Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads for Home-Service Companies

Google Local Services Ads (LSA) show screened businesses on Google Search and Maps, and you pay per lead, not per click. They're now moving into Google Ads, which changes how bidding and reporting work. We don't sell LSA on its own. When paid ads fit your market and goals, we scope Google Ads, Local Services Ads or ChatGPT ads in your proposal. You own every account.

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Illustration · one homeowner’s path from a search to an estimate request

1
A homeowner has a job to do
roof repair near me
2
They look in three places
Google resultsThe mapAn AI answer
3
They check before they call
Reviews, photos of real work and a page that answers their question.
4
They request an estimate
Your form or phone number, working on their phone.

Not an actual ranking, listing or result.

Led by Youssef Hodaigui, doing SEO since 2004
You own every account
We won't work with your direct competitor in your area
Month to month after the first 90 days

How do Local Services Ads work for a contractor?

You pass Google's screening, earn the Google Verified badge and pay for each valid lead: an answered call, a missed call in business hours where the caller stays on more than 20 seconds, a message or a booking request. Where your ad shows depends on your bid, how responsive you are and your profile quality.

Who can run themmost home-service trades in the US, including plumbers, electricians, HVAC, roofers, pest control, garage door and water damage services, and kitchen and bathroom remodeling (home services we cover).
Screening and badgeGoogle verifies your business and, for select advertisers, runs background, license and insurance checks; passing earns the single Google Verified badge, which replaced Google Guaranteed.
RankingGoogle lists your bid, your responsiveness and your profile quality: rating, number of reviews, response time, photos and completed checks. Budget isn't on that list, though Google says a higher budget can bring more leads.
Bad leadsGoogle credits low-quality leads automatically and no longer credits job types or areas you didn't want; our Local Services Ads guide covers charges and credits.

What changes as Local Services Ads move into Google Ads?

Google is moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads as a Performance Max campaign built for pay-per-lead goals. Select US home and storefront service advertisers went first, from August 2026; service-area businesses without storefronts follow in late 2026, and everyone else in 2027. You still pay per lead, but bidding, reporting and lead management all change.

The first phase started with select advertisers with storefronts, in categories including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, appliance repair, house cleaning, lawn care, roofing, pest control and moving. Late 2026 also covers accounts with custom bidding or booking configurations; remaining categories and accounts outside the US follow in 2027. What changes, from Google's migration page, read November 1, 2026:

	Before (Local Services dashboard)	After the move (Google Ads)
Where you manage it	The Local Services dashboard and lead inbox	A Performance Max campaign in Google Ads; a Leads page replaces the inbox
What you pay for	Valid leads	Valid leads, such as calls and messages, not clicks
Bidding	Maximize leads, target cost per lead, or a manual max per lead	Manual bids such as a maximum cost per lead end. If one campaign had different targets per trade, Google applies one campaign-level target; separate campaigns keep separate targets
Budget	Average weekly budget with a monthly cap	Weekly budget divided by 7 into a daily average; the month is capped at that times 30.4
Lead history	In the inbox	Transfers, including messages and call recordings
Performance reports	In the dashboard	Don't carry over; Google says a download page is coming and suggests screenshots if you need them now
Badge and checks	Re-verification requests from time to time	Badge and completed verification transfer; insurance and license re-verification no longer required
Ad schedule and service areas	Set in the dashboard	Transfer; edited in the campaign's settings, separately from your Business Profile
Business details	From your Business Profile	Name, address and hours sync one way from your Business Profile
New accounts	Sign up through Google's Local Services site	Still there, until pay-per-lead campaigns can be created in Google Ads

What to do before and after your move:

Save your reports.Download or screenshot your performance history before the move. Google emails 14 and 7 days ahead, and again when the move is done.
Check who the administrator is.The notices go to the administrator listed on your profile. Make sure that's you, not a former vendor. After the move, check users and access levels in Google Ads too, because that's where the campaign is managed.
Split trades you bid on differently.If you run, say, plumbing and HVAC with different targets, Google suggests separate campaigns.
Recheck the settings.Budgets, targets, service areas and who gets lead emails. Google says to allow up to two weeks for the move to fully complete.

Quick answer

When do Local Services Ads fit, and when should your map listing come first?

LSA fits when someone answers every call in your listed hours, your reviews hold up next to competitors', the jobs you want are job types you can select, and one booked job can cover the cost of several leads. If phones go unanswered or margins are thin, start with your map listing and reviews.

The full decision, with a worked cost-per-booked-job example, is in Local SEO vs Local Services Ads. Two checks matter more during the move: whether someone on your team will watch the new Leads page in Google Ads every day, and whether your Business Profile hours, which sync one way to Google Ads, match when someone actually answers (speed to lead).

Paying for LSA doesn't change your free placements: Google says "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." The free lists don't line up with each other either. In our study of 8 trades in 50 US metros, only 431 of the 1,184 businesses in the Google Maps top three were also in the local pack (October 2026, Home-Service Visibility Study).

What should you check before anyone manages your Local Services Ads?

Check who controls the account, then the settings that decide what you're charged for. These checks come from Google's Local Services help pages, read November 1, 2026. They apply whoever manages the account, and they matter during the move into Google Ads, when Google asks you to recheck budgets, targets and service areas.

Check	Google's rule	Ask
Administrative access	Only Administrative users can edit bidding and budget and manage users; Standard users can edit the profile and reply to leads (after the move, Google Ads access levels: only Admin manages users)	"Am I the Administrative user on my own account?"
Manager accounts	Admins of a linked manager account "can manage any part of that account and its campaigns" and can change others' access	"Whose manager account is mine linked to?"
Job types and areas	Google no longer credits "job type not serviced" or "geo not serviced" leads	"Are only the jobs and towns we want switched on?"
Hours	Business hours come from your Google Business Profile, and missed calls in those hours can be charged	"Do our profile hours match when someone answers?"
Credits	Google reassesses charged leads and credits poor ones automatically; you can rate each lead in the Lead Feedback Survey	"How will charged and credited leads be reported to me?"

What do LSA agency pages still get wrong?

Mostly, they describe the old program. On November 1, 2026, we read eight agency pages that rank for Local Services Ads management searches. Five still sold the retired Google Guaranteed badge, six described lead credit as a dispute the agency files by hand, and only one said the client owns the account.

What the page said	Pages (of 8)
Google Guaranteed, described as current	5
Lead credit as a manual dispute filed by the agency	6
Google's automated credits	2
The client owns the account	1
A section on the move into Google Ads	1

Source: Mindflow review of 8 agency service pages from the top results for Local Services Ads management searches (US, November 1, 2026). Pages aren't named; old copy doesn't prove old practice.

If a proposal promises to get you Google Guaranteed, or to dispute every bad lead, ask how that works today.

How do Local Services Ads fit with the Mindflow program?

LSA reads from the same foundation the program builds: your Google Business Profile, your reviews and how you handle calls. The program is SEO with AI search optimization included, your Business Profile, a review program and conversion work. When paid ads fit your market and goals, we scope Google Ads, Local Services Ads or ChatGPT ads in your proposal.

What LSA uses	Where it comes from
Business name, address and hours, synced from your Business Profile	Your Google Business Profile, kept accurate in the program
Rating and review count, part of profile quality	Our review program: requests from your own system, replies drafted for your approval
Responsiveness to customer inquiries, a ranking factor	Your team's phone coverage
Free placements when the ad is paused or the budget runs out	Local SEO with AI search optimization
Lead charges	Paid by you to Google, in your business's name

Ad spend is paid to the platform and isn't part of our fee. We decide case by case and put the scope in writing first; program prices are on our pricing page; for Google's pay-per-click ads, see PPC and Google Ads.

Case study

Case study: a fence company, from one county to Metro Atlanta

The problem

"we struggled to generate consistent leads online and were invisible in search results."

The work

SEO and web design over an 8-year partnership, plus reputation management.

The results Zack Goekjian (CEO) describes in his testimonial

"Within the first year, our website started ranking for competitive keywords like 'Atlanta fence installation' and 'Atlanta fence company'"
250% more qualified leads
from 1 county to several across Metro Atlanta
from 5 people to 12
reputation work that helped maintain a 4.9-star average rating.

These are Zack's own figures from his testimonial, not numbers we measured. Results depend on your market and starting point.

Clear terms from the start

How we work with you

OwnershipYou own every account. Website files and copy are yours once paid.
ExclusivityWe won't work with your direct competitor in your area.
CommitmentThe first 90 days are committed and billed monthly. After that it's month to month with 30 days' notice.
SetupNo setup fee.

What no one can promise: a ranking, a spot on the map or a mention in an AI answer. We commit to the work and show you what it did.

Free AI Visibility Review

Get your free AI Visibility Review

See how your business shows up in your market on Google, on the map and in AI answers. Fill in a short form. We'll email you a written report with a link to book a 20-minute walkthrough. You'll have it within 2 business days. It shows where you appear on the map for three core searches in your area, the gaps in your Google Business Profile, how your reviews compare with your top three competitors, what Google's AI and ChatGPT say for two searches, and the three fixes we'd make first.

No obligation. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you on the walkthrough.

Before we talk

Questions about Local Services Ads

Can I hire you just for Local Services Ads?

No. LSA draws on the same Business Profile, reviews and call handling as the rest of our program, so we plan them together and scope any ads in your proposal. If all you want is LSA management, use the account checks above to judge who you hire.

Who gets lead emails after my account moves into Google Ads?

Everyone, at first. Google says all account users and direct managers are opted in to call and message lead emails by default, whatever you set in the old dashboard, and at least one user must stay opted in. If an agency's manager account is linked, check who receives your leads under Notifications in Google Ads.

Can a Business Profile change pause my ads after the move?

It can. Google syncs your name, address and hours from your Business Profile to Google Ads daily. Hours, phone and minor name changes sync within 24 hours, but a significant change to your name, storefront address or primary category triggers a verification review, usually 24 to 48 hours, and the campaign may pause meanwhile.

Does a bigger budget rank me higher?

Not directly. Google's ranking factors for Local Services Ads are your bid, your responsiveness and your profile quality, including rating, review count, response time, photos and completed checks. Budget isn't one of them, but more budget can mean more leads. Your bid is the most you'd pay for a lead; after the move into Google Ads, manual max-per-lead bids end.

What happens to my lead history when my account moves?

It comes with you. Google says past leads, including messages and call recordings, transfer to the new Leads page in Google Ads, which keeps charge statuses, lead types, the feedback form and downloads. Performance reports on impressions, clicks and spend don't carry over, so save or screenshot them before the move.

How long does SEO take?

Usually months, not weeks. How fast depends on your competitors and on how complete your Business Profile and site are today.

Do you guarantee rankings?

No. No one can guarantee a spot on Google or in an AI answer. We show you the work and the results.

Is AI SEO extra?

No. AI search optimization is included in SEO in every plan.

Am I locked into a contract?

The first 90 days are committed and billed monthly. After that it's month to month with 30 days' notice.

Who owns my accounts and website?

You do. Every account stays in your name, and website files and copy are yours once paid.

Will you work with my competitor?

No. We won't work with your direct competitor in your area.

Do I need a new website?

Not always. If yours can't turn visits into calls, we'll say so and quote a site separately.

Do you run Google Ads, Local Services Ads or ChatGPT ads?

Case by case. Our plans cover SEO, AI search, your Google Business Profile, reviews and conversion. When paid ads fit your market and goals, we scope Google Ads, Local Services Ads or ChatGPT ads in your proposal. Ad spend goes to the platform and isn't part of our fee.

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