What Are Google Local Services Ads (and Should You Run Them)?
Local Services Ads sit at the very top of Google, you pay per lead, and the leads are exclusive. Here’s how they work and who they’re right for.
Google Local Services Ads (LSA) sit at the very top of the search results — above the regular ads and the map — for local service searches. For eligible trades, they’re often the lowest cost-per-booked-job channel available. Here’s how they work.
You pay per lead, not per click
Unlike Search Ads (where you pay every time someone clicks), with LSA you pay only when a real lead contacts you — a call or message from someone looking for your service. And those leads are exclusive to you, not shared with three other companies like the lead-marketplace sites.
The “Google Verified” badge
To run LSA, Google verifies your business — license and insurance checks for many trades. You earn a “Google Verified” badge that signals trust right at the top of the page. (Note: the older money-back guarantee badge was retired in late 2025; today the badge means verification.)
Who LSA is right for
- Licensed home-service trades — HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, and more.
- Businesses that can respond fast — response speed directly affects how many leads you get and your cost per job.
- Anyone tired of paying for shared, low-quality leads from third-party platforms.
The catch: it rewards discipline
LSA isn’t set-and-forget. The accounts that win answer leads in minutes, dispute genuinely bad leads for credit, and keep a steady flow of recent reviews. That daily discipline is exactly what a managed program provides.
Curious whether LSA fits your business? See Get Leads, compare it with search in Google Ads vs. LSA, or get a free audit.