Standard Google Ads
Pay per click, whether or not the click becomes an enquiry. Ranked mainly on bid and ad quality. Full control over keywords, ad copy and landing pages.
Google Local Services Ads
Google Local Services Ads management
Local Services Ads appear above standard Search results and paid ads, carry the Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge, and charge per lead rather than per click. Where your trade and area qualify, it is often the highest-intent, lowest-friction placement available on Google.
Pay per leadNot per click
Verified badgeGoogle Guaranteed or Screened
Local onlyCustomers in your service area
The problem
The top of the page isn't always an ad you bid for
For eligible trades, Google shows Local Services Ads above the standard paid results, as a short list of verified local businesses with their review score and a call button. If a competitor in your area is on that list and you aren't, they're the first thing a ready-to-call homeowner sees.
Eligibility depends on your trade category and location, and the list of supported categories changes over time, so the first job is checking whether your business qualifies and what Google needs to verify.
Side by side
How Local Services Ads differ from standard Google Ads
Local Services Ads
Pay per valid lead: a call or message from someone in your service area. Ranked more on reviews, proximity, responsiveness and business hours than on bid alone. Invalid leads can be disputed and credited back.
What's included
What you get
- Eligibility check for your trade category and area
- Google Guaranteed / Google Screened application, including licence and insurance documents
- Profile set-up: services offered, service area and business hours
- Weekly budget and lead-volume management
- Disputing and crediting back unqualified or invalid leads
- Ongoing profile and review optimisation, reported alongside your Google Ads account
How it works
Understand. Plan. Launch. Scale.
The set-up is mostly paperwork up front, then light-touch management once it's live.
1
Check eligibility
Confirm your trade category and area are supported and what verification applies.
2
Apply and verify
Background, licence and insurance checks as your category requires, handled on your behalf.
3
Build the profile
Services, service area, hours and photos set up so the listing is complete when it goes live.
4
Manage and improve
Budget, lead quality and disputes managed weekly, with review collection built into the routine.
★★★★★"It was a pleasure working with Edward on our project. We were new to Google Ads and he walked us through it step by step, with insight that would have taken us a while to figure out. We'll definitely be using Edward again."
★★★★★"Excellent service. Would recommend, and will be using again."
FAQ
Common questions
What is Google Local Services Ads?
A Google ad placement that appears above standard Search results and paid ads for eligible local service categories. Listings carry a Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge, and you pay per lead rather than per click.
How is it priced, and is that different from normal Google Ads?
Standard Google Ads charges per click regardless of whether that click turns into an enquiry. Local Services Ads charges per valid lead, a call or message from someone in your service area during your hours, and invalid or spam leads can be disputed and credited back.
Do I need the Google Guaranteed badge to run Local Services Ads?
Generally yes. Eligible businesses go through a verification process, background, licence and insurance checks depending on category, before the badge and ads go live. We handle the application as part of set-up.
Can I run Local Services Ads and standard Google Ads at the same time?
Yes, and for most eligible businesses we recommend it. Local Services Ads covers a narrow slice of high-intent local searches; standard Search and Performance Max cover everything else.
How do I rank higher in Local Services Ads?
Google weighs factors like proximity, review score and volume, how quickly you respond and your business hours, rather than bid alone. That's why review collection and responsiveness are part of the set-up, not an afterthought.
Next step
Tell us where things stand
Share your current spend and targets. You'll get a straight answer on what's realistic and how we'd get there.