Google rolled out Local Service ads last year to give businesses an easier and more cost-effective paid advertising option that is specifically targeted to their local market and business industry. With Google Local Service Ads, your ad only shows up for customers who are searching for businesses like yours in your area and you only pay if a customer contacts you directly through the ad.
When Google first launched this new ad service, it was only in select markets and for specific industries, but they have been rapidly growing adding more service industries and markets. If you’re not utilizing Google Local Services for your business yet, now’s the time to get started.
What are Local Service Ads?
Local Services by Google is a new kind of paid Google ad. These ads sit at the very top of the first page of search results above the normal paid search ads and organic listings when a searcher enters a “near me” type query for a service or business. These ads show the business number, hours, reviews and ratings.
Benefits of a Local Service Ad
- They offer excellent ad placement that can’t be beat – above all other paid and organic results.
- They only target customers in your area that are actively looking for your services.
- They provide added trust with a Google Guarantee. When you sign up, you will automatically become a Google Guaranteed business. This gives new customers peace of mind knowing that you have been vetted and approved by Google.
- You pay per lead rather than traditional, and sometimes, costly pay per click. You control the cost by setting your budget based on the number of leads you want. The exact cost will vary depending on your location and industry, but you can get a cost estimate using Google’s Local Service Ads cost tool.
- The ads are included in Google Assistant’s voice searches, which make up 20 percent of all searches.
- The ads are automatically generated based on the search query and the information you submit when you set up your business profile so there are no keywords or ads for you to manage
Getting started with Google Local Ads
To get started, you can head directly to https://ads.google.com/local-services-ads/ and follow through the five step process of creating your business profile, becoming Google Guaranteed and maintaining your account. If you need any assistance with the process, we would be happy to help. Creating and managing Google Local Services is one of the services we provide to our clients. Give us a call at 414-465-2285 or contact us here if you are interested in having us help you get the most out of your Local Service Ads.
