Are Google Local Service Ads Available in Your Area? Find Out Here

Intro

Back in the 90s, the internet was not a portable thing. You would go home and _then _you would have access to the web. If you needed information regarding businesses in your area, you had to rely on Yellow Pages and word of mouth from the community. However, things have changed tremendously. The Internet is everywhere, and it is an essential part of our daily lives.

This change didn’t just reflect on the way we live, but also on the way we promote businesses. Social media platforms like Facebook have launched features to allow business owners to put their company on potential customers’ radars. Google, the world's most popular search engine, launched Google Business Profile.

But things could be slightly different for you if you would like to promote your business locally, as the popular search engine has other features for local SEO. That’s where Google Local Service Ads become your priced tool. Want to learn more about Google LSA, its availability, and its benefits? Keep reading!

First Things First: What Are Google Local Service Ads?

Google Local Service Ads, also known as Google LSA, is a service originally launched in 2015 by the search engine. Its main goal is to help local businesses get leads through calls and text messages. The text message feature is currently available for the U.S. only.

Unlike Google Ads, LSA will only show up once the potential customer searches for local services, and these show up at the top of the SERPs. They will show crucial information for said potential clients, such as ratings, working hours, and a CTA button that allows them to call businesses.

Its main goal is to connect businesses with qualified leads that will help them increase their conversion rate, therefore helping business owners make the most out of their digital marketing budget.

How Google LSA Can Help Your Local Business

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Now that you know what it is, let's dive into its benefits. One of its most crucial advantages is that, unlike PPC campaigns, you will pay for each lead. Simply put, you will see your money’s worth through qualified leads, instead of spending a hefty sum of money on clicks that might not lead to conversions.

Take a look at these benefits:

It Puts You on Potential Customers’ Radars

Picture this: you are a plumber in San Diego searching for ways to gain new customers, and you have taken your efforts to the internet. You probably want to show up on Google’s search result pages whenever someone searches for plumbing services, but find out that it takes a lot of effort to be among the first results on a SERP.

That is where you can resort to Google LSA, as this excellent Google tool will help you appear at the top of search results whenever a potential client is looking for specific services, right below the search bar. This allows your business to stand out and get their attention almost immediately, as they will notice it is a Google feature.

It Makes It Easier for Customers to Trust Your Business

The previous benefit weaves directly into this one: It is easier to trust a service once you see it is Google-approved.

Google Local Service Ads will provide your business with Google Guaranteed and Screened badges that will allow customers to trust your services. Of course, obtaining the badges comes with a required process in which you and your business will go through a background check conducted by Google itself.

Each badge works for different needs. Typically, Google Screened badges are used for lawyers, childcare workers,, and real estate agents. Google Guaranteed is used to give potential customers the chance to get a refund if they are not satisfied with the provided services.

The badge obtention process can be extensive in some cases, as it requires business owners to provide specific information and documentation relevant to the task. That is why many company owners prefer working with digital marketing agencies that specialize in Google Local Service Ads, as they will handle the verification process and overall setup, ensuring everything is done correctly and according to Google’s guidelines.

You Get Your Money’s Worth

Google LSA differentiates from PPC campaigns in one, if not the most relevant feature: you will pay for leads, not for clicks. Sure, PPC campaigns can be beneficial for putting your business out there, at least in the beginning. But once you decide to take it a step further and see better results, it is best to invest in Google Local Service Ads.

You will pay for the calls you get from your LSA, and the cost per lead will vary depending on your location, competitors, and industry.

Google Local Service Ads and Its Availability

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We have arrived to our final, and perhaps most important destination on our journey. You have learned how great this tool can be for local businesses, but can you apply for it? Take a look at Google’s stance regarding the program’s availability:

Is Google LSA Available in My Area?

As shown on Google Local Service Help’s website, the program is currently available in the following countries:

• Austria.
• Belgium.
• Canada.
• France.
• Germany.
• Ireland.
• Spain.
• Switzerland.
• United Kingdom.
• United States.

Plus, the program has specific service categories available per country. The following are some of the categories available in The U.S.:

• Appliance repair services
• Architect (California and Florida only)
• Audiologist
• Auto body shop (California and Florida only)
• Auto repair shop (California and Florida only)
• Bankruptcy lawyer services
• Business lawyer services
• Carpet cleaning services
• Carpenters
• Car wash and detailing (California and Florida only)
• Cellphone and laptop repair (California and Florida only)
• Child care
• Chiropractor
• Contract lawyer services
• Countertop services
• Criminal lawyer services
• Dentist
• Disability lawyer services
• Drain expert (California and Florida only)
• Driving instructor
• DUI lawyer services
• Electricians
• Estate lawyer services
• Family lawyer services
• Fencing services
• Financial planning services
• Flooring services
• Foundations services
• Funeral home
• Garage door services
• General contractor
• Handyman
• Home inspector
• Home insulation (California and Florida only)
• Home security
• Home theater
• House cleaning services
• HVAC (heating or air conditioning)
• Immigration lawyer services
• Insurance agency (California and Florida only)
• Interior designer (California and Florida only)
• IP lawyer services
• Junk removal services
• Labor lawyer services
• Landscaping services
• Lawn care services
• Lawyers
• Litigation lawyer services
• Locksmiths
• Malpractice lawyer services
• Moving services
• Nail salon (California and Florida only)
• Occupational therapist
• Ophthalmologist
• Optometrist
• Orthodontist
• Orthopedic surgeon
• Personal injury lawyer services
• Personal trainer
• Pest control services
• Physical therapist
• Plastic surgeon
• Plumbers
• Podiatrist
• Pool cleaner
• Pool contractor
• Preschool
• Primary care physician
• Real estate lawyer
• Real estate services
• Roofers
• Sewage system
• Siding services
• Snow removal
• Solar energy contractor (California and Florida only)
• Storage (California and Florida only)
• Tax services
• Tire shop (California and Florida only)
• Traffic lawyer services
• Tree services
• Towing (California and Florida only)
• Veterinarian
• Water damage services
• Weight loss service
• Window cleaning services
• Window repair services

Plus, the program offers different features depending on where the business is located, such as tracking bookings or disputing leads, making it an excellent tool to include in your local SEO arsenal.

Wrapping Up

Google Local Service is an excellent option to keep on your radar if you are looking for ways to make your business stand out on search results.

We hope this article helped you learn more about this tool, and showed you how important it is to stay up to date with the market’s internet resources for local SEO. Don’t forget you can always reach out to experts to ensure you make the most of it.

Thank you for reading!