In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, staying ahead means adapting to new tools and strategies that drive leads and grow your business. For landscape, hardscape, and outdoor living contractors, Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) have become an indispensable part of this growth journey. As we enter 2025, significant updates and changes to this platform demand your attention to maximize your return on investment and maintain a competitive edge.
I’m Josh Blakely, founder of Landscape and Hardscape Contractor Marketing, and Iāve helped countless contractors leverage digital marketing to generate millions in revenue. In this comprehensive guide, Iāll walk you through everything you need to know about Google Local Services Ads in 2025āfrom what they are, how they work, to the latest updates and best practices that will help you win more leads and grow your business.
Table of Contents
- What Are Google Local Services Ads and Why Do They Matter?
- Getting Started with Google Local Services Ads
- Understanding Lead Costs and Lead Quality
- 2025 Updates You Must Know
- Ranking Factors That Influence Your Local Services Ads Success
- Maximizing Lead Flow and Booking Rates
- Additional 2025 Platform Updates and Features
- Summary: Key Steps to Win with Google Local Services Ads in 2025
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Final Thoughts
What Are Google Local Services Ads and Why Do They Matter?
If youāre new to Google Local Services Ads, hereās the quick rundown: LSAs are a pay-per-lead advertising platform designed to connect service-based businesses with local customers actively searching for their services. Unlike traditional Google Ads, you only pay when a prospective customer contacts your business directly through the ad, either via phone call or message.
One of the most significant advantages of LSAs is their prime placement in Google search results. They appear at the very top of the search page, whether on mobile or desktop, even above traditional Google Ads and organic listings. This visibility makes them a powerful tool for capturing attention and generating high-quality leads quickly.
For landscape and outdoor living contractors, this means being at the forefront when potential customers search for services such as lawn care, hardscaping, or outdoor construction projects. Because LSAs are integrated with your Google Business Profile, they also showcase your reviews, photos, and business information, helping build trust and credibility before a customer even reaches out.
Where Are Google Local Services Ads Available?
Currently, LSAs are primarily available in the United States, and for the landscaping industry, there are very few locations where you canāt run these ads. This broad availability means most contractors in the US can take advantage of this platform, making it a vital part of any digital marketing strategy.
Getting Started with Google Local Services Ads
Setting up LSAs requires a few key steps to ensure your business is verified and eligible to participate:
- Apply and Sign Up:Ā Start by visitingĀ ads.google.com/local-servicesĀ and creating your account.
- Background Checks:Ā Google requires background checks for the business owner and employees who will be featured in the ads. This step is essential to earn the Google Guaranteed badge, which significantly boosts customer trust.
- Licensing and Insurance:Ā Youāll need to submit proof of your business licensing and insurance. Requirements vary by state, so be sure to check your local regulations.
- Set Your Service Areas and Services:Ā Define the geographic areas you serve and the specific services you offer. This targeting helps Google show your ads to the most relevant customers.
- Choose Your Budget and Bidding Strategy: Unlike Google Ads, where you set a daily budget, LSAs operate on a weekly budget basis. You can allow Google to automate bidding or manually set a maximum cost per lead.
Once your account is approved, your ads will begin showing to customers searching for your services within your specified areas.
Understanding Lead Costs and Lead Quality
Lead costs for LSAs typically range from $30 to $60 per lead, though for larger outdoor living projects, costs can exceed $100. The exact price depends on your service offerings and geographic location. However, one of the standout benefits of LSAs is the higher lead quality compared to other lead providers, such as Angi or HomeAdvisor.
Why is lead quality better? Because potential customers have already reviewed your profile, checked your reviews, and viewed photos of your work before reaching out. This pre-qualification means leads tend to be warmer and more ready to hire, reducing the time and effort you spend on follow-ups and price shoppers.
Itās important to note that you only pay when a customer contacts you via phone or message, making this a cost-effective way to generate qualified leads.
2025 Updates You Must Know
Google has introduced some significant updates to the Local Services Ads platform in 2025 that every contractor needs to understand and implement:
1. Mandatory Linking to Google Business Profile
Starting this year, it is mandatory to have a verified Google Business Profile linked to your Local Services Ads account. Google now uses your Business Profile as the foundation for your Local Service Ads (LSAs), requiring the business names to match exactly. This change also means that your Google Business Profile reviews now flow directly into your Local Services Ads, consolidating your reputation management and review collection efforts.
Integration is a massive win for contractors because it rewards your review collection processes by enhancing your adās credibility and click-through rates.
Verifying Your Google Business Profile
Verification can be a sticking point, as Google has become stricter about confirming business legitimacy. The key to successful verification is ensuring permanent signage is visible at your business location during the video verification process. If video verification fails multiple times, you can request a live video review with Google to prove your business presence.
2. New Terms of Service
Google updated its terms of service for Local Services Ads in 2025. You must accept these new terms by the end of June to continue running ads. The revised terms give Google permission to scrape content from your linked website, including service descriptions, promotions, pricing, and business highlights. This content will likely be used for AI-powered overviews and other enhancements to how your business information is displayed.
To prepare, conduct a thorough content audit to ensure consistency and accuracy across your Google Business Profile, Local Services Ads profile, website, and social media. Keep your service descriptions, areas, and promotions up to date to present a unified and professional image.
3. AI-Driven Lead Dispute Process
Previously, contractors could manually dispute leads they felt were irrelevant or spam. Now, Google utilizes AI to analyze phone calls and assess the validity of leads. While you can no longer dispute leads manually, itās critical to communicate on calls if a lead is outside your service area, a service you donāt offer, or if the call is spam. This feedback helps Googleās AI improve lead quality assessments and can result in credits being applied to your account.
Ranking Factors That Influence Your Local Services Ads’ Success
While LSAs are a paid platform, there are still organic factors that impact your ranking and visibility within the local services ad section. Understanding and optimizing these factors can help you outperform competitors and get more leads:
- Proximity:Ā Google prioritizes businesses closer to the searcherās location.
- Review Score and Quantity:Ā A higher average review rating and a greater number of reviews improve your ranking.
- Responsiveness:Ā How quickly and consistently you answer phone calls and respond to messages is a major ranking factor. Google tracks this to ensure customers reach responsive businesses.
- Business Hours:Ā Clearly defined and accurate business hours signal reliability and help match your availability with customer search times.
- Google Guaranteed Badge: Earning this badge through thorough background checks and verification enhances trust and improves ranking potential.
- Budget:Ā A higher budget can increase your adās exposure, but make sure your budget aligns with your capacity to handle leads.
Failing to answer calls or letting leads go to voicemail can hurt your ranking and cause your ads to be hidden, resulting in lost opportunities. Always prioritize responsiveness.
Maximizing Lead Flow and Booking Rates
To get the most out of your Local Services Ads investment, focus on these strategies:
Optimize Your Profile Details
- Fill out every profile field, including the business bio, services offered, and service areas.
- Add high-quality photos showcasing your projects and team to make your profile visually appealing.
- Regularly update business hours, especially for holidays or seasonal changes.
Manage Your Budget Wisely
Set your weekly budget based on your capacity to handle leads. If you can take on more jobs, increase your budget to maximize lead flow. Conversely, lower your budget during slow seasons to control costs.
Leverage Service Area and Job Type Settings
Expand your service areas or add more job types to reach a broader audience. Alternatively, if you want to focus on specific niches, be selective with the services you enable. Using the āOtherā service category can bring in a wide variety of jobs, but may also include less desirable leads.
Track Your Booking Rate
Google provides reporting on your booking rateāaim for 85% or higher. Mark jobs as booked or scheduled promptly, and archive leads that donāt convert. This activity signals to Google that you are actively engaging with leads, which can improve your ranking.
Request and Respond to Reviews
Reviews remain the cornerstone of your online reputation. Always ask satisfied customers to leave detailed reviews mentioning specific services, and include photos if possible. Respond to all reviewsāpositive or negativeāto demonstrate customer care and engagement.
Additional 2025 Platform Updates and Features
Mobile App Discontinued
The Local Services Ads mobile app has been discontinued. All management and reporting must now be done through the desktop platform. Keep an eye out for potential future integrations with Google Maps that might streamline this process.
Integration with Google Maps
Google is beginning to integrate Local Services Ads more deeply with Google Maps, increasing your potential reach and visibility. This development could open up new avenues for capturing leads from map searches shortly.
Reserve with Google and Scheduling Integrations
If your business uses scheduling or CRM platforms, some of these now integrate with Local Services Ads, allowing customers to book services directly through the ad. This feature is handy for lawn care or maintenance services that operate on a regular schedule.
Summary: Key Steps to Win with Google Local Services Ads in 2025
- Ensure your Google Business Profile is verified and linked to your Local Services Ads account.
- Accept the new Google Local Services Ads terms of service by the end of June.
- Conduct a content audit to ensure consistency across your website, Google Business Profile, and LSAs.
- Complete your Local Services Ads profile thoroughly with photos, services, and accurate business hours.
- Maintain responsiveness to all leads by promptly answering calls and messages.
- Strategically manage your weekly budget to maximize lead flow without overextending your capacity.
- Request and respond to Google reviews consistently to boost your profileās credibility and ranking.
- Mark leads as booked or scheduled to maintain a high booking rate and signal engagement to Google.
- Monitor your account regularly for performance insights and make adjustments to services and service areas as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What happens if I donāt verify my Google Business Profile?
A: You wonāt be able to run Local Services Ads without a verified Google Business Profile. Verification is mandatory as of 2025, and it also ensures that your reviews appear in your ads.
Q: How does Google determine the cost per lead for my ads?
A: Lead costs depend on your service types, location, competition, and demand. Typically, they range from $30 to $60 but can be higher for large projects.
Q: Can I dispute leads I believe are irrelevant or spam?
A: The lead dispute process is now AI-driven. While manual disputes are no longer possible, you should communicate during the call if a lead is invalid to help Googleās AI assess and potentially credit your account.
Q: How important are reviews for Local Services Ads?
A: Extremely important. Reviews influence both your ranking and the likelihood that potential customers will click on your ad and reach out to you. High-quality, detailed reviews with photos are especially valuable.
Q: Can I adjust my budget or services according to the season?
A: Yes. You can modify your weekly budget and enable or disable specific services based on seasonality (e.g., snow removal in winter) to optimize your ad spend.
Q: Is the Local Services Ads mobile app still available?
A: No, the mobile app has been discontinued. You must now manage your account through the desktop platform.
Q: How can I improve my responsiveness to leads?
A: Ensure someone is available to answer calls during your business hours, enable messaging if possible, and respond promptly to all inquiries. Mark jobs as booked or scheduled to maintain a high booking rate.
Final Thoughts
Google Local Services Ads have become a game-changer for landscape and outdoor living contractors looking to grow their businesses in 2025. By staying up-to-date with the latest updates, optimizing your profile, and prioritizing responsiveness and reviews, you can achieve prime visibility and generate high-quality leads that convert.
Remember, the digital marketing landscape is constantly changing, but with the right strategies and tools, you can stay ahead of the curve and build a thriving outdoor living business. If youāre ready to take your marketing to the next level, start with Google Local Services Ads today and watch your leads grow.
For more detailed strategies, including AI integration and automation tips, consider checking outĀ Backyard Empire: The Ultimate Digital Marketing Guide for Outdoor Living Pros, available on Amazon. This guide provides a comprehensive roadmap for implementing not only Local Services Ads but also a tailored digital marketing plan specifically designed for our industry.
Hereās to your success in 2025 and beyond!
