Running Local Services Ads well is one of the fastest ways a local service business can turn “searches” into booked jobs. This is how PrimaryPosition.com would tell you to approach it.
What Local Services Ads actually are
Local Services Ads (LSAs) are pay-per-lead placements that show at the very top of Google for local intent searches, usually with a “Google Guaranteed”/“Google Screened” badge, your rating, and a tap-to-call button. They are built for plumbers, HVAC, electricians, cleaners, lawyers, and other service businesses that send people to customers’ homes or meet locally.
Step 1: Decide if LSAs fit your business
Before you touch a dashboard, be clear on fit:
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You must be in an eligible industry and location and be prepared to pass background, license, and insurance checks.
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You should have at least a few good Google reviews and a functioning sales process that can quickly answer and close inbound leads.
If your operation cannot answer the phone reliably or handle extra jobs, fix that first; LSA will expose those weaknesses quickly.
Step 2: Set up your Local Services Ads profile
Do this in a focused, one-sitting sprint and have your documentation ready:
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Go to the Local Services Ads signup page from your Google account and check eligibility for your business type and region.
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Create your LSA profile: business name, owner, service categories, service areas (cities/ZIPs), and hours.
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Upload required documents: licenses, proof of insurance, and agree to/background checks as requested.
Treat this like applying to a program, not like throwing up a quick ad; incomplete or inconsistent info will delay or block approval
Step 3: Align your profile with your real-world business
Primary Position’s rule: your LSA profile must look and feel like your actual business, not a wish list.
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Service areas: Only target places you truly serve today and can reach profitably. Over-expanding to “every ZIP in the state” torches budget and response times.
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Services/job types: Select only the jobs you want more of and can profitably deliver; de-select the low-ticket, time-wasting work.
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Hours: Set realistic hours you can answer or return calls fast; after-hours “ghost” availability kills close rates and the algorithm’s trust in you.
This alignment gives you cleaner leads and better responsiveness metrics, which matter for performance and ranking inside LSA
Step 4: Budget like a business owner, not a tourist
You pay per lead, not per click, but that does not mean “set and forget.”
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Start with a realistic weekly budget based on target cost per job and close rate. For example, if a job is worth 500, you can pay 50 per lead if you close 1 in 3.
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Avoid “tiny budgets” that only generate one or two leads a week; the algorithm never gets enough signal to optimize.
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Revisit budgets once you have at least 20–30 leads worth of data so you base decisions on numbers, not feelings.
LSA can be one of the highest-ROI channels in local if you treat it like a real acquisition system, not a slot machine.
Step 5: Optimize for rankings inside Local Services Ads
Most owners think LSA is “set up and done.” Primary Position treats it like another ranking system. Key levers include:
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Reviews and rating: Keep feeding new, high-quality Google reviews tied to the same business; prompt every satisfied customer.
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Responsiveness: Answer or return LSA calls quickly; slow responses and missed calls drag you down.
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Disputing bad leads: Mark irrelevant or spam leads correctly so your data and economics stay clean.
You are trying to look like the most reliable, responsive, well-reviewed option in your category and area—that is effectively your “SEO” inside LSA.
Step 6: Integrate LSA with your local SEO and ops
Primary Position never runs LSA in isolation; it is part of a local acquisition stack:
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Local SEO: Make sure your Google Business Profile, website, NAP consistency, and local content are strong so people who click into your brand see proof and reassurance.
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Call handling playbook: Scripts, qualification questions, and clear “next steps” (booking, estimates, deposits) so every lead is processed the same way.
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Tracking: Use call tracking and simple CRM or pipeline tracking so you know lead-to-job and job-to-revenue numbers per week.
This turns LSA from “extra calls” into a predictable pipeline asset you can scale up or down as needed.
Step 7: When to bring in an agency like Primary Position
There are two moments where bringing in a specialist is smart:
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At launch, if your team has never touched LSA and you want it set up correctly the first time, with documents, categories, and areas configured for ROI.
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After you have tried it and hit a ceiling (too many junk leads, approval issues, or poor close rates), and you need a full funnel rethink—messaging, targeting, reviews, call process, and local SEO.
An agency should not just “toggle your ads on.” The job is to turn Local Services Ads into a controlled, measurable acquisition channel that works alongside your SEO, Google Ads, and offline sales.
