Local Services Ads
Google Guaranteed leads for Canadian home service businesses.
Get a free audit →Local Services Ads sit above everything else on a Google search — above the regular ads, above the map pack, above the organic results. They carry the green Google Guaranteed badge, and unlike every other Google product you pay per lead rather than per click. For home service businesses, that combination is hard to beat.
We set up, verify and manage Local Services Ads for appliance repair, HVAC, plumbing, cleaning, roofing and other trades across Canada, on the same flat monthly fee as everything else we do. Getting into the programme is a slow, paperwork-heavy process that trips up a lot of businesses. We handle it.
What's included
- The whole verification process, handled. Business registration checks, licence verification, insurance documentation and the background checks Google requires for you and your technicians. This is the part most businesses stall on.
- Profile build and optimisation. Service categories, service areas, business hours, photos and job types, set so you appear for the work you actually want rather than everything Google thinks you do.
- Budget and bidding management, including weekly review of what you are paying per lead and adjustments as competition shifts through the season.
- Lead dispute management. Google refunds leads that were spam, wrong number, or outside your service area, but only if someone disputes them inside the window. We do that every week, and it is money most businesses never claim back.
- Review generation guidance. Your ranking depends heavily on review volume and recency, so we will show you how to ask properly and when.
- Coordination with your Google Ads and Google Business Profile, so Local Services Ads, Search and your map listing are not competing with each other for the same query.
- Weekly reporting on leads, cost per lead, disputed leads and the ones that were recovered.
Our approach
Why it is different from Google Ads
With regular Google Ads you pay when someone clicks, whether or not they ever contact you. With Local Services Ads you pay when someone calls or messages you through the ad. The Google Guaranteed badge also does real work: it tells a homeowner that Google has checked your licence, your insurance and your background, which matters enormously when someone is deciding who to let into their house.
The trade-off is control. Local Services Ads give you far fewer levers than Google Ads — you cannot write ad copy, you cannot bid on specific keywords, and Google decides a great deal about when you show. That is exactly why the setup and the ongoing hygiene matter so much: the levers you do have are the only ones you get.
Getting verified, which is the hard part
Verification is where most businesses give up. Google wants proof of business registration, trade licences where the category requires them, a current certificate of insurance with the right coverage limits, and background checks on the business owner and often the technicians too. Any mismatch — a business name that does not match the registration exactly, an insurance certificate that expired last month — sends you back to the start of a queue that can already run several weeks.
We assemble the documentation, submit it, and chase it. It still takes as long as it takes, because that part is Google’s, but it does not stall on your desk.
Disputing bad leads, every week
Not every lead you are charged for is a real one. Wrong numbers, spam, people looking for a service you do not offer, calls from well outside your service area — Google will refund all of these, but only if you dispute them, and only inside the dispute window. Left alone, that money is simply gone.
We go through the lead log weekly and dispute what should be disputed. On accounts with meaningful volume this is often the single clearest thing we do for the money, because it comes straight off your cost per lead.
Where it fits alongside everything else
For most home service businesses, Local Services Ads work best as one part of a set rather than the whole strategy. They capture the people ready to book now. Google Ads catches the searches they do not cover, including the ones where someone is comparing rather than buying. Your Google Business Profile does the work when people search your name or look at the map. Run separately by different people, these three compete with each other and you pay twice for the same customer. Run together, they do not.
There are also businesses for which this is genuinely the better single bet. Several of the repair businesses we have worked with get a better cost per booked job here than from Search, and in that case the honest advice is to put the budget where it works and keep Google Ads small.
What it costs
Local Services Ads management is included in the Scale plan at $1,200/month, alongside Google and Meta Ads, or can be run as a standalone engagement from $500/month depending on the number of service areas and technicians. Your lead spend goes directly to Google and we never take a percentage of it. Across three appliance repair clients we onboarded, the accounts produced between 29 and 41 leads in their first month; your own numbers will depend on category, competition and how many reviews you are starting with.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Local Services Ads and Google Ads?
Local Services Ads charge per lead and appear above regular search ads with the Google Guaranteed badge. Google Ads charge per click and give you far more control over keywords, ad copy and targeting. Most home service businesses do best running both, with Local Services Ads capturing ready-to-book demand and Search covering everything else.
How long does Google Guaranteed verification take?
Usually two to six weeks from the day complete documentation is submitted, though it varies by category and province and can run longer. The most common cause of delay is a mismatch between your business name and your registration, or an insurance certificate that does not meet Google’s coverage requirements. We check both before submitting.
What does a lead cost?
It varies by trade and city. In most Canadian markets home service leads run somewhere between $15 and $70 each, with plumbing and HVAC at the higher end and cleaning at the lower. You set a weekly budget and Google charges per lead against it. We will give you a realistic range for your specific category during the audit.
Can I get a refund for bad leads?
Yes. Google refunds leads that are spam, wrong numbers, outside your service area or for services you do not offer, but you have to dispute each one within the window. We do this weekly as part of the service, because unclaimed refunds are one of the most common ways businesses quietly overpay.
Which trades can use Local Services Ads in Canada?
The eligible list includes appliance repair, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, cleaning, locksmiths, pest control, garage door services, window services and several more, and Google adds categories over time. Some professional services such as law and real estate are also eligible in certain markets. If you are not sure whether you qualify, ask us and we will check.
Do reviews affect my ranking?
Significantly. Review count, average rating and how recent your reviews are all feed into how often you appear and how high. Responsiveness matters too, because Google tracks whether you answer the calls you are charged for. A business that misses half its calls will see its visibility fall regardless of budget.
Do I need a Google Business Profile as well?
Yes, and it should be verified and complete. Local Services Ads, your Business Profile and your Google Ads campaigns all draw on the same signals about who you are and where you work. Inconsistencies between them, such as a different phone number or a different service area, cost you visibility across all three.