Login
Sign Up

Local Services Ads: Partner Updates [March 2022]

Welcome to Google’s Local Services Ads Partner Updates for March. Here’s what you need to know:

General Updates

1. Expansion of Local Services Ads to New Verticals


Local Services Ads (LSA) is broadening its offerings across several categories, including pet care, wellness, education, and people care. Sign-up is now open for Massage School, Tutor, Funeral Home, Veterinarian, and will soon open for Beauty School and Driving Instructor in April. If you have partners with a significant presence in these categories and need assistance with activation, please respond to this communication.

2. LSA Ads Now Appear in Organic Maps Immersive (Mobile)


In our effort to assist customers in finding and connecting with service providers on Google, Local Services Ads will now be visible in the organic immersive list when users search for specific types of services. 

To observe this on a mobile device, follow these steps:

  1. Search for “[enter vertical/category] near me” (e.g., “plumber near me” or “hvac near miami”).
  2. Scroll down to the organic maps listing.
  3. Select “more businesses.”
  4. The first 1-2 ads will display the Google Guaranteed/Google Screened badge.

FAQs:

  • Will LSA ads appear on all searches? LSA ads will be visible on a broader range of queries, including all LSA trigger words and other relevant search queries.
  • How many ads are shown in the organic immersive? A maximum of 2 ads will be displayed at the top of the organic immersive.
  • How are ads chosen for the organic immersive? We employ the same ranking and triggering models used for LSA ads on other surfaces, with the top 2 ads for the query featured in the organic immersive.
  • Do ads appear in organic results when LSA SERP doesn’t trigger? Yes, ads can be featured in the organic list independently, even if only one LSA pro is live.

3. Discontinuation of LSA Ads for Exact Business Name Searches


The experiment in which LSA ads were displayed for exact business name searches has concluded. LSA ads will no longer be displayed for these precise match searches.

4. Launch of Bulk Account Creation Tool


Instead of adding providers one by one, the bulk account creation feature now allows you to upload up to 100 businesses at once. From your Local Services Ads manager account, download and populate a template (CSV file) with the required information, and then upload the completed spreadsheet. For detailed instructions, refer to Google’s help center article.

5. Troubleshooting 2-Step Verification Login Issue


If you do not see your LSA account but expect to, it may be due to 2-step authorization being set up for your ad campaigns but not for the email you use to log in to your LSA accounts. There are two workarounds:

6. Valuable Insights About Billing and Understanding Invoices


To check if lead disputes were credited, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Google Ads and enter the LSA CID in the search.
  2. Click Tools and Settings, select Billing, and Summary to view Billing & Payments.
  3. Choose a monthly cycle, then click “Expand all sections” to check for a “Billing correction – lead dispute credits” line item.

Note: Lead dispute credits were delayed due to Covid(Omicron) but should be credited (if approved) by the end of April 2022.

Reminder: Consolidated Business Owner & Business Entity Background Check Approvals


A reminder about the prerequisites for background check waivers. Before completing the BGC Equivalency/ Consolidated Business owner and Business Entity Form, ensure the business meets the following criteria:

  • 10+ years in business.
  • 10+ locations.
  • 25+ field workers.
  • National & regional-level business.
  • Not in a duress vertical (e.g., garage door, locksmith, home security).

Have Questions?

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.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn