Published by the Zolyp team ·
What counts as a lead?
Google charges for each valid lead. Prices vary by location, job type, lead type and bidding mode.
| Lead type | Counts as a lead when |
|---|---|
| Phone call | You answer, or call back and speak to the customer; or you miss the call during business hours and the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds |
| Message | A customer sends a text or email through your ad. Google uses proxy numbers and email aliases to protect privacy. |
| Voicemail | A customer leaves you a voicemail |
| Booking | A customer sends a booking request (US and Canada only) |
Source: Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026
Which leads aren't charged?
- Leads Google judges invalid or low quality when the customer first gets in touch.
- Spam and duplicate contacts.
- Callers who hang up at an automated menu without pressing a key.
- Follow-up calls or messages from the same number or email within 15 days of a charged lead. After 15 days without contact, a new call becomes a new lead.
- Unanswered calls outside your business hours or your ad schedule.
Source: Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026
How do automatic lead credits work?
Google reassesses charged leads over 30 days and credits low-quality ones to your account balance automatically. The original charge still appears on your invoice. Each lead shows one of these in the Charge Status column on the Leads page:
- Google no longer credits leads for a job type or area you don't serve.
- Lead credits aren't available for healthcare, tax specialists or advertisers in EMEA, which includes the UK. Automatic credits aren't available in EEA countries.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not charged | Google never charged it, for example because it was low quality or a duplicate |
| Charged | You were charged for the lead |
| In review | Google is reviewing it and will credit it if it wasn't a good match |
| Credited | You were charged, then credited automatically or after giving feedback |
Sources: Local Services Help: About automated Local Services Ads lead credits, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: Getting started with Local Services Ads (United Kingdom), checked 15 October 2026
How do you rate a lead?
Rating a lead tells Google how good it was. Google says it may occasionally credit leads you report as poor quality this way.
- Sign in to your Local Services Ads account.
- Select the menu icon in the top left, then Leads.
- Find the lead, then select Rate this lead in the top right corner.
- Select Open and submit the survey.
Sources: Local Services Help: About automated Local Services Ads lead credits, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026
How do you get fewer unwanted leads?
Google warns these changes can also cut the number of leads you get.
- Open your campaign settings.
- Narrow your service areas to the places you actually cover.
- Remove categories and job types you don't want.
- Check your business hours in your Google Business Profile, since they decide when an unanswered call is charged.
- Set how you're notified (email, text in the US, or both) in account settings, so you answer more leads quickly.
Sources: Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: About automated Local Services Ads lead credits, checked 15 October 2026
Why were you charged for a lead you didn't want?
Check the rule that applied:
- It was a missed call during business hours where the caller waited more than 20 seconds.
- Your Business Profile hours are wider than the hours you actually answer the phone.
- The job or area wasn't one you serve. Google no longer credits these, so narrow your settings instead.
- The customer called back more than 15 days after their last contact, which makes a new lead.
- You advertise in the UK or elsewhere in EMEA, where lead credits aren't available.
- The lead is still In review. Credits usually reach your balance within 30 days.
Sources: Local Services Help: How leads work, checked 15 October 2026; Local Services Help: About automated Local Services Ads lead credits, checked 15 October 2026
Turning leads into regulars
Disclosure: this is our product. Many people check your Business Profile before they call. 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 manage Local Services Ads leads. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.
Common questions
Am I charged for a call I miss?
Only if it's during your business hours and the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds. Unanswered calls outside your hours aren't charged.
Am I charged again if the same customer calls back?
Not within 15 days of a charged lead. A call or message after 15 days without contact counts as a new lead.
How do I dispute a Local Services Ads lead?
Google's current pages point to two routes: automatic credits for leads it judges low quality, and the Rate this lead survey on the Leads page.
Are lead credits available in the UK?
No. Google says lead credits aren't available to advertisers in EMEA.
Why did my ad stop showing mid-month?
You probably reached your monthly maximum, which is your average weekly budget times the average weeks in a month. Raise the budget to restart it.