A decade ago, paying for a bold advertisement in the Yellowbook was enough to grab the attention of locals who were hunting for a business in their geographic location. However, times have changed. Nowadays, shoppers turn to their mobile devices, laptops, tablets, and computers to search for local businesses. If your business fails to rank as a top local business, the chances are good that the potential customers will overlook your company’s services and go with your competition.
Local Search Ads (also known as Google Local Service Ads) are pay-per-lead ads that help your business appear at the top of the search results. You’ll even appear over organic results and traditional Google service ads. However, gaining that top spot entails passing a screening process that includes background, license, and insurance checks. The checks vary depending on the type of business you operate.
Having an official Google Guaranteed, or Google Screened badge, lets local searches know that they can trust your services because it shows that you are a reliable and respected provider in that area.
Local Service Ad Industries
With Google local ads, your business appears at the top of the search results. The searcher will see three ads at the top of the desktop or, if they are using a mobile device, two ads at the start of their phone screen’s search. At the bottom, the searcher can click on a tab to view more ads for the particular business. The number of advertisements that appear can vary depending on the specific categories. There might be only a few or dozens, depending on the local companies in the type. In some situations, there might be 100 ads.
Each ad appears in the search query based on the business and industry type, such as financial planners, lawyers, plumbers, pest control agencies, etc.
In the United States, the following industries can participate in Google local ads:
● Appliance repair
● Carpentry
● Carpet cleaning
● Countertop services
● Electrical
● Fencing
● Financial planning
● Flooring
● Foundations
● Garage door
● House cleaning
● HVAC
● Junk removal
● Landscaping
● Law
● Lawn care
● Locksmith
● Moving
● Pest control
● Plumbing
● Real estate
● Roofing
● Siding
● Tax services
● Tree services
● Water damage services
● Window cleaning
● Window services
Local Service Ad Regions
At first, Google’s local services appeared in only a few cities in the United States, but now they have been expanded nationwide and into Canada. In September 2020, Google local service ads were also extended into Austria, France, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Benefits to Google’s Local Service Ads
Clearly, the biggest benefit of Google local ads is to bring in more customers for your business.
The top benefits of Google local advertising include:
- Drive more traffic
- Gain greater visibility
- Expand your business reach
- Foster greater trust
- Ensure your business is found with a voice search
- Get more clicks
- No ads or keywords needed
- Only pay for viable leads
- Target your geographic location
- Cost per lead transparency
Gain Trust with the Google Guarantee
When you receive the Google Guarantee, you’ll get a green badge inset that boasts a white checkmark. The visual indicator lets local searchers on Google know that your business is trustworthy. You are probably familiar with the check because it has appeared on Google’s Local Service Ads (LSAs) for several years. It was launched in an attempt to reduce scams surrounding unlicensed and uninsured contractors and home service providers.
Google Local Services Cost
Google has been offering the service when you upgrade your Google My Business listing with a Google Guarantee badge for only $50 per month or $600 annually.
Costs per lead vary and depend on location and business type. Sometimes a lead is as low as $5 or as high as $200. Leads were once a fixed price, but now Google has a bid mode option. The fixed-rate is simply the minimum cost per lead, and it can go up from there. If a business is willing to pay more than, it can improve its position in its ranking. The maximum bid amount is usually capped at 2.5x the minimum bid.
Expand the Reach of Your Paid Search
You might be confused between Google’s LSAs and Google Ads. They are entirely separate and have different rules. Google LSAs are charged per lead instead of per click. Also, with Google local ads, your business appears at the very top of the search engine results (SERPs), even above the pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Without a doubt, Google LSAs are positioned to grab the viewer’s attention.
Google Voice Assist also serves the single top-ranking LSA any time a person conducts a voice search. Once a customer sees your ad, they can contact your business directly through the ad. The entire process is streamlined to find and contact companies using Google LSA as effortlessly as possible for searchers.
Google Local Advertising: What Types of Leads are Generated?
There are many distinct types of leads you can expect with Google local advertising:
- Phone Calls: The most supported for all regions.
- Message Leads: Let a searcher fill out a form directly in the ad to reach out and communicate with the business.
- Bookings: Users can schedule services directly online.
Highlight Your Positive Reviews
Google local services reviews can include customer ratings and reviews to earn your searcher’s trust further. You can ensure that your reviews appear on the SERP with your business information with local service ads.
Using Home Service Ads Google Tools
Google local advertising is a wonderful way to come out ahead of your local competition. Contact GoMarketing at 805-413-7893 to learn more today!
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