How they work
You set your services, service area, hours and weekly budget. Google shows your business with your rating, reviews and a verification badge, and charges you when a customer contacts you through the ad. You can dispute leads that don't fit, like wrong services or spam.
From Google Guaranteed to Google Verified
In October 2025, Google replaced the old Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified badges with a single Google Verified badge. Google also ended the money-back guarantee that came with Google Guaranteed. Businesses still pass checks like licensing, insurance and background checks where required.
What affects your ranking
Your distance to the customer, review rating and count, how quickly you respond to leads, your business hours and whether your profile is complete all play a part.
Why Local Services Ads matters
For many home service and professional service searches, Local Services Ads are the first thing people see. Paying per lead can also make costs easier to predict than regular search ads.
Answering fast moved them up
An HVAC company ran Local Services Ads but missed many calls during busy hours. After routing ad calls to a dedicated line and replying to messages within minutes, it received more leads from the same budget.
Common mistakes
Not disputing bad leads
Calls for services you don't offer still cost money. Review leads weekly and dispute the ones that qualify.
Ignoring reviews
Ratings and review count affect where you show. Keep asking happy customers for reviews.
Slow responses
Missed calls and slow replies waste leads and can hurt your visibility. Answer quickly.