Everything you need to know about Google Local Services Ads

Up until recently, Google Local Services Ads (LSA) were known as Google Home Services Ads. They made the switch because, more often than not, these services happen outside of the home.

To keep things simple, Google local services ads is a tool that helps your business become more visible to people who are searching for the services that you offer.

These people are going to be within close proximity to your business’ location. This way, you won’t be in a shortage of work.

In this post, our team hopes to provide you with a better understanding of the following:

1. The basics of Local services ads and how you can get them to appear in local search results
2. What the Google Guarantee is and how you can get your business to qualify for it
3. How Google ranks the ads
4. How much you’re going to pay and how
5. How you can get started with Local Service Ads
6. What locations are Local Service Ads available

Let’s get right down to it.

What Google Local Service Ads are and how to get them to appear in local search results

In a nutshell, a business selects an industry and goes through the list of services within that industry to find the ones that apply to them. Once this is done, a user would then be able to search for these services and find the said company. Simple.

To distinguish Local Services Ads from Google Ads, it doesn’t make use of keywords. So it’s not going to be as specific because all you’re doing is picking a category.

The main upside to Local Services Ads is that you’re not going to be paying per click.

These ads are also unlike traditional ones because they don’t link to anywhere. The only thing that’s visible are your contact numbers. This is the update version. Before, there was an option on desktop to send a message request to companies.

However, due to business reports, Google has conceded that there wasn’t much use for that feature.

What Google Guarantee is

If you look at these ads, you’ll notice a green badge with a check on it next to where it says, “GOOGLE GUARANTEED.” What does this mean?

This means that these businesses are “backed” by Google and they stand by what the business offers. Think of this as a sort of verification on Twitter.

Now, how does one qualify for this? Here is a quick checklist.

• Your employees that perform your services should pass a background check performed by Google. As of now, these background checks are free.
• Meeting licensing and insurance requirements is a must.
• As per Google’s terms, you must inform the background check company should you hire more employees. You would also be required to report any legal issues that your business might come by. There is a periodic check for Local Services so that they may be recertified every once in a while.
• That green badge that we were just talking about? Your business will not be allowed to use that in any of your marketing efforts, including your website.
• It’s also important to note that this badge will disappear if you use up all your budget.

How these ads are ranked

Google automatically manages your budget throughout the week. This means that, sometimes, you might see your ad rank lower than it initially did in the beginning of the week if your business got a lot of leads all at once.

Basically, these are the factors that affect how your ad is ranked:

• How close it is to the user who has searched for your services
• Your rating on Google My Business and how many reviews you have
• How quickly and frequently you respond to users who contact you through the ad
• Your hours of operation. Generally, these ads show up during business hours.
• How the ad is received. If Google starts receiving multiple complaints about your ad, your account will be suspended.

How much you’re going to pay and when

First, let’s be clear that with Local Services Ads, you’re not charged per click. You’re charged per lead. What qualifies as a lead?

Google considers customers leads once they send you a text message, voicemail or email. Of course, they would also consider it a lead if you answer their phone calls.

The amount that you’re going to pay per lead depends on your industry and location. For example, if you have an HVAC service, you’re going to have to pay within the $20-$29 range.

How to get started with Google Local Services Ads and how to manage them

As of now, Local Services Ads aren’t available for all industries in all markets. Here are the ones that are available and where:

Service categories

Available in most markets:

• Locksmiths
• Plumbers
• Electricians
• HVAC
• Garage door services

Available in limited markets:

• Roadside assistance
• Auto glass
• Painting
• Handyman
• House cleaning
• Appliance repair

Service Areas

• Arizona: Phoenix
• California: Los Angeles, Riverside/San Bernardino, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose
• Colorado: Denver
• Florida: Miami, Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Tampa-St. Petersburg
• Georgia: Atlanta
• Illinois: Chicago
• Maryland: Baltimore
• Massachusetts: Boston
• Michigan: Detroit
• Minnesota: Minneapolis-St. Paul
• Missouri: St. Louis
• Nevada: Las Vegas
• New York: New York
• North Carolina: Charlotte
• Ohio: Cincinnati
• Oregon: Portland
• Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
• Texas: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
• Washington: Seattle
• Washington, D.C.

All you have to do is a sign up a service provider and set your budget. All that’s left is to be background checked. Here is the website.

Extra Local services ads tips

We have to stress that you give Google accurate information. As of right now, there is no way you can edit your ads yourself. What shows up on your ad, Google will pull from the information that you provide. You have to make sure that they’re correct.

The only things you can do right now is activate or deactivate your ads and adjust some (not all) of the targeting settings. You can also access recorded phone calls if you submit a tracked phone line in your application.

Other than that, you’ll receive what you expect to receive: more leads. Since this is a relatively new program, Google is still tweaking their system and listening to business owners for feedback.

In the meantime, we can look at this as a bonus, as it can’t hurt to gain more visibility and to generate new leads.

The best part about this is being able to tie it to other features that Google offers. You could link it up to G Suite and set up your appointments through the calendar. You could also link it up to Google Analytics to check the progress of your business.

Google Local Services Ads are just a part of a solid advertising campaign

Google shows no signs of stopping when it comes to helping business owners and customers alike. We certainly appreciate the efforts that they take to bridge this gap.

Local service ad is a nifty little feature that will aid your marketing efforts, but it will most definitely won’t be enough for word to get around about your business.

So we recommend that you just make this a part of a larger advertising campaign. However, we understand that this is easier said than done.

If you want to learn more about Local Services Ads and plan a larger advertising campaign overall, our experts are more than willing to help you.