What are Google Local Services Ads and how do you sign up?

Your ad appears when people search for the services you offer in the areas you choose. Customers contact you through the ad, you get an email for each new lead, and you manage leads online.

• Google says you pay only when a customer gets in touch from your ad, and only for leads related to your business.
• Customers can book through the ad, except in healthcare categories.
• Businesses that pass Google's screening can show the Google Verified badge, in selected categories.
• Google's country list for Local Services Ads includes the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland.

Sources: Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United States), checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United Kingdom), checked 15 October 2026

Only certain service categories can advertise, and the list differs by country. Use the eligibility checker on Google's getting started page for your country.

• US: categories include home services such as plumbers, electricians, HVAC and roofers, plus lawyers, auto services, beauty and wellness, pet services, healthcare providers and restaurants. Some categories are limited to California and Florida.
• UK: home services such as appliance repair, cleaning, electricians, plumbers, roofers, pest control, landscaping, removals and window cleaning. Lawyers, estate agents and personal injury services are listed for Greater London only.

Sources: Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United States), checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United Kingdom), checked 15 October 2026

1. Open Google's Local Services Ads getting started page for your country and check your category and area are eligible.
2. Select Get started, or contact Google's sales team for help creating the account.
3. Complete Google's screening and verification checks for your category.
4. Set up billing and a budget.
5. Manage your leads, budget and pause settings online in your Local Services Ads inbox.

• Pre-badge ads let you start getting leads after preliminary checks while you finish onboarding. They rank below providers that have completed onboarding, and aren't available for garage door services, healthcare or locksmiths.
• The person completing the checks must be an owner or manager of the matching Google Business Profile.

Sources: Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United States), checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United Kingdom), checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Understand the screening and verification process, checked 15 October 2026

There are three bidding modes: Maximize leads (Google sets your bid to get the most leads for your budget, and recommends this mode), Target cost per lead, and Max per lead (you set the most you'd pay for a lead). To change yours:

1. Sign in to your Local Services Ads inbox.
2. Click the menu icon at the top, then Profile & budget.
3. Click the edit icon in the top right of the Budget section.
4. Choose a bidding mode and click Next.
5. Set your weekly budget and click Save.

• For Maximize leads, Google suggests a weekly budget that covers at least 10 leads a week, and about 2 weeks before you judge results.
• Your monthly maximum is your average weekly budget multiplied by the average number of weeks in a month. When you reach it, your ad stops showing for the rest of the month unless you raise the budget.

Sources: Local Services Help: How bidding works for Local Services Ads, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026

Ads are ordered by an auction that weighs your bid against the quality of your profile:

• Your bid: the most you'll pay for a lead. You may pay less.
• How likely you are to get a lead: your responsiveness, how relevant you are to the search, and whether you accept message or booking leads.
• Profile quality: your rating, number of reviews, average response time, good images, completed verification checks and other business details.
• If several of your locations serve the same area, only the highest ranking one shows for a search.
• Reviews come from your Google Business Profile and are managed there, not in the Local Services account.

Sources: Local Services Help: About ad rankings, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Reviews and ratings on Local Services Ads, checked 15 October 2026

Check these in order:

• You've hit your monthly maximum, so the ad has stopped for the month.
• You're missing calls. Google says frequently missed calls or messages can lower your ad ranking.
• You're on pre-badge ads, which rank below providers who have finished onboarding.
• Your category isn't available in your area, such as legal services outside Greater London in the UK.
• Your profile has few reviews or images, which count towards profile quality.

Sources: Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United States), checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United Kingdom), checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: About ad rankings, checked 15 October 2026

Disclosure: this is our product. Local Services Ads bring calls; your Business Profile is what people check before they pick up the phone. Zolyp writes and designs Google Business updates and events in your brand's style and publishes them to your connected profile once you approve. It doesn't run Local Services Ads. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.