LSAs show your business with a Google Guaranteed badge. Here's whether they make sense for you.
Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) are a pay-per-lead ad format that appears at the very top of search results, above even standard Google Ads. They feature your business name, star rating, and a 'Google Guaranteed' or 'Google Screened' badge, which Google awards after verifying your credentials.
The main advantage of LSAs is that you only pay when someone actually contacts you - not when they click your ad. For trades like plumbing, electrical, and locksmithing, this can result in lower costs per lead compared to traditional PPC, because you're not paying for tyre-kickers who click and leave.
The qualification process involves a background check on your business, verification of your insurance and licences, and a review of your Google reviews. This barrier to entry means there's less competition in LSAs compared to regular Google Ads, which anyone can run regardless of qualifications.
LSAs work best as a complement to, not a replacement for, traditional Google Ads. You can't control the messaging in LSAs the way you can with Search Ads, and you can't direct traffic to custom landing pages. Use LSAs for their prominent placement and trust badge, while running Search Ads alongside them for message control and landing page optimisation.