Welcome to the latest edition of Google’s Local Services Ads Partner Updates for July 2021. Here’s what you need to know:
Providers can now enter manual bids of up to 100 times the reserve (floor) price within the bidding module on their Local Services dashboard’s Profile & Budget tab. Please note that this change is purely cosmetic and will not impact actual lead prices. Prices will continue to be capped based on auction settings. Providers are advised not to enter bids higher than what they are willing to pay for a single lead.
Evident has introduced a new feature allowing primary business owners to add or remove additional business owners and fieldworkers from their rosters before adjudication. Previously, adding new personnel to rosters within the Evident portal was not possible. With this update, primary business owners can manage their roster of background check cases more efficiently.
Additional features in this update:
Please refer to the provided articles for in-depth information on the background check process with Evident:
Local Services Ads now mandates a valid DBA (Doing Business As) for significant business name changes because verifications are linked to the business name. If a provider cannot provide a valid DBA for verification, they will need to establish a new account and complete the verification process with their new business name. It’s important to note that some providers attempt to submit non-qualifying documents like tax forms as a DBA, which will not be accepted.
Starting in August, the Local Services Ads dashboard will indicate whether a license is required at the individual or business entity level. If a license is required at the individual level, it should be listed under the name of a business owner or fieldworker. If it’s required at the business entity level, it should be listed under the business name in the Local Services Ads account.
A reminder of our Lead wipeout policy, applicable to Law verticals, which removes all lead data, including phone numbers and notes, after 60 days due to sensitive content restrictions.
In Local Services Ads for Professional verticals, only one headshot (the latest approved) is displayed on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Additional headshots can be added to featured professions, but they should not be duplicates. Learn more about headshot photos for professional verticals here.
If you have any inquiries or need further assistance, please consult the Local Services Ads on Google Help Page, or get in touch with our Local View team for comprehensive guidance.