Set up Google Local Services Ads

Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) - also known as Google Guaranteed or Google Home Service ads - are a "pay-per-lead" ad service that places your business listing at the top of search results. Instead of pay-per-click (PPC) ads, where you pay each time a user clicks on your ad, these ads only charge you when a user converts into a lead.

LSAs appear at the top of the search results, above the organic search results and the Google's PPC Ads. These ads often appear for search queries related to certain industry-specific categories, such as home service companies, financial planners, or other professional services.

In addition, the ads may say either "Google Guaranteed" or "Google Screened." These labels depend on the following criteria:

• Google Guaranteed: The business has passed the screening and qualification process and that Google will endorse the work of the business. If a customer that booked service via a Local Services Ad is not satisfied with the quality of the work, Google may reimburse the customer up to the amount they paid for the service (with a lifetime cap per customer of $2,000 in the U.S.). 
• Google Screened: The business has passed the necessary screening and qualification process but is not backed by the guarantee.

 

How Local Services Ads Work

It is free to set up LSAs and you are not charged for the ads to show in the search results. You are only charged per "lead." You can obtain a lead in one of the three methods:

• Phone calls: The most common lead type. Supported in all regions.
• Messages: A user can fill out a form directly from the ad to initiate communication with your business. This is available in select business categories in the U.S. only.
• Bookings: Controlled by the Reserve with Google platform, this lets users schedule their service online. Only available in the U.S. and is limited to Home Service business types such as HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical for contractors utilizing Service Titan or Housecall Pro.

The cost-per-lead can depend on several factors, such as your business type and your location. The cost-per-lead can be anywhere from $5 to over $200. You can set your maximum cost-per-lead by using Google's bid mode option. To get the most leads, Google recommends using the "Maximize leads" setting.

 

How Local Services Ads are Ranked

There are several factors that decide which position your business will appear in the LSA section at the top of the search results. The factors below can determine how your business ranks:

• Your verification status and whether you obtained a "Google Screened" or "Google Guaranteed" badge.
• The user's search queries.
• Your review score and the number of reviews you receive on your Google My Business listing.
• Your responsiveness to customer inquiries and requests.
• Your proximity to the user's location.
• Your business hours.
• Whether or not Google has received serious or repeated complaints about your business.

 

How to Sign up for Google Local Services Ads

If you would like to create a Google LSA for your business, then you can sign up by visiting this link. It is free to sign up. While it is not required, it is recommended that you have a Claimed Google My Business (GMB) listing, as the LSAs will pull in your GMB reviews to your ad.

After you sign in with your Google login, then you will be asked to enter your location and business category. Only certain business categories are eligible; those categories are listed below:

U.S.	Canada
Appliance repair	Appliance repair services
Carpentry	Carpet cleaning services
Carpet cleaning	Cleaning services
Countertop services	Electricians
Electrical	HVAC
Fencing	Junk removal services
Financial planning	Lawn care services
Flooring	Locksmiths
Foundations	Movers
Garage door	Pest control services
House cleaning	Plumbers
HVAC	Roofers
Junk removal	Tree services
Landscaping	Water damage services
Law	Window cleaning services
Lawn care	Window repair services
Locksmith
Moving
Pest control
Plumbing
Real estate
Roofing
Siding
Tax services
Tree services
Water damage services
Window cleaning
Window services

 

If your business is eligible to participate, then you can start the onboarding process by completing the form, or you can call the phone number on the website for assistance with the process.

 

Local Services Ads Dashboard Overview

Once you are approved to run LSAs, you will have you have a designated dashboard to manage your business information, budget, and leads.

 

Business Profile

Business Info

At the top of the dashboard, you can click Add service updates to your profile to verify the details about your business.

You can select the COVID-19 tab on the sidebar to designate any precautions your business is taking for COVID-19. Select the Business bio tab on the sidebar to select up to 6 "highlights" about your business, such as "Free consultation" or "Lifetime guarantee."

 

Job Types

In the Job types section, you can toggle on/off the various services that you offer at your business. These options will vary based on your business category. You will want to toggle off any job type that you not offer.

 

Photos

Select Add Photos to upload images to your business profile. You should add your logo and a handful of images such as your storefront (if applicable), company vehicles, or projects.

 

Message Leads

Toggle on the Message leads switch to let customers contact you via email. This feature will provide a contact form for leads to submit instead of calling you. Note: this service is currently only available for U.S. users.

 

Service Areas

A map will display which geographic areas your business serves. Click the map to modify your service coverage area.

 

Business Hours

Make sure your business hours are up to date. Your Local Service Ad will only show up during your designated business hours. Also, be sure to designate any holidays in which you will be closed.

 

Leads Dashboard

Click on the "hamburger" icon on the top-left corner of the dashboard and select Leads from the dropdown menu.

 

The leads will be stored in the following five tabs:

• New: Every new lead will land in the "New" tab, and will list their phone number and a recording of the call. You can edit the lead to add their name, contact info, and job description.
• Active: Leads will automatically move to the "Active" tab after you have listened to the call recording. You can click Mark Leads as Booked to move the lead to the "Booked" tab.
• Booked: Leads will move here after you click "Marked Leads as Booked."
• Completed: After you have completed the work for a "Booked" customer, you can mark them as "Completed" and they will move to this section.

Note: your business' ranking on the Local Services Ads are weighed by the percentage of customers that you have "booked." If you receive a non-legitimate lead (for example, a spam call or a booked customer following up on their appointment), then you can dispute that lead with Google, and they can reimburse you for the cost of the lead.

 

Reviews Dashboard

Click on the "hamburger" icon on the top-left corner of the dashboard and select Reviews from the drop-down menu.

When booking jobs, you can record their email address so that you can send them a link to leave a review for your business after the job is complete. You can obtain this link by clicking the Ask For Review tab. You can also ask them to leave a review on your Google My Business listing.

 

Reports Dashboard

Click on the "hamburger" icon on the top-left corner of the dashboard and select Reports from the drop-down menu.

On the Reports dashboard, you can see the total number of leads you received in a given date range, as well as your booking rate.