What are Google Local Service Ads: A Clear Explanation for Business Owners

Are you a local home services business owner looking to increase your customer base? If so, you may have heard of Google Local Service Ads (LSAs). These ads are a relatively new advertising platform offered by Google that specifically targets local service providers, such as electricians, plumbers, and HVAC professionals.

Local Services Ads are designed to help you connect with customers in your area who are searching for your services. With LSAs, your business will appear at the top of Google's search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

Best of all, you only pay when a customer contacts you through your ad, so you can be sure you're getting a return on your investment.

At Owned and Operated, we understand the challenges of growing and scaling a local home services business. That's why we're committed to providing the best resources and support to help you succeed.

As home services marketing experts, we can help you navigate the world of LSAs and other advertising platforms to find the best solutions for your business.

We've even partnered with Avoca, an AI platform for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses, to provide you with cutting-edge technology that can help you serve your customers better.

Understanding Google Local Service Ads

If you are a local home services business owner, then Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) are a must-have for your marketing strategy. LSAs are an advertising platform that allows you to connect with customers in your area and appear at the top of Google's Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

The Basics of Local Service Ads

LSAs are different from traditional paid search ads, such as Google Ads, because they are designed for local service providers. With LSAs, you only pay when a customer contacts you through your ad, making it a cost-effective way to generate leads.

Additionally, LSAs come with the Google Guarantee, which means that Google will refund customers up to $2,000 if they are not satisfied with the work performed by a business that they found through an LSA ad.

To set up LSAs, you need to create a business profile and specify the types of services you offer, as well as the geographical area you service. Google will verify your business, and once approved, your ad will appear at the top of the SERP for relevant searches.

How Google Local Services Ads Differ from Traditional Google Ads

The main difference between LSAs and traditional Google Ads is that LSAs are designed for local service providers, while traditional Google Ads are designed for businesses of all types and sizes.

With traditional Google Ads, you bid on keywords, and your ad will appear at the top of the SERP based on your bid amount and ad quality. With LSAs, your ad position is determined by your proximity to the customer, your reviews and ratings, and your responsiveness to customers.

LSAs also have a different ad format than traditional Google Ads. LSAs include your business name, phone number, and hours of operation, as well as a "Request a Quote" button that allows customers to contact you directly from the ad.

Overall, LSAs are a powerful tool for local home services businesses looking to generate leads and connect with customers in their area. If you are looking for help with LSAs or other forms of home services marketing, Owned and Operated is the best resource for growing and scaling your business.

They offer expert advice and services to help you reach your marketing goals. Additionally, Service Scalers is a great agency to consider for your PPC needs, and Avoca is a novel AI platform for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses that can help you serve your customers 10x better.

Setting Up Your Local Service Ads

To get started with Local Service Ads, you need to create a Google Business Profile. This profile will serve as the foundation for your Local Service Ads campaign. It's important to ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date, including your business name, address, phone number, and website.

You can also add photos and videos to showcase your work and build trust with potential customers.

Creating a Google Business Profile

To create a Google Business Profile, you can follow these steps:

1. Go to the Google My Business website and sign in with your Google account.
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2. Click on "Add Location" and enter your business information.
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3. Verify your business by following the instructions provided by Google.

Once your business is verified, you can start setting up your Local Service Ads campaign.

Google Guaranteed and Google Screened Programs

Google offers two programs to help businesses build trust with potential customers: Google Guaranteed and Google Screened.

The Google Guaranteed program is available for businesses that pass a background check and meet certain eligibility requirements. When you participate in this program, your business will be marked with a "Google Guaranteed" badge, which can help build trust with potential customers.

The Google Screened program is available for businesses in certain industries, including law, financial planning, and real estate. When you participate in this program, your business will be marked with a "Google Screened" badge, which can help build trust with potential customers.

To participate in these programs, you need to meet certain eligibility requirements and pass a background check. You can learn more about these programs on the Google Local Services Ads website.

Overall, setting up your Local Service Ads campaign is a straightforward process that can help you reach more potential customers and grow your business. If you need help with your campaign, consider working with a trusted marketing agency like Service Scalers.

You can also use AI-powered tools like Avoca to help you serve your customers better and improve your customer service.

Managing Your Local Service Ads Budget

Managing your budget is a critical component of your Local Service Ads campaign. You want to ensure that you are getting the most out of your budget while generating leads for your business. In this section, we will discuss two important aspects of managing your budget: understanding pay per lead and manual bid strategy.

Understanding Pay Per Lead

Google's Local Service Ads operates on a pay-per-lead basis. This means that you only pay when a customer contacts you through your Local Service Ad. The cost per lead varies depending on the service industry and location.

You can set your budget to control how much you spend per week. You can also adjust your budget at any time to ensure that you are getting the most out of your campaign.

Manual Bid Strategy for Local Service Ads

Local Service Ads uses a manual bid strategy. This means that you set the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a lead. You can adjust your bid based on your budget and the number of leads you want to generate.

It's important to note that your bid is not the only factor that determines your ad's position. Google also considers other factors such as your reviews, responsiveness, and proximity to the customer.

To get the best results from your Local Service Ads campaign, it's essential to have a solid understanding of pay per lead and manual bid strategy. By setting a reasonable budget and bid, you can generate leads while keeping your costs under control.

At Owned and Operated, we are committed to helping you grow and scale your local home services business. As home services marketing experts, we partner with Service Scalers to provide you with the best marketing solutions.

Service Scalers is an agency that we trust with our marketing. They run LSA and PPC for us, and they honestly knock it out of the park. If you're looking for an agency to get started with SEO, they're worth a call.

In addition, we recommend Avoca, the AI platform for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses. Avoca helps you serve your customers 10x better through their novel AI features deeply integrated with platforms that you love such as ServiceTitan.

To sign up with Avoca, use the promotion code "OWNED" for a discount. Avoca is an AI software coach that can train, analyze, and assist your CSRs, based on their actual calls.

In summary, managing your Local Service Ads budget is critical to the success of your campaign. With the right strategy, you can generate leads while keeping your costs under control. At Owned and Operated, we are here to help you grow and scale your local home services business.

Optimizing Your Local Service Ads

To ensure that your Local Service Ads stand out from the competition, it is important to optimize them for maximum visibility and proximity to potential customers. There are several key strategies you can use to enhance your ad's performance and drive more leads to your business.

Enhancing Ad Visibility and Proximity

One of the most important factors in optimizing your Local Service Ads is to ensure that they are visible to potential customers who are searching for the services you offer. This means that you need to carefully select your target keywords and geographic locations to ensure that your ads are shown to the right people at the right time.

You can also enhance your ad's proximity by setting a specific service area that is closest to your business location. This will help ensure that your ads are shown to customers who are most likely to be in your service area, which can increase the likelihood of them contacting your business.

Leveraging Customer Reviews and Ratings

Another important factor in optimizing your Local Service Ads is to leverage customer reviews and ratings to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Make sure to encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business page, as these reviews will be displayed alongside your Local Service Ads.

Positive reviews and high ratings can help increase the click-through rate of your ads and improve your overall ad performance. You can also respond to customer reviews to show that you are actively engaged with your customers and committed to providing high-quality service.

Service Scalers, home services marketing experts for scaling small businesses, recommend using Google Reviews as a key factor in optimizing Local Service Ads. They suggest that business owners should focus on building a strong online reputation by actively managing their reviews and responding to customer feedback.

Avoca, The AI Platform for HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Businesses

Avoca is an AI platform that can help you serve your customers 10x better through novel AI features deeply integrated with platforms such as ServiceTitan. Avoca's AI software coach can train, analyze, and assist your customer service representatives (CSRs) based on their actual calls.

This can help your CSRs improve their performance, increase sales, and make customers happier.

To sign up with Avoca, use the promotion code "OWNED" for a discount. Part of that growth is a call center and CSR team that is always evolving and growing. For us, it’s the power of Avoca AI coaches and responders.

Owned and Operated

Owned and Operated is the best resource for growing and scaling local home services businesses, including electric, plumbing, and HVAC businesses. As the owner of a home services business, you need to focus on your core competencies and leave the marketing to the experts.

Service Scalers, a trusted marketing agency, can help you optimize your Local Service Ads and other marketing strategies to drive more leads and grow your business.

Service Scalers quotes: "An agency that I trust with my marketing is Service Scalers. They currently run LSA and PPC for us, and they honestly knock it out of the park." "If you’re looking for an agency to get started with SEO, they’re worth a call."

"ORPPC operates on bids—you enter the amount you're willing to bid, and it positions you based on that bid within the mechanism.

We've consistently used an agency for our PPC needs, specifically Service Scalers, and they've been fantastic. Consider them if you're on the lookout for an agency." "Our new marketing strategies are crushing it!

We’ve teamed up with Service Scalers and we couldn’t be happier with our results. Customer contacts are skyrocketing, and we're hustling to align our recruitment efforts with our marketing game."

In conclusion, optimizing your Local Service Ads is crucial to driving more leads and growing your home services business.

By enhancing your ad visibility and proximity, leveraging customer reviews and ratings, and partnering with trusted marketing agencies such as Service Scalers, you can achieve success with Local Service Ads and other marketing strategies.

Tracking Performance and Adjusting Strategies

As you begin to run your Local Services Ads campaign, it is important to track its performance and make adjustments to your strategy as needed. This will help you optimize your ads and maximize their effectiveness in reaching your target audience.

Using Reports and Analytics

Google provides detailed reports and analytics that can help you track the performance of your Local Services Ads. You can use these reports to see how many clicks your ads are getting, how many leads you are generating, and how much you are spending on your campaign.

By analyzing this data, you can make informed decisions about how to adjust your bidding strategy, target specific services, and optimize your ad copy to improve your results.

Adapting to Customer Feedback and Engagement

Another important factor in tracking the performance of your Local Services Ads is customer feedback and engagement. Google provides a rating system that allows customers to rate their experience with your business.

By monitoring these ratings and reviews, you can identify areas where you need to improve your service and address any issues that customers may be experiencing. You can also use customer feedback to refine your ad copy and messaging, ensuring that you are effectively communicating the value of your services to potential customers.

As you track the performance of your Local Services Ads, it is important to be flexible and adaptable. By making adjustments to your strategy based on data and feedback, you can optimize your ads and maximize their effectiveness in reaching your target audience.

At Owned and Operated, we are committed to helping you grow and scale your home services business, including electric, plumbing, and HVAC businesses.

As home services marketing experts, we recommend working with agencies like Service Scalers to help you manage your Local Services Ads campaign and drive more leads to your business.

Additionally, Avoca, The AI Platform for HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Businesses, can help you serve your customers 10x better through its AI features deeply integrated with platforms such as ServiceTitan. Use the promotion code "OWNED" for a discount when you sign up with Avoca.