Picture this: your business shining at the very top of Google search results, right where potential clients are looking. You might be wondering how that can be possible. 4 words—Google Local Service Ads. Bob Vance, CEO and Founder of Home Remodeler SEO, recently unpacked how LSAs can transform your lead generation game in a dynamic webinar. Missed it? No worries! We prepared a quick dive into why LSAs are a game-changer for remodelers and how you can leverage them to skyrocket your business success.
What Are Google Local Service Ads?
Think of Google’s Local Service Ads as Google’s response to pay-per-lead platforms like Angie and HomeAdvisor. Unlike those platforms, LSAs are integrated into Google’s search engine, giving them a unique edge. Essentially, when a consumer searches for a service, Google serves up these ads at the very top of the search results, making them the first thing a potential client sees.
Why Should Remodelers Care About LSAs?
Did you know that a whopping 85-90% of consumers use Google to find home service providers? With LSAs, your business isn’t just visible—it’s featured prominently at the top of both mobile and desktop search results, even above Google’s own PPC ads. This prime positioning is crucial for capturing the attention of potential clients who are ready to make a purchase.
Key Features of Google Local Service Ads
Google Guarantee: LSAs come with a Google Guarantee, offering consumers peace of mind that the services they receive will meet their expectations. This guarantee requires businesses to undergo a verification process, including background checks and insurance verification.
Pay-Per-Lead: Unlike traditional PPC, where you pay for clicks, LSAs charge you only for qualified leads—actual calls from potential customers, not just website traffic.
Recorded Calls and Dispute Process: Calls from LSAs are recorded, allowing businesses to dispute charges for unqualified leads. Bob noted that Google’s AI has become adept at identifying and filtering out non-leads, like spam calls or inquiries outside your service area.
How LSAs Differ from PPC
While PPC campaigns can be effective, LSAs offer a more direct path to potential customers. PPC requires you to pay for clicks regardless of whether they convert into actual leads, whereas LSAs ensure you only pay for real, qualified inquiries. This makes LSAs a more cost-effective option, particularly for remodelers who want to maximize their return on investment.
Factors that Influence the Success of Using Google Local Service Ads (LSAs)
- Ranking Factors: To rank in the top three results, businesses must consider several factors such as proximity to potential customers, review scores, the number of reviews, and engagement with the LSA platform.
- Engagement and Interaction: Regular interaction with the LSA platform, such as marking leads as followed up, adding notes, and marking jobs as complete, signals to Google that the business is responsive and reliable, which can positively influence rankings.
- Business Hours and Responsiveness: Accurate business hours are crucial. Marking 24/7 availability without the capacity to answer calls can backfire, leading to missed calls and negatively affecting rankings. Google’s priority is ensuring a good user experience, so responsiveness is key.
- Budget Management: Google aims to spread your budget over time, so rapid spending may lead to temporary ad pauses to manage lead distribution. It’s also important to open your budget as much as possible to stay visible, but with careful monitoring to avoid overspending.
- Profile Optimization: It’s vital to fully optimize your profile by adding detailed service areas, job types, business hours, and high-quality photos. Also, requesting reviews from within the LSA dashboard helps generate Google-verified reviews, which carry more weight.
- Handling Disputes and AI Filtering: Google’s AI is improving at filtering leads, but disputes can still arise. Businesses should utilize the dispute button or support tickets to ensure they are not charged for invalid leads.
- Importance of Reviews: Google-verified reviews, particularly those requested through the LSA dashboard, are becoming increasingly important. These reviews signal that the business successfully completed jobs booked through LSAs, which adds credibility.
- Broader Strategy: Businesses should expand their service area, job types, and ad schedule to maximize visibility and leads. Regularly updating the LSA dashboard and maintaining an 85% booking rate or better are crucial for continued success.
- Client-Specific Recommendations: For businesses already using LSAs, it’s important to stay engaged with account managers to optimize the setup. For new users, going through Google’s verification steps and tracking ROI is essential to determine the effectiveness of Google Local Service Ads.
Why Now is the Time to Jump on LSAs
Let’s cut to the chase– the cost of leads is relatively low now, but as more businesses jump on board, prices are likely to rise—similar to what we’ve seen with Google PPC ads. Getting in early could mean securing higher-quality leads at a lower cost.
LSAs are a powerful tool for any remodeler looking to expand their reach and secure more business. With Google’s robust verification process, pay-per-lead model, and prime placement in search results, LSAs offer a competitive advantage that’s hard to ignore. As Bob succinctly put it, “It’s marketing, not magic. You need a plan to win, and LSAs should definitely be part of that plan.”
Home Remodeler SEO Will Help You Grow Your Business, Call Us Today!
If you’re looking to grow your remodeling business, it might be time to explore what Google Local Service Ads and Home Remodeler SEO can do for you.
We are experts in crafting tailored digital marketing strategies that drive results. From boosting your online presence to generating high-quality leads, our team is dedicated to helping you grow your business. Don’t wait—reach out to us today and discover how our services can transform your business and set you on the path to success! Call us now to get started!
