anyone else find doing local seo harder than the guides suggest?

Yes, because most guides stop at "set up your Google Business Profile". That gets you listed, not ranked. What actually moved things for us: picking the right primary category (matters more than people think), steady reviews that mention the service and the area naturally, and a proper page on the site for each service instead of one catch-all services page. Proximity is the bit nobody can fix. If the searcher is across town, a closer competitor often wins regardless. Check your rankings from a few points around your area, not just from your own desk.