Google Ads vs. Local Services Ads: Which Should You Run?
Search Ads and Local Services Ads do different jobs. Here’s how they compare on cost and lead quality, and when to run one, the other, or both.
Both run on Google and both put you in front of people searching for what you do. They work differently, though, and plenty of local businesses run both.
How you pay
LSA: you pay when Google sends you an eligible call or message. Search Ads: you pay per click, whether or not that click ever calls you. Either way the customer can call your competitors too, so answer fast.
Where they show up
LSA can show near the top for eligible local-service searches and runs off a provider profile. With Search Ads you write the ads, pick the landing pages and can go after a much wider range of searches.
Lead quality and intent
LSA leads are often people who need a local pro right now. Your cost per booked job still swings a lot by trade, market and how fast you respond. Search Ads also reach people comparing options, plus searches LSA may not cover, like brand names and longer questions.
When to run each
- Your trade is eligible and someone reliably answers the phone? Try LSA, and judge it by what each booked job costs you.
- Want to choose the searches, ads and landing pages, or promote services LSA doesn't cover? Try Search Ads.
- Thinking about both? Give each its own budget and tracking so you can see which one adds booked work.
Side-by-side comparison
| Question | Search Ads | Local Services Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Who can run it | Most advertisers, subject to Google Ads policies | Only eligible categories and markets that pass verification |
| What you pay for | A click | An eligible call or message |
| What you control | Searches, ads, landing pages, bidding and audiences | Your profile, services, areas, bidding and lead feedback |
| How to judge it | Cost per good lead and booked job, by campaign or search topic | Cost per good lead and booked job, by lead type, service and area |
How to test your budget and get a real answer
Give each channel its own tracking, services, area and a set amount of time. Grade calls and forms from both by the same rules. Then compare what each booked job cost and what it earned. Skip that and one platform can look better just because it counts leads differently.
What both need from you
Before you spend more on either, decide who answers, how calls and forms get logged, and what counts as a good lead. Your CRM should tie each one to the job it became.
New to LSA? Start with what Local Services Ads are, take a look at Get Leads, or fill out the free Local Marketing Scorecard.