver-focused team offering a broad menu of local search services — Google Business Profile optimization, on/off-page SEO, link building and reputation management, plus ads, social and web design — while Lead Local SEO is an owner-led specialist that optimises for Google and AI search, run personally by founder Michael Coombe. If you want a full-service local team with a physical Vancouver office, in-house support and a wide services catalogue (including e-commerce platform SEO), North SEO is a strong choice. If you're a local business — a clinic, dentist, law firm, trades or med spa — that wants the founder personally running your campaign, optimised for both Google and AI, month-to-month with a money-back guarantee, Lead Local SEO is likely the better fit. Below is an honest, side-by-side comparison.
| Lead Local SEO | North SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Local businesses, by niche | Local SEO + broad digital menu |
| Who does the work | Michael (owner-led) | In-house Vancouver team |
| AI search (AEO/GEO) | ✅ Core offering | Not a stated focus |
| Services | Local SEO, AI search, Google/Meta ads | GBP, on/off-page, links, ads, social, web |
| Contracts | Month-to-month + money-back | Month-to-month, no lock-in (transparent store pricing) |
| Reviews | 5.0 on Google | 5-star Google reviews |
| Best for | Local/niche businesses | Full-service local needs |
North SEO is a genuinely local-first agency headquartered in Vancouver (East 56th Ave), with a licensed, registered local business and a deep services catalogue — Google Business Profile optimization, local keyword research, on-page and off-page SEO, local link building, reputation management, plus SEM, social and creative. They also offer platform-specific SEO (Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress) and industry pages for trades, dental, healthcare, law and more. That breadth is a real strength if you want one Vancouver team for everything.
Lead Local SEO goes narrower on purpose — deliberately specialised in local businesses (clinics, dentists, trades, law firms, med spas, accountants) so every campaign is tailored to how your customers search. For a specific niche, that focus often converts better than a broad menu.
This is the biggest practical difference. At Lead Local SEO, founder Michael Coombe builds and runs your strategy himself — no outsourcing, no junior hand-offs. Michael has 18 years building 7-figure businesses across SEO, Google Ads and Meta, and the agency has generated 1.8M+ leads with a 5.0 rating on Google. You work directly with the person doing the work. North SEO promises a Vancouver-based, no-outsourcing team too ("you'll work directly with our Vancouver-based team"), which is a genuine plus — though with a full team you may not have one senior lead on your account day-to-day.
› See it for yourself: check if AI recommends your business → — it's the kind of AI-search work most local agencies don't yet do.
Lead Local SEO treats AI search (AEO/GEO) as a core offering — getting you recommended by ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews and Gemini, not just ranked on classic Google. North SEO's public site focuses on traditional local SEO and Google Business Profile work rather than AI-search optimization, so if being named by AI assistants matters to you, that's a meaningful gap. With ~25% of searches now triggering an AI Overview, it's increasingly important — see how it works.
North SEO publishes transparent pricing in an online store — one-time services (such as a $497 SEO audit) and month-to-month retainers (local SEO from around $797/month), with no lock-in contracts and a 30-day refund on your first invoice. That's a genuinely low-commitment, upfront structure. Lead Local SEO publishes plans from $500/month, month-to-month, with a first-month money-back guarantee — a similar low-risk approach at a lower entry price.
Still weighing your options? Compare the wider market in our guide to the best local SEO agencies in Vancouver, or read up on local SEO in Vancouver and what a Vancouver SEO agency should deliver.
No need to decide today. Lead Local SEO — owner-led by Michael Coombe (18 years' experience, 1.8M+ leads generated, 5.0 on Google) — offers two free, no-obligation tools so you can see where you stand: a local SEO audit of your rankings on Google & Maps vs. competitors, and a ChatGPT visibility checker to see whether AI recommends your business. Month-to-month, no contracts, first month money-back if you work with us.
Related: Best Local SEO Agencies Vancouver · Local SEO Vancouver · SEO Agency Vancouver.
Comparison is based on each agency's public website as of July 2026 and is intended as a fair, factual overview.