Former badge
Google Guaranteed
The earlier badge was associated with a limited money-back guarantee for eligible customer claims. Google has discontinued that program.
Optional Google advertising service
Google Local Services AdsConnect With Customers Nearby
Help local customers find and contact your business when they need your services. App Wizard offers Google Local Services Ads (LSA) management on request, with no separate LSA management fee under your Google Advertising package.
Overview
What are Google Local Services Ads?
Google Local Services Ads, often shortened to LSA, are paid listings that help people discover eligible service providers in their area. For example, someone searching for a nearby plumber may see a business profile with service details, opening hours, and customer reviews, then call or send a message directly through the ad.
Google charges for valid leads, rather than each click on the listing. A lead is a prospective customer contacting your business about a service. It is an opportunity to win work, not a confirmed job: your availability, pricing, and follow-up still influence whether that enquiry becomes a customer.
LSA is optional. We only begin setup and management when you request it. We first assess your eligibility, the work you want, and the enquiries your team can handle. If you choose to add LSA, we manage it within your Google Advertising package and use your combined advertising spend to determine the management tier.
Compare your options
Google Ads vs. Local Services Ads
Google Ads offers several campaign types. Here’s how those standard campaigns compare with Local Services Ads.
Swipe to compare both columns.
| What to compare | Standard Google Ads | Local Services Ads (LSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Promote products or services, bring people to your website, and generate sales or leads. | Help eligible local service businesses receive calls and messages from nearby customers. |
| Where ads appear | Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Shopping, and Display, depending on the campaign type. | Paid local service placements on Google Search and Google Maps, connected with your Google Business Profile. |
| How Google charges you | Pay per click (PPC)Standard Search ads charge for clicks, even without an inquiry. Other Google Ads formats may charge for impressions or video views. | Pay per lead (PPL)You pay for valid leads, such as calls or messages, even if they do not become booked jobs. |
| Google Business Profile connection | Can connect your Business Profile to show business details through location assets. | Uses your Business Profile information for your local service ads. Your free business listing and paid ads are distinct. |
| How targeting works | Keywords for Search; audiences, products, and other signals for other campaign types. | Your service categories, service areas, and business profile information. No keyword list to manage. |
| What customers see | Text, image, or video ads, depending on the campaign, often linking to your website. | A business profile with service information, customer reviews, and ways to contact you directly. |
| Who can advertise | A broad range of businesses, subject to Google’s advertising policies and required verification. | Businesses in eligible service categories and locations that meet Google’s required business checks. |
Google My Business is now Google Business Profile. It manages your free business listing on Search and Maps. LSA adds paid advertising; having a Business Profile alone does not start an LSA campaign. About Google Business Profile.
See Google’s guides to campaign types, bidding and charges, and Local Services Ads with pay-per-lead goals.
Understanding the badge
Google Guaranteed vs. Google Verified
You may recognize the green Google Guaranteed check. Google began replacing its older badge programs with Google Verified in 2025.
Current badge
Google Verified
The current LSA badge identifies eligible businesses that have completed Google’s required screening and verification. It signals completed checks and does not include the former money-back guarantee.
Illustrative check icons shown for comparison.
Business Profile verification is a separate step. Verifying ownership of your Google Business Profile alone does not award an LSA badge. Google decides whether your business meets the applicable Local Services Ads requirements.
Read Google’s badge announcement and current verification and guarantee guidance.
Optional, on request
How LSA fits your advertising budget
We only start Local Services Ads when you request them. LSA management is included under Google Advertising with no separate LSA management fee. If you choose LSA, your total Google Ads and LSA spend determines your management tier and fee.
For example, $2,000/month in Google Ads + $2,000/month in LSA = $4,000/month in media spend, which falls in the Medium Budget tier. Your media spend is paid to Google separately from our management fee.
View Google Ads pricingBusiness value
What Google Local Services Ads can deliver
Direct local enquiries
Give people searching for the services you offer a direct way to contact your business and discuss the work they need.
A clearer view of lead value
Review lead costs alongside the enquiries your team qualifies and the jobs you book, using the outcome information you share with us.
Advertising that fits your capacity
Align the services, areas, schedule, and budget we manage with the work your business is ready to take on.
Capabilities
What we manage for your LSA campaigns
From reviewing eligibility to improving an active campaign, we connect the account settings to your business goals. Your team brings the service expertise and handles customer conversations.
01
Eligibility and Verification Support
Check availability for your category and location, explain the business checks Google requests, and help you organize the information needed to complete onboarding. Google makes the approval decision.
02
Business Profile and Service Setup
Review your business details, photos, service categories, and service areas so the profile accurately represents the work you offer and the customers you can serve.
03
Budget and Bidding Management
Set agreed budgets, review the bidding options available to your account, and monitor spending and cost per lead. When you use both channels, we evaluate allocation across Google Ads and LSA together.
04
Lead Quality and Performance Review
Review enquiry patterns, lead charges, and feedback from your team. We use available lead feedback tools and report what the data shows, including where enquiries are failing to become booked work.
05
Response and Review Guidance
Help your team establish a practical follow-up routine and request honest customer reviews. Responsiveness and profile quality contribute to Google’s ad ranking, alongside bidding and search relevance.
06
Ongoing Campaign Adjustments
Refine service selections, coverage, schedules, and budgets as we learn which enquiries fit your business. We review changes with your capacity, seasonality, and business priorities in mind.
How we work
A focused path from strategy to improvement
We start when you request LSA. Each step makes sure the campaign reflects your actual services, approved budget, and ability to respond to new customers.
- 1
Assess Fit and Goals
Review your location, service category, preferred jobs, customer value, and capacity. Decide whether LSA is a useful addition and agree on how we will evaluate it.
- 2
Prepare and Verify
Review account access and business information, prepare the profile, and support the checks Google requires. You provide any requested documents and complete identity or ownership steps that require you.
- 3
Confirm Settings and Launch
Confirm service areas, job types, contact details, schedule, and budget before activating the campaign when Google permits it to run. Make sure your team knows where enquiries arrive and who will respond.
- 4
Review Leads and Improve
Compare spending with lead quality and the booking outcomes you provide. Use that evidence to adjust the campaign and decide whether to maintain, increase, reduce, or pause activity.
Common questions
Google Local Services Ads FAQs
Practical answers about strategy, setup, measurement, and ongoing improvement.
Is Google LSA automatically included when I sign up for Google Advertising?
LSA management is included in your Google Advertising package if you request it, with no separate LSA management fee. It is optional and we do not set it up or start running it by default. We confirm eligibility, scope, and budget with you first.
How does LSA affect my management fee and media budget?
If you choose LSA, your management tier is based on your combined monthly Google Ads and LSA media spend. The Small Budget tier covers $500–$2,500/month. For example, $2,000 on Google Ads and $2,000 on LSA totals $4,000/month, which falls in the Medium Budget tier. There is no separate LSA management fee, but increasing combined spend can move you into a higher tier. Media spend is the money paid to Google for advertising and is separate from App Wizard’s management fee. You do not need to split the budget equally.
How is LSA different from Google Search Ads?
Search Ads use keywords and customizable ads to reach people searching on Google, typically with payment per click. LSA focuses on eligible local services and charges for valid customer enquiries. Its targeting uses service categories and areas rather than a keyword list. The right choice depends on your services, market, and goals; we can assess whether adding LSA to your existing advertising makes sense.
Is my business eligible, and what verification is needed?
Availability depends on your service category and location. Google’s checks also vary and may include business registration, identity, Business Profile ownership, licensing, insurance, or background checks. We review the requirements for your account and help you prepare, but Google decides eligibility and approval. Not every business qualifies.
Do I pay only when a customer books a job?
No. Google charges for valid leads, which can include calls or messages about your services, even if they do not become booked jobs. Lead prices vary by factors such as the service, location, lead type, and bidding. We assess lead quality and the outcomes your team shares so that cost per lead is viewed alongside actual business value.
Who answers calls and follows up with LSA leads?
Your team handles calls, messages, estimates, and bookings. App Wizard manages the advertising and helps you review the results. Prompt follow-up matters: missed calls and slow responses can affect ad performance as well as your chances of winning the work. Before launch, we confirm who receives enquiries and how they will be handled.
How soon will I get leads, and can you guarantee results?
Launch timing depends on the account setup and Google’s review requirements. Once active, results depend on local demand, competition, budget, profile quality, and responsiveness. We cannot promise a fixed launch date, ad position, lead volume, or number of bookings. We set useful goals with you and refine the campaign as performance data becomes available.
Does running LSA replace local SEO?
No. LSA is paid advertising. Local SEO works on your visibility in unpaid search results through your website, business information, and other signals. Both can support customer discovery, but paying for ads does not buy a higher organic search ranking. We help you consider each channel according to your goals and budget.
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Learn moreSee whether Google LSA fits your business
Tell us which services you offer and where you work. We’ll review eligibility and discuss an optional LSA plan that fits your Google Advertising budget.