Overview of how to set up Google Local Services ads for home service pros

For most home service professionals, whether you are running a landscaping business, cleaning business, painting business, or more setting up Google Local Services ads can be worth the investment.

This guide provides an overview for what Google Local Services Ads are, who can sign up for Google Local Service Ads, how to set up your business for local service ads and how to optimize these placements.

1) What are Google Local Service Ads

As the name suggests Google Local Service Ads are meant to helsp customers find local businesses that have been verified by Google either searching on desktops, mobile or tablet. These Ads are a perfect supplement for local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts for specific industries and a good tool to use as an advertiser in the industry. The ads focus on searches in close proximity and are not as generic as traditional google ads.

As shown in the imagine below, local search queries will bring up several guaranteed professionals in the top of google search results above where paid search ads will show. This slot is reserved for Google Local Services and not traditional search ads. That means that no Home Advisor, no Angies List, no nothing can outrank these placements. They give local businesses a fighting chance in the war that is local SEO.

Businesses can gain trust with the Google Guarantee badge. The green checkmark and the "GOOGLE GUARANTEED" tag indicate that Google is protecting unsatisfied customers for jobs booked through Local Service Ads with a lifetime coverage cap of $2,000. Businesses can apply to get the Google Guarantee by signing up for Local Service Ads.

2) What businesses can sign up for Google Local Service Ads

Google is continuing to expand the industries that are available. Today, google supports Local Service Ads for the following industries:

• Air Duct Cleaner*
• Appliance Repair Service*
• Auto Glass Service*
• Auto Service Technician*
• Carpet Cleaner*
• Electricians
• Event Planner*
• Garage Door
• Handyman*
• Home Improvement Pro*
• House Cleaner*
• HVAC
• Junk Removal Provider*
• Lawn Care Provider*
• Locksmiths
• Mover*
• Painter*
• Pest Control Technician*
• Pet Care Provider*
• Pet Groomer*
• Photographer*
• Plumbers
• Roadside Assistance Service*
• Roofer*
• Tree Service Provider*
• Tutor*
• Upholstery Cleaner*
• Water Damage Service Provider*
• Window Cleaner*
• Window Service Provider*

*Not all services are supported in all markets.

Additionally, not all regions have access to Google Local Service Ads as Google is still building out this functionality. Google plans to continue expanding coverage, but for now the list off markets with Local Service Ads is below:

• Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale,  AZ
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim,  CA
• Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario,  CA
• Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade,  CA
• San Diego-Carlsbad,  CA
• San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward,  CA
• Denver-Aurora-Lakewood,  CO
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria,  DC-VA-MD-WV
• Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach,  FL
• Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford,  FL
• Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater,  FL
• Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell,  GA
• Chicago-Naperville-Elgin,  IL-IN-WI
• Boston-Cambridge-Newton,  MA-NH
• Baltimore-Columbia-Towson,  MD
• Detroit-Warren-Dearborn,  MI
• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington,  MN-WI
• St. Louis,  MO-IL
• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia,  NC-SC
• Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise,  NV
• New York-Newark-Jersey City,  NY-NJ-PA
• Cincinnati,  OH-KY-IN
• Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro,  OR-WA
• Pittsburgh,  PA
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington,  PA-NJ-DE-MD
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington,  TX
• Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land,  TX
• San Antonio-New Braunfels,  TX
• Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue,  WA

3) How to sign your business up for Google Local Services Ads

To sign up for Local Service Ads you can visit the Google Local Service Ads home page and press "Get Started." This will prompt a 3 step sign up to (1) first check eligibility by entering your location and service time (2) Sign up and (3) create a business profile.

You Google Local Service Ads profile is different from you Google My Business listing. The Google My Business listing will be connected to your local listing on google (which you should set up because it is free).

To earn the Google Guarantee and to be listed for Local Service Ads, you will need to submit proof of your license and insurance depending on your business service type. The confirmation doesn't stop there. Google will also ask for the business and fieldworks to pass a background check (Google partnered with Pinkerton for these).

To understand the cost for Google Local Service Ads you can use the Google estimation tool by entering your zip code, desired # of leads per month and your industry. Local Service Ads can cost $6-30 per lead (but can be more depending on your location and service industry). If you do not receive valid leads (e.g., leads that are fraudulent, spam or was a poor match) you can dispute the charge for credit. This is a benefit vs. traditional local search ads that you pay per click. You will be able to set a budget that help ensure a monthly max amount of leads based on an estimated average cost per lead.

The additional benefit is that you do not have keywords to manage with Google Local Service Ads. The ads will automatically show up when a customer searches for your type of business in the relevant geography as google will take care of the search word optimization and display your company name and profile.

4) How to optimize Google Local Service Ads for your home service business

While the Google Local Service Ads will appear above other Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads on google and organic websites, there are still a limited number of business profiles that can show. For this reason, it is important to focus on optimizing:

• Customer reviews - both the number and rating
• Up-to-date business hours of operation
• Satisfied customers that do not complain to Google about your services

To get more google reviews it is important to ask your customers after a service for reviews. To help ensure that you have a positive ranking you can first ask your customer if they were satisfied with your work. If they seem happy with the work you have done, follow up with a link to your google reviews to ask for a customer testimonial. It is important to not spread your reviews across too many different sites like Yelp, Home Advisor, Angies List, etc. so that you build a strong review base in one location.

Got up-to-date business hours this is important to accurately reflect when you will be available to connect with customers as Google will recognize responsiveness to leads. To help with your responsiveness to leads you can utilize the Pro Phone app to help simplify and streamline your communications.