Ultimate Guide for Google Local Services Ads

Google may be able to reach across the globe, but for local searches we need an alternative solution (and fast) in our own neighbourhood!

When their sinks are overflowing, they can’t afford to wait for a plumbing service to come from another state. They’re also reluctant to ask a stranger to open their car door when they’re stuck outside at night.

Local service advertisers struggle to convert searchers using only text ads.

Google’s Local Services Ads can help. This article will cover everything you need about LSAs so that your business can make the most out of them.

Table of Contents

• 
  What is Google Local Services Ads?
  
• 
  Which businesses can use Google LSAs (Local Search Ads)?
  
• 
  Google Local Services Ads benefits
  
• 
  Get started with Google LSAs
  

What are Google Local Services Ads (Local Services Ads)?

Google Local Services Ads can be a valuable addition to the Local SEO strategy, especially for certain industries, such as lawyers, locksmiths, garage door specialists, electricians and more.

Searchers may find a list of local professionals displaying their business hours, reviews, ratings and more when they enter a search query.

Google will ask the user to confirm that they are looking for a job and their service area when they click on an advertiser listing. You’ll then be matched with the searcher if you meet the requirements and are located in the area. They can review your qualifications and Google Reviews, before contacting you.

Google will help you save money and time by connecting you to the most appropriate Local Services Ad.

Google Local Services Ads are displayed on desktops, tablets, and mobiles searches as shown in the image above. They also reach further than traditional search ads.

Local Services Ads appear in Google Assistant’s responses to relevant Voice Search questions! Google Assistant asks the searcher about their job and location in order to match the right advertiser with the right customer.

Local Services Ads Industries

Local Service Ads can be a real dream for certain industries. Google supports Local Services Ads in the United States today for over 70 industries.

Google Local Services Ads: Benefits

Are you still unsure if Google Local Services Ads is right for your company? We’ll review the advantages of this particular ad type.

Advertisers pay per lead-not click!

PPC advertisers are well aware of the frustrations that come with paying for clicks that don’t work or do not convert, especially for businesses like dentists and attorneys who have high click costs.

Google’s Local Services Ads helps connect the right job with the right advertiser, and prevents the job mismatch which often occurs when a user searches broad terms for a specific job or an area outside of your service zone.

Local Service Ads charge for only valid leads. Depending on the work and the market these can cost as little as $6-30 each. You can dispute a charge if you receive a fraudulent lead, spam or an unqualified match.

Google Screened badge or Google Guarantee will help you gain trust.

Local Services Ads will appear in the search results with a green checkmark next to “Google Guarantee.”

Google’s endorsement is more than just a way to grab users’ attention in a crowded SERP. Users trust Google and its recommendation is backed up by more than just reputation. The Google Guarantee covers unsatisfied clients for jobs booked using Local Service Ads, with a lifetime maximum of $2,000 coverage.

Businesses in the learning, care or wellness sectors can also be eligible for “Google Screened”. This badge informs viewers of your LSA that your business has been fully licensed and vetted.

Increase the reach of paid search ads

Google Local Services Ads are displayed above paid search and organic listings.

Google Local Services Ads don’t replace traditional search ads, or even organic listings.

Searchers are still using Google to find the best providers for their businesses. They expect to see your website first. Even if users don’t convert through LSAs or user reviews , their position in the SERP can influence how they convert later.

Included in the voice search results

Local Services Ads are one of the few ways to ensure that you’re found on the a href=”https://www.blog.google/products/assistant/how-google-home and Google Assistant helped-you get more done in 2017/”>400 million devices/a> powered by Google Assistant. Local Services Ads, which account for over 20% of searches via voice search on Google Assistant-powered devices, are one way to ensure that your business is found by the 400,000,000 devices.

No keywords or ads to manage

keyword research, and ad test are never-ending tasks for paid search advertisers. Google’s Local Service Ads are a great solution! Local Services Ads are automatically triggered when a user searches for any of the thousands relevant search terms.

Google Local Services Ads: How to get started

Are you ready to test Google LSAs out? How to start using Google LSAs?

1. Confirm your eligibility

Google Local Services Ads is only available in certain industries. (We have outlined this earlier). Local Services Ads are only available for certain industries. To see if your company can reach your customers, confirm your business type and location.

You will be guided to create an account if you are eligible. Local Services Ads can be managed independently from ads created in Google Ads . You’ll therefore need to create a separate account.

2. Create a business profile

Google Local Service Ads is different than your Google Business Profile,, which is linked to your local listing in Google. (And if you haven’t done so already, take note to set up, and optimise, this account). The Local Services Ads profile you create will determine the jobs that are matched with your business. You must be honest when describing the services that you offer and where you are looking for leads.

You can edit your business profile:

• Budget for the week
• You can find your business hours here
• Your service areas
• You can choose from a variety of job types

Use these to highlight attributes (“Locally owned & operated”) and special offers (“Military discount available”) to distinguish yourself from others in your industry. You can use these to highlight your locality (“Locally owned & Operated”) or special offers (“Military Discount Available”) in order to differentiate yourself from other businesses. Google recommends that you include 2-5 highlights, even though they are optional.

3. Please add your insurance and license details

You’ll have to provide proof of your professional license and insurance in order to earn the Google guarantee and Google screened and run Local Services Ads. Make sure all your documents are up-to-date and provide details of your general liability insurance as well as any related professional licenses.

You can also add any additional licenses required by your city or state to make sure you are compliant.

4. Conduct a background investigation

Google wants to make sure that its users can trust Local Services Advertisers who are covered by the Google Guarantee. Google makes sure that businesses and their workers pass a Background Check. Google has partnered up with Pinkerton and Evident to conduct these background checks.

These background checks are free and can be managed here .

5. Manage your leads

You can view and manage your incoming leads in your a href=”https://ads.google.com/localservices/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank>LSAs dashboard/a>. Your dashboard allows you to view and manage all of your leads.

You can access the “Leads tab” from this dashboard by using the dropdown menu in the upper right corner. You can also manage your leads using the Local Services Ads App on Android or iOS.

Leads are not necessarily jobs booked! Follow up on your inbound leads. You can listen to the recorded call and review all the details about the individual lead.

You have three options for contacting a lead that is interested after reviewing the leads:

• Reply to the customer by sending an email or texting your message to the client.
• Contactthe client based on their phone number.
• Rejectthe Job Request. You can decline a request and it will be removed. The customer will also be notified. You can reply with additional information on why the request has been declined. Requests can be recovered once they have been declined if anything changes.

You can mark leads as booked after reviewing them to keep track of your upcoming work. This feature allows you to schedule upcoming jobs, send out confirmation emails and collect customer reviews. The reporting on these booked deals can also help you determine the ROI of your Local Services Ads.

6. Budget for LSAs

You can change your Local Services Ads Budget from your business profile. Your average weekly budget can be adjusted to control how much money you spend on Local Services Ads. Google Ads may spend a little less or a lot more than the weekly budget you have set in any given week. However, it will not exceed your maximum monthly budget.

As you are charged by the lead, rather than by the click with Google Local Services Ads you can increase or decrease your budget to directly affect how many leads you generate. To get the most from your Local Services Ads campaign, you should budget at least $20 per week.

Remember that your Local Services Ads Budget is separate from the Google Ads Budget. If you are running both campaigns, be sure to prepare for their combined costs.

Check out these 7 tips to increase your Local Services Ads ROI.

7. Take a look at your LSA ranking

There’s only a certain amount of SERP space available, even with Local Services Ads!

Local Services Ads can appear up to three times on Desktop and two times on Mobile. Only one will be displayed via Google Assistant. To ensure that your listing appears, you will need to have a high Ad Rank.

You don’t need to worry about these ranking factors, unlike search ads, where your Quality score is based on a combination between your CTR and landing pages. Google determines the Ad Rank of your Local Services Ads by taking into account factors such as:

• The number of reviews and your review score
• You should be responsive to your customers’ inquiries and requests
• You can find your business hours here
• Google has received repeated or serious complaints about your company.

Book more jobs with Google LSAs now to ensure you have them tomorrow

Google LSAs can be easily created and managed, making them a great ad for service businesses. You’ll need to set up your LSAs properly and then manage the leads they generate. See how and our solutions will help you navigate Google LSAs.

Here are the steps you need to take to start using Google LSAs.

1. Confirm your eligibility
2. Create a business profile
3. Please add your insurance and license details
4. Conduct a background investigation
5. Manage your leads
6. Manage your budget
7. Take a look at your ranking

The article Ultimate Guide for Google Local Services Ads first appeared on WordStream.