Google Local Services Ads Best Practices: The 5 Things Google Itself Recommends

Quick Answer

tl;dr: Google’s own Local Services Ads guidance comes down to five simple changes: list all relevant job types and service areas, keep earning fresh reviews, switch to Maximize Leads, use genuine jobsite photos, and turn on available messaging and booking features. None is a magic fix by itself, but together they make it easier for Google to show your business to the right homeowners.

You’ve likely done all the standard optimizations if you’re having trouble seeing increased leads in Google Local Services Ads. Raise the budget. Request some additional reviews. Pray for the best. Cross your fingers and wait.

What no contractor has ever done: read what Google says will cure it. There’s even Google’s list of best practices for optimizing Local Services Ads, prominently displayed in its help center. Most contractors would never bother to read it, and don’t.

If you want a quick walkthrough, watch the video below, or if you want to learn in-depth, read on.

So if you’re looking to improve your LSA with Google, then take a look at this video to learn about the 5 things you should do to improve it!

These are not someone’s opinions, but Google’s words.

There are lots of “LSA best practices” articles out there that are great for what’s worked for them and their clients, but it’s still somebody’s interpretation. In fact, Google released its own five-part guide on what betterments to make to enhance Local Services Ads results.

Here is each one explained in simple terms, as well as what really counts when you apply it.

1. Add Additional Services to Your Business

Within your LSA profile, there is a general category and under that you have specific job types and service areas. Google wants to truly represent all your activities and all your locations.

Suppose that you are a man who is a repairman for appliances. For appliances such as dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators, you need to check and turn on all three of the categories that you’re stuck with, rather than just your generic “appliance repair.” Google does not know to display your ad if one of them is not ticked, however.

Without one of them being ticked, Google does not know to display your ad when somebody searches for that particular repair.

The same notion is true for service areas. For a multi-location business that covers a whole county, city, or whole state, all of those locations must be turned on and be identified. Otherwise you’re saying that Google, you’re available to less area than you actually cover.

So what: This is the simplest box to tick, and it is also the one most owners take for granted that is “set” when they signed up. It’s worth checking, even if you haven’t been using your account in months.

2. Get More Reviews and Continue to Do So

Reviews are important for SEO in general, but even more for LSA in particular. Google “plumber near me” and the results you’ll get will be the LSA slots, and each business in these slots will have lots of reviews.

The recency of reviews is as important as the number of reviews. A business that has 55 five-star reviews from the past week can outrank a business that has 1,000 5 star reviews in a year if it has a new 4 star review. It can take 5 or more reviews to get to the top, depending on what type of business you are.

This shouldn’t be a burden, if you are doing well, it should be a habit, not a one-off push. If you use Housecall Pro, you can automate Google review requests instead of relying on a manual reminder after every job.

So what: One of the last 2 LSA levers you can control is the review. For better ranking, nothing works more than a consistent ask after each and every job, which is done simply.

3. Change Your Bidding to “Maximize Leads”

LSA maintains a very simple bidding process. You can get the highest number of leads, or you can have a maximum amount you will pay per lead.

Once you are familiar with your numbers enough to confidently say to the dealer “I will pay up to $X and get $Y back,” Max Per Lead is fine. However, for most businesses looking to expand their lead generation, that cap can work against you. When it is too low for the leads that are available, Google cannot get you those leads.

Maximize Leads allows Google to work at a number of different bid bands to provide you with increased volume without exceeding your budget. If you’ve never tried, you may want to give it a go for awhile and see how your lead count changes.

If you’re looking for a clearer picture of the LSA leads available in your trade before making changes, start with the three types of Google LSA leads.

So what: This is a setting, not a strategy overhaul. There is no cost to testing and you will find out in a couple weeks if it changed your lead count.

4. Upload Quality Photographs (Real Photos)

You don’t create an individual ad as you do for a regular Google Ads campaign, but you can add photos to your LSA dashboard, under the profile and budget section. Google’s advice, which the video also suggests, was to not use AI-generated images, not use images with just a logo and to not use a picture of your van.

The thing is, pictures of people do the trick. Home service work is personal. You are entering someone’s home. Homeowners want to see that you’re real, reputable, and have done this type of work before.

A few genuine photos of your team at work is more convincing than a studio picture.

So what: It is a one shot, but it will keep on giving. If your LSA profile still contains your logo with nothing else, that’s an easy one to do this week.

5. Register for New LSA Features

There are 3 types of leads that LSA can provide: phone calls, messaging, and book now. It is still the primary one. Most of the people want instant back and forth of a call, but Google is actively making an effort to have businesses turn the other two on too.

Messaging leads open your ad up to a different set of customers: the ones who don’t want to pick up the phone. That’s a significant proportion of the population, particularly young homeowners, in today’s marketplace. No messaging equals no business that you will get.

Google also advises using direct business search, meaning your LSA result will appear even when a potential customer types in your business name, and implementing the LSA booking functionality (which is available with some of the supported CRMs (Book Now, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, and a few others)). While the volume won’t affect them the way it does for phone calls, they will let Google know that you’re an active user, and Google likes that.

There is one problem: You can only turn on the messages half way! Even those leads require a swift response, or you miss out on the benefit you’ve just earned. This walkthrough for automating Google LSA message replies shows how to set up an instant first reply while keeping a person in the loop.

So what: These are the most obvious boxes to tick off on the list and the most likely to be forgotten. In a few minutes in your dashboard settings, you’re harvesting leads that you used to be missing through default settings.

Even Though They’re All Magical, None of These Are Magic on Their Own

None of the following five will change your account overnight. Now, put in multiple reviews and combine a bunch of service areas and job types and your number of LSA leads should begin to increase significantly, and not only the number, but also the quality.

If you are new to setting up LSA, or you are looking for more information than these five best practices, start with the three types of Google LSA leads.

How to Stop This from Becoming More Missed Leads

All of Google’s five suggestions can be done this week without hiring anyone. If you’re building out how your home service team responds to leads across calls, texts, and other channels, this AI automation starter playbook is a useful next read. Even if you never add more automation, it is worthwhile to go through this list in the afternoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Maximize Leads and Max Per Lead bidding in Google LSA?

Maximize Leads allows Google to optimize your bid on all the bands to ensure you're getting as many leads as you can for your budget. With Max Per Lead you can set a maximum amount that you are willing to pay per lead. Most businesses striving to increase the number of leads they generate are recommended to take advantage of Google's Maximize Leads service.

How many Google reviews are required to come up in Local Services Ads?

It takes 5 or more reviews for your ad to be eligible to display, depending on the type of business you have. After that number, the more reviews you have and the more recent they are, the higher you will be ranked.

Is it important for Google LSA to have a recent review?

Yes. A company that has 1000 reviews one year ago can be beaten by a company that has 55 reviews in the past week. Recent reviews are a more powerful indicator that you are a viable business, as Google considers them to be more recent.

Will Google LSA benefit from turning on messaging leads?

In most cases, yes. Messaging brings your ad to a range of customers, particularly younger ones, who prefer texting over a call. Not doing so will prevent you from enjoying a rewarding part of potential business.

Is it possible to use AI created pictures for my Google LSA ad?

It is not recommended by Google. Your work with the photos that you have taken is a sure way to gain homeowner trust that is not gained using AI images, logos or stock photos.

What exactly are Google LSA job types and what are they important for?

Job types are specific services which you tick off within your LSA profile, in addition to your overall category. Google will not display your ad for searches that are related to a service that you don't actually use.