What are Local Service Ads?

Friday, Mar 21, 25 By Nartak Media

As a local business owner providing service to your community, what if we told you that you can easily broaden your customer reach? Let’s say you provide plumbing service in Pittsburgh, and someone types “best plumber near me” in their search engine, as that’s the first instinct of people in the modern world when they need something. With Local Service Ads, your business will come out on top of the search results, making it one of the first options potential customers see.

Interested? Read more about this article as we explain to you what Local Service Ads are, how they work, and how they can make your service business more visible and profitable.

What Are Local Service Ads?

Local Service Ads (LSAs) are a pay-per-lead advertising format offered by Google designed specifically for service-based businesses. Simply put, your ads will appear at the top of Google search results. Unlike its counterparts, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, where businesses should pay for every click even if it doesn’t lead to an inquiry, the term ‘pay-per-lead’ means you only pay for the ad when potential customers make a call or message through it.

How LSAs Differ from Traditional Google Ads

While both help attract customers to your business, they work in different ways. These are the significant differences between the two:

Prime Placement: Although traditional ads also get prime visibility, LSAs will bring yours even higher—above both traditional pay-per-click (PPC) ads and organic search results.

Built-In Trust Signals: Beyond that, LSAs will display a Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge, reassuring potential customers that your service has been vetted by Google.

Pay-Per-Lead Based: Unlike traditional PPC, which charge for every click, LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead basis. Businesses only pay when they receive a qualified lead, such as a call or message.

How Businesses Qualify for LSAs

As the name implies, Local Service Ads are only available for local service-based industries that involve direct customer interactions. If your business provides one of these services, such as plumbing, cleaning service, electrical work plumbing, pest control, roofing, locksmiths, and even legal services, you can apply for this type of ad.

However, before the ad goes live, you must complete Google’s verification process, which may include checking your background as the owner and your employee, as well as license and insurance verification, to confirm that you’re legit and comply with local regulations. Google will also evaluate your customer reviews to make sure you have positive interactions with clients.

How LSA Leads are Generated

Using the same example as earlier, LSAs work when a potential customer googles “Plumber near me” and puts your ads at the very top of the results, even above traditional search ads and organic listings generated by search engine optimization (SEO). This kind of placement ensures maximum visibility, increasing the chances of being chosen by the customer.

This particular ad also makes it easier and simpler for potential customers to check your business ratings, reviews, and credentials before reaching out directly through the ad. That way, you won’t lose them just because they find it complicated to look into your business and reach out to you.

Benefits of Local Service Ads for Service-Based Businesses

Maybe you’ve gotten the idea of how Local Service Ads can help your service-based business. If you still need convincing, however, here’s why LSAs are a smart investment in attracting your potential customers:

Higher Visibility on Google: After you’re qualified for this service and your ad goes live, you’ll appear first on Google search results when a potential customer types keywords relevant to your business. This higher visibility ensures your business is the first option customers see, making it more likely that they choose you over competitors.

Pay Only for Leads, Not Clicks: Since you’re only paying for real customer interactions, not just website visits, this reduces the cost of an ineffective ad that doesn’t generate profit and improves your return on investment (ROI).

Build trust with the Google Guaranteed Badge: One of the biggest advantages of LSA is the Google guarantee badge, which reassures potential customers that your business is credible, as Google has guaranteed it. As customers prefer to hire professionals with a verified reputation, your business is more likely to achieve better conversion rates when verified.

Targets High-Intent Local Customers: LSAs don’t just put your business in front of random users—they specifically connect you with people actively searching for your service in your local area, meaning the leads you get are already interested in booking a service. Moreover, your ads won’t annoy those who aren’t interested as they only appear when users are looking, ensuring a more customer-friendly ad approach.

Increases Lead Quality & Conversion Rates: LSAs tend to attract high-quality leads who are more likely to convert into customers because this type of ad service prioritizes only verified and well-reviewed businesses. This last point really benefits your business in filtering out low-intent leads and focusing more of your time on serving actual customers.

Why Choose Nartak Media Group for Local Service Ads Management?

As a digital marketing agency, Nartak Media Group specializes in maximizing your Local Service Ads performance, helping your business generate high-quality leads while reducing unnecessary ad spend. Our team ensures your ads are properly set up, optimized for top placement, and continuously refined to improve visibility, credibility, and conversions. From guiding you through Google’s verification process to fine-tuning your ad targeting, we handle the details so you can focus on what you do best—serving your customers.

Reach out to Nartak to start optimizing your Local Service Ads today.