Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) are a great way for home services businesses to promote their business in the digital marketing world. With Google's new ad service for local services, tradesmen can now connect with customers in their area and get more visibility on Google search and Maps.
But, as with any form of digital marketing, it's important to know how to optimize your LSAs for maximum effectiveness. In this article, we will explore some of the best practices for optimizing your LSAs and making sure your business gets seen by potential customers.
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If you need help optimising your local service ads, book a free session with us today:
What are Google Local Services Ads?
Google LSAs are a form of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, which means that you will only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This is great for businesses looking to get more visibility without spending too much money. The ads appear as a box at the top of Google search results and Maps, so you know they'll be seen by potential customers.
Types of LSA Google Local Services Ads
Yes, there are primarily two types of Google Local Services Ads which are:
Google Screened
Google Guaranteed
What are Google Screened Ads?
As seen from the video below, Google Screened is a verification service that verifies professionals like:
Financial planners
Realters
Tax specialists and more
(A note that this these ads are subject to certain countries)
What is Google Guaranteed Ads?
Unlike the Google Screen Ads above, Google Guaranteed ads are primarily focused on tradesmen in the service industry such as:
Plumbers
Electricians
Painters
HVAC technicians and more. (Again, these ads are subject to certain countries)
How to Set Up Your Google Local Service Ads
Setting up your Google Guaranteed Ads is relatively straightforward. You will need to make sure that you are eligible for the service, and then submit and verify your business information.
Here's a quick overview of how to create your Google Local Service Ads:
Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements for Google Guaranteed Ads.
Set up an account with either Google Ads or Waze Local.
Complete all the necessary verification checks, such as providing proof of business license and insurance.
Set up your ad campaigns and start targeting customers in your area.
Monitor and adjust your campaigns as needed to stay within budget and maximize conversions.
How to Optimize Google Local Service Ads In Your Account
When it comes to optimizing your Google Guaranteed Ads, there are a few things you can do to ensure that they perform as efficiently as possible:
Make sure that you add relevant photos to your ad campaigns. This will give potential customers a better idea of what your services look like, and create a sense of trust between you and them.
Make sure that you use the right photo dimensions specified by Google which you can click here to learn more as they can vary as you add logos, project photos, teams and more.
We encourage clients to include a watermark with all their images to protect their images from unauthorized use by competitors, so make sure you have a general watermark and logo. See an example of how we added one for one of our clients.
Add a creative cover to help attract users to your brand, it's one of the first things potential customers will see.
Unlike Google Ads where you can change the ad copies at any time, we recommend you call the Google Guaranteed Ads to change the title of your ads account (the ad that will show) to something attractive which will draw potential customers to click on your ad.
One of the biggest ranking factors for Google Local Service Ads is reviews so make sure you link an existing Google My Business account (Google Business Profile) that has Google reviews so you have some reviews to start off with. Additionally, you should have a process for asking customers to leave positive reviews about their experiences and include them in your marketing strategies.
Make sure you highlight the right link for the reviews to go to the right local service ads account.
Regarding your phone number and the region you selected, make sure to include the same phone number you used for your Google Local Services Ads account. Also, make sure the area you selected in the local services account is also the same area you are targeting in your ads.
Regarding the area you selected, try to narrow the area against your budget as much as possible in order to rank higher and get the best return for your investment.
Finally, monitor your campaigns closely. You'll need to adjust bids, ad copies and budgets as needed on an ongoing basis to ensure that you're getting the best possible return on investment for your advertising dollars.
Should I turn off or temporarily turn off my Google Local Service Ads?
This is a good question and we tell every client NOT to turn off their Google Local Service Ads. As seen below, you can temporarily turn off the ads on your desktop or on the official app you can download for free.
Just like a Google Ads campaign, if you turn off your Google Local Service Ads completely, you will be ranked lower the next time you turn them back on. This is because Google needs to relearn your ads performance and relearn the algorithms related to it.
Therefore, instead of deleting your Local Service Ads, you can pause them and set a budget limit. This will help ensure that your account isn’t wasting money while it is paused and that you can resume your campaigns quickly when ready.
Conclusion
Google Local Service Ads can be a powerful tool to reach potential customers in your local area. However, it's important to optimize your campaigns for success.
This includes setting up a local services account, narrowing your target area to the best possible fit for your budget, monitoring campaigns closely and avoiding turning off or deleting your campaigns. With these steps in mind, you can maximize your return on investment with Google Local Service Ads.
To learn more about how to optimize Google Local Service Ads, contact us as we can help you get the most out of your campaigns. We will work with you to set up ad copies, budgets and other tactics as needed on an ongoing basis to ensure that you're getting the best possible return on investment for your advertising dollars.
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