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Ready to start making the phone ring?
Hundreds of thousands of local service providers are using Local Service Ads in the United States alone.
Plumbers, electricians, tree removers, HVAC companies, and over 65 other categories.
Some skyrocket their business and are getting another 5 – 10 calls a day.
Some barely get 4-5 a month.
What separates the winners from losers?
It all boils down to this:
You win with LSAs by being good at your service in the area you appear in and by having documented evidence of that visible to Google.
Here’s how to setup your LSAs in a way which makes sense:
Eligibility: Ensure your business is eligible for LSAs. This includes setting up your GMB (Google Business Profile) if you haven’t already done so.
LSAs are currently available for certain types of local services, like plumbers, electricians, HVAC, and locksmiths, in select locations.
Local service ads are by definition, local.
For example, when setting up your ads Google will prompt you to select a location.
Using the example of our friends at Anthony’s Tree Removal in Bloomington, Indiana, they selected the rough area they want to service here.
Google Guarantee: LSAs require the Google Guarantee badge, which means your business has undergone background checks and is backed by Google.
Take our friends at Master Touch Pools in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
After filling out a few questions and submitting their business documentation, they received a beautiful checkmark next to their GMB (Google Business Profile).
As you can see, this also increases their profile strength which would otherwise not nearly be as good.
Not only does this confirm to Google that the business is legitimate, it also confirms to potential customers that it’s trustworthy in Google’s eyes.
This ultimately means more calls for less money.
On a side note, whenever possible make sure you’re entering an actual business address if it’s available to you.
Google prioritizes businesses with physical locations, even if it is just a ghost office you get from WeWork for $200/month.
Ad Content: Craft compelling ad content that highlights your services, pricing, and other relevant information. Use your own high-quality images and accurate descriptions.
Remember how we mentioned that Google wants proof of you doing real work in the area you service?
This is where you can prove it.
Using Anthony’s Tree Removal again as an example, when we first investigated his LSAs we noticed that they didn’t have any real images of their workers or equipment.
We updated it to include truck’s with their name on it and work from the area they operate it.
We cannot overstate how important it is that these are real images taken by you or another contractor.
Do not use clipart.
Also – make sure your ads are in compliance with Google’s Local Service Ads Policies to ensure you’re not accidentally violating them.
Budget: Set a budget for your LSAs based on your advertising goals and the competitiveness of your market.
This depends on factors like your location, service, and etc.
A pool cleaner wouldn’t want to spend more than $200 per call, while a pool builder would be ecstatic to get those numbers.
Luckily, because LSAs operate as a pay-per-lead system, you have flexibility to decide for yourself.
We’d recommend starting with at least $20/day.
Reviews and Ratings: Maintain positive reviews and ratings, as they can impact your ad performance and credibility.
Google wants to reflect your visibility to how well you do your job.
For example, our friends at Bee Friendly Pest Control in Collingswood, NJ have maintained over 51 5 star reviews at the time of writing.
This means that they’re able to prove that they do a good job not only to other potential customers, but to Google itself.
Marking Calls As They Come In: Because this is a pay-per-lead system, Google wants to make sure that they’re only giving you qualified calls.
Often you can have an amazing GMB, real photos of technicians, and amazing reviews, all were the case for our friends at Crown Restoration in San Antonio, TX.
But they weren’t marking leads – which meant Google couldn’t clarify who was qualified or not.
As a result, leads from LSA dried up.
To solve this, make sure you’re marking all leads that come through LSA to ensure you’re feeding Google good data, and to make sure you’re not charged for unqualified leads that call you.
Patience and Getting The Work Done: If you’re a new business and expect 100 calls a day immediately I have bad news for you.
Even if you’re an established business with hundreds of 5 star reviews, this takes time.
Here’s the good news:
The more calls come in and the more Google sees you as being valuable, the more calls you’ll start to receive.
This process takes a few weeks so it’s important to stay the course!
We’ve worked with businesses that have doubled their monthly call volume using Local Service Ads.
And if you follow these steps right – you could be next.
In conclusion:
- Set up your GMB and make sure you’re verified before running ads
- Set up your location so you’re only getting calls in the area you service
- Use real image and videos of technicians in the field
- Mark calls as they come in to ensure lead quality and so Google can better optimize for you