I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this: What’s the real difference between a National SEO Expert and a Local SEO Specialist?

From what I understand, Local SEO focuses on optimizing for specific geographic areas — think Google Business Profile, local citations, and "near me" keywords. It's great for businesses like restaurants, clinics, or service providers targeting a specific city or region.

On the other hand, National SEO seems to target broader audiences across the country, requiring a different content strategy, technical SEO at scale, and stronger backlink profiles. It's more competitive and often aimed at eCommerce brands, SaaS companies, or national service providers.

But where do the roles really split in terms of skill set, tools, and results? Can one person be great at both, or do they require different approaches entirely?

Looking to hear from SEOs who’ve worked in either (or both) spaces — what’s your take?