With Local Services Ads, your business shows near the top of Google with a Google Verified badge. You pay for leads, not clicks. We get you through Google’s checks and keep the leads clean.
What’s included
Signup and verification help, budget, lead review, customer reviews
Typical timeline
2–6 weeks to go live, depending on Google’s checks
“We started the signup and got stuck on the background check.”
“We pay for leads that turn out to be for jobs we don’t do.”
“A competitor has a badge and shows up above everyone else.”
“We used to have the Google Guaranteed badge, and now it says something different.”
“Leads come in while we’re on a job, and we miss them.”
“We can’t tell if we’re getting credited for spam calls.”
What we do
Google built Local Services Ads as pay-per-lead ads for service businesses. Customers can call you, message you or request a booking right from the ad. Here’s our part.
An eligibility check
Google decides by trade and ZIP code whether you can join. We check your categories and service area before you spend time on paperwork.
Signup and paperwork
We walk you through what Google asks for in your trade. That can include proof of identity and business registration. Licenses and insurance are on the list too, and so are background checks. We keep the list so nothing expires unnoticed.
A profile set up tightly
Services and job types, the areas you cover, your hours. Add photos and a clear description. Narrow settings mean fewer leads for work you don’t do.
Budget that follows your season
We set a budget you’re comfortable with and raise or lower it with your busy and slow months, or when your schedule is full.
Lead review every week
We listen to calls and read messages, then rate each lead in Google’s system. When the same bad lead keeps coming back, we change the settings.
Reviews and fast answers
We help you ask customers for reviews and set up alerts so new leads reach your phone right away, because both affect where you show.
How it works
1
Check and plan
1–2 days
We confirm your trade is available in your area. Together we agree on which services and areas to cover, and on a starting budget.
2
Signup and screening
1–4 weeks
We prepare your documents and track Google’s checks. How long this takes depends on your trade and on Google, and we can’t hurry it.
3
Profile and launch
2–5 days
Once the profile is finished and the budget set, we go live and watch the first leads closely.
4
Weekly care, monthly report
Ongoing
We review leads and tune the budget every week, and send review requests. Once a month you get a short report: leads, cost per lead, jobs won.
Local Services Ads, in plain English
The program changed a lot in the last year. Here’s how it works today.
Who can use it
Many home service trades, like plumbers, electricians, HVAC, roofers, cleaners, movers, locksmiths, pest control. Lawyers in many practice areas can use it too, and so can some other services. Google decides by category and ZIP code.
Google Verified replaced Google Guaranteed and Google Screened
In October 2025 Google retired the Google Guaranteed and Google Screened badges and moved to a single Google Verified badge. The old money-back guarantee ended with them. If your van or website still says “Google Guaranteed,” it’s time to update it.
Checks and licenses
Depending on your trade and state, Google checks the business and the owner. It also looks at your licenses and insurance, and at your registration. Some categories need a few reviews first. Let paperwork lapse and you can lose the badge.
You pay per lead
You’re charged for leads: a call, a message or a booking request. People who simply see or click the ad cost you nothing. You set the budget, and you can pause.
What happens with bad leads
Google now reviews leads automatically and credits ones it judges invalid. You can also rate every lead. Google no longer credits leads for job types or areas you don’t serve, so your settings have to be exact.
Reviews in your profile
Your ad shows your rating and reviews. Google says your rating, number of reviews, how quickly you respond and whether you answer calls all count when it decides who to show, along with your budget.
Moving into Google Ads
From August 2026, Google is moving Local Services Ads into the main Google Ads platform. You still pay per lead, and ads still show only on Search and Maps. The badge carries over. Old performance reports don’t, so we save them before the move.
Your Local Services Ads account is in your name, and Google bills you directly for leads. We work through access you grant.
What it costs
Starting at$400/mo
Lead costs are paid to Google
Our monthly fee covers managing your Local Services Ads. We help with signup and run the profile and budget. Every week we review leads and give feedback on them, and we handle review requests and a monthly report. What you pay Google for each lead is separate and billed by Google.
What’s the difference between Local Services Ads and Google Ads?
With Local Services Ads you pay per lead. Google builds the ad itself from your profile and reviews, badge included, so there are no keywords to manage. Regular Google Ads charge per click and give you more control over the ad and the page it leads to. Many service businesses run both.
Is Google Guaranteed still a thing?
Not under that name. Google Guaranteed and Google Screened were replaced by one Google Verified badge in October 2025, and the money-back guarantee that came with Google Guaranteed has ended.
How long does it take to get approved?
It depends on your trade and how quickly the paperwork comes together. Background and license checks run on Google’s side, so we can’t speed them up, but we can make sure nothing is missing that would slow them down.
How much does a lead cost?
Google’s system sets it. The price varies by trade and area, and it moves with the season. Lawyers usually pay more per lead than cleaners, for example. You control the total through your budget, and we track what each lead really cost you.
What if I get a bad lead?
Google now credits invalid leads automatically, and you can rate each lead to teach its system. Wrong-trade and wrong-area leads aren’t credited anymore, so we keep your settings exact and review leads every week.
Do I need reviews to start?
Some categories ask for a minimum number of reviews before you can go live. Either way, reviews help you show up more often, so we help you ask your recent customers.
Is my trade available in New York?
Availability depends on your category and ZIP code. Google also adds and changes categories over time. We check your exact trade and area before you start the signup.
Get a free website review
Send us your website address. We’ll look at it the way your customers do and tell you, in plain English, what to fix first.
