You’re a small business, and you want what all businesses want, more customers. You are not looking to take over the world, you just want to get your name out in the local area to gain new leads. So, how do you do that in a way that is not out of reach as an SMB?
 

Google Local Services Ads to the rescue. 

Local Services Ads allow your business to be seen at the top of Google Search results when users in your area are searching for exactly what your business offers.  

The best part? You only pay for the leads you receive from these ads.
 

How do they work? 

By utilizing Local Services Ads, an ad will be triggered any time someone in your area searches for relevant terms to your business. For example, if you own a housekeeping business and someone searches, ‘house cleaner near me’ your ad would appear in prime position. From this ad, the user can see reviews of your business and they have the option to call you directly with just the click of a button. By running Local Service Ads you also get a certified green checkmark known as a Google Guaranteed Badge that appears next to your business name whenever your ad is shown. This badge shows that you are a Google vetted business and gives users peace of mind that they are dealing with a reputable and trusted company in turn, making them more likely to reach out to you.
   

What are the benefits? 

Did we mention that you only pay for the leads you receive? Unlike other campaign types, you are not charged per click, but only when someone actually picks up the phone and calls your business. If you receive a lead that is either fraudulent, spam, or was a poor match, you can even dispute the charge for credit. 

Another benefit is that you do not have keywords or ads to manage. Have no fear if you are not copywriter, as most of us are not, you do not need to develop unique ad copy either. You simply need to set your budget, provide the necessary business information, and let Google take it from there. 
 

Who can use Google Local Services Ads?
These ads are not available for all business industries just yet, but Google is regularly adding more. For a full list of the current eligible industries, check out this article.
 

How do I get started? 

Here are the three most important things you need to prepare for: 

1. Ensure you have a Google My Business profile set up and active with at least five reviews.  
2. A background check of employees is needed for most industries and can be easily submitted through the Google Local Service Ads platform. 
3. Business license and insurance information will need to be uploaded for most industries.
    

Disclaimer: for most industries, all of these steps are required, but there are a few industry exceptions where one or more of those steps are not necessary. 

 

If you want to take your digital marketing one step further, run these ads in tandem with a Google Search Campaign to keep your business top of mind—regardless of where a consumer may be in the decision-making journey.  By doing this, even if a user does not convert on your Local Service Ads, if they continue their research on Google later, you can still appear. Since Google Search Ads show up right below Local Service Ads, this will allow you to stay relevant to users who could convert in the future. 

 

Looking to learn more about Local Service Ads and if they’re a right fit for your business? Reach out today, our team is always here to help!