Short answer: Google Local Services Ads put a local service business at the top of Google Search and on Google Maps. You pay for each valid lead (a call, a message or a booking), not for clicks. Before the ad runs, Google screens the business. A business that passes now gets one badge, Google Verified, which replaced Google Guaranteed and Google Screened.
Two other things changed, and many guides still describe the old version: the money-back guarantee behind Google Guaranteed has ended, and the ads are moving into Google Ads.
What Local Services Ads are
When someone searches for a service you offer in an area you chose, such as “plumber Miami”, Google can show a block of Local Services listings. Google describes their spot as the top of the results, above the regular search ads and the organic results. The customer taps your listing to call you, send a message or, in some categories, book a time.
Each of those contacts is a lead, and the lead is what you pay for.
They work differently from the search ads most people know as Google Ads:
| Difference | Local Services Ads | Search ads |
|---|---|---|
| You pay for | A valid lead | A click |
| What triggers the ad | Your service categories, job types and service areas | The keywords you choose |
| Who can run them | Eligible categories, after Google screens the business | Any business |
| Where they show | Google Search and Google Maps | Google Search, or other Google networks with other campaign types |
You don’t write ad copy. Google builds the ad from your profile: business name, a tracking phone number that forwards to yours, your city or service area, hours, star rating, number of reviews, photos and the badge. You don’t need a website either: Google lists an eligible business type, the information it needs to screen you, and a minimum number of reviews for some services.
Sources: Local Services Help on getting started, the ad overview and reaching customers; Google Ads Help on the move to Performance Max; Google’s Local Services Ads pages. Read October 25, 2026.
Guaranteed and Screened are now Google Verified
There used to be two main badges. Google Guaranteed marked service providers such as electricians and plumbers that Google had screened, and came with a money-back guarantee for the customer. Google Screened marked professionals who had passed Google’s business checks.
Google has now replaced them with a single badge, Google Verified, in every category where a badge is offered.
- If you already advertise. You don’t have to do anything. Advertisers who completed their checks got the new badge automatically, and their ads kept running.
- If you’re new. You get the badge once you complete every screening and verification requirement for your category.
- What customers see. The badge appears on your Local Services profile, next to your business name or your featured professionals, with the specific checks you passed listed below it.
- Your ranking. Google says the switch doesn’t change how ads are ranked.
The guarantee itself ended. Google discontinued the Money Back Guarantee tied to Google Guaranteed: customers could only claim for services booked through Local Services Ads before December 7, 2025, and within 30 days of the job being completed.
The badge isn’t offered everywhere. Google’s getting-started page says it’s unavailable in the auto, beauty and dining categories, while its requirements page names only dining. Some of Google’s marketing articles still mention Google Guarantee, Google Screened and License Verified; the help center is the more recent source.
Sources: Local Services Help on the Google Verified badge, the Google Screened definition and getting started; Google’s articles on the Google Guarantee and on growing with Local Services Ads. Read October 25, 2026.
Who can run them, and in Miami
Only some service categories can advertise. Google groups them into home services, such as plumbers, electricians, HVAC, locksmiths, roofers, cleaners and movers. The other groups are business and legal services, health care, learning, care, wellness, beauty and automotive, plus restaurants and coffee shops as a pilot in some regions.
Several categories open only in California and Florida, which includes Miami. Google’s list marks these with “California and Florida only”:
- Architect, interior designer and insurance agency.
- Drain expert and home insulation.
- Hair salon, barber shop, nail salon and hair removal.
- Tattoo studio, piercing studio and tire shop.
To see if the ads run for your trade in your ZIP code, use Google’s eligibility tool at the start of sign-up. It asks for your state, ZIP code and job category and tells you if Local Services Ads are available there. Run it with your own details before you collect any documents.
Sources: Local Services Help on Local Services providers, getting started and screening requirements; Google’s Local Services Ads page. Read October 25, 2026.
How to sign up and get verified
The steps on Google’s sign-up page:
- Tell Google about the business. Name, service type, location, hours, the areas you serve and the jobs you do. If you start from your Business Profile, select the Advertise icon on it. Google then takes the name, address and location type from the profile, and you change those only there.
- Set a budget. An average weekly budget and a bid mode, both explained in the next section.
- Complete screening and verification. In your account, the menu item is Business Verification. What it asks for depends on your category and state.
- Go live. The ad goes live with a call or message button. Google suggests turning on message leads and adding photos.
The checks Google can ask for in the US:
- A verified Business Profile. It has to be public and verified, and the person doing the checks must be an owner or manager of it. If you don’t have one yet, start with our guide to adding your business to Google Maps. Our guide on verifying a Business Profile covers that part, and the one on managers and owners covers asking for access.
- Background checks. For the business and every owner and, in some categories, every field worker who serves customers. A partner company runs them. They’re free and include no credit check.
- Business registration. Google uses your D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet, with the same name and address as your Business Profile. Getting a new one can take up to 30 days. Without it, Google accepts a Secretary of State registration, an EIN from the IRS or a Department of Revenue registration.
- Business representative check. A government photo ID from the person setting up the account, whose name must match your documents exactly.
- Insurance. A certificate of insurance with a policy number and the name you advertise under, valid for at least 14 days after you upload it. The minimum amount depends on category and location.
- Licenses. Google checks state licenses against state databases and shows the ones it verified on your profile.
- Reviews. Some categories need a minimum before the ad shows. Google recommends at least 5.
Google treats five trades as urgent, because people call them in a hurry: electricians, garage door services, HVAC, locksmiths and plumbers. For plumbers, Google’s example is a hot water outage; for locksmiths, being locked out. Plumbers and locksmiths also get background checks on their technicians, and locksmiths go through Advanced Verification, which can include video interviews with Google.
On average, screening takes 3 to 4 weeks after you submit your documents. Some businesses qualify for accelerated verification and get the badge quickly, then have 14 days to finish the remaining steps. If a background check fails, you can reapply after 30 days, and after a second denial you wait 180 days each time.
While you finish, many categories can run pre-badge ads once the first checks pass: they bring leads but show below providers that have the badge. Garage door services, health care and locksmiths can’t use them.
Sources: Local Services Help on the screening process, screening requirements, uploading documents, Business Profile details and getting started; Google’s Local Services Ads page. Read October 25, 2026.
What a lead costs
Google doesn’t publish a price per lead. Its help says lead prices vary with your location, the job type, the type of lead and your bid mode, and that message leads usually cost less than calls. The sign-up page offers a budget calculator. Google does publish how it charges.
The budget. You set an average weekly budget. Some weeks you spend more, some less, but never more than the monthly maximum: your weekly budget × 30.4 ÷ 7. A $100.00 weekly budget caps the month at about $434.29. Reach the cap and the ad stops until the next month, unless you raise the budget. You can change it as often as you like.
The bid. Three modes:
- Maximize leads. Google sets the bid to get the most leads for your budget. Google recommends it, with a budget of at least 10 leads a week.
- Target cost per lead. Automated, around an average you pick or one Google suggests.
- Max per lead. A manual ceiling on what you pay. It disappears when your account moves to Google Ads.
What counts as a lead. A call you answer or return, a message, a voicemail or a booking request. A missed call during your business hours counts if the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds. With a phone menu, the 20 seconds start after the caller’s first key press.
Your business hours are the ones on your Business Profile, so keep them right: our guide on business hours on Google covers holidays too. Once a lead is charged, you aren’t charged again when the same customer gets back in touch from the same number or email within 15 days of your last contact.
Credits. Google filters spam and duplicate contacts before it charges. It then keeps reviewing charged leads for 30 days and credits the ones it judges invalid or low quality, usually within 30 days. You can rate any lead with Rate this lead. Google no longer credits leads for a job type or an area you don’t serve, so keep those settings tight. Health care and tax specialists get no lead credits.
To compare with search ads, our article on what Google Ads costs in Miami covers prices per click by trade.
Sources: Local Services Help on how leads work, lead credits, bidding and budgets; Google Ads Help on the move to Performance Max; Google’s Local Services Ads page. Read October 25, 2026.
What moves your ad up
An auction orders the listings, weighing your bid and the quality of your profile. Google names these factors:
- Your bid. The most you’re willing to pay for a lead; you may pay less.
- Your chance of getting the lead. Above all, how you respond: missed calls hurt. The search itself counts too: the job, the time, the place and how well your services and bio match.
- Profile quality. Your rating, number of reviews, average response time, good photos and the checks you completed. Google says better profiles can rank higher and pay less per lead.
Hours matter as well. Outside your business hours, or if you mark yourself as not taking customers, the ad doesn’t show in searches with a badge. Google’s marketing article adds distance to the customer to the list. Serious or repeated negative feedback from customers can push you down or hide you.
Your reviews are your Business Profile reviews: the ad shows them and you manage them in the profile, not in the ad account. Our guides on getting more Google reviews and replying to reviews apply directly, and the Google Maps ranking checklist covers the rest of the profile.
Sources: Local Services Help on ad rankings, performance, reviews, why ads don’t run and how providers qualify; Google’s article on growing with Local Services Ads. Read October 25, 2026.
The move into Google Ads
Google is moving Local Services Ads into the main Google Ads platform, as a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals. The ads look and work the same for customers: still only on Search and Maps, still paid per lead, still without keywords. The change is where you manage them.
- When. August 2026 for selected US home and storefront services, including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, pest control and moving. Late 2026 for more groups, such as service-area businesses. 2027 for everyone else.
- Notice. The account administrator gets an email 14 days before the date, then a reminder.
- What carries over. Settings, photos, past leads and the Google Verified badge. Insurance and license reverification are no longer required. Old performance reports don’t move, so save them first.
- What changes. The weekly budget becomes a daily one (weekly ÷ 7), with the month still capped at the daily budget × 30.4. Manual bidding goes away.
- Business details. Name, address and hours come from your Business Profile once a day. A big change to the name, address or primary category triggers a review that usually takes 24 to 48 hours and can pause the campaign. Our guide on changing your business name on Google explains that side.
New advertisers still start at g.co/localservices: Google says you can’t create these campaigns inside Google Ads yet.
RememberLocal Services Ads charge per lead, not per click, and only run after Google screens your business. Google Guaranteed and Google Screened are now one badge, Google Verified, and the money-back guarantee has ended. Your Business Profile and its reviews feed the ad, and how fast you answer affects where it shows.
Before you sign up, check:
- Google’s eligibility tool shows your category in your ZIP code.
- Your Business Profile is verified and you’re an owner or manager.
- You have your D-U-N-S number, or a registration document or EIN instead.
- Your insurance certificate shows the advertised name and a policy number.
- Your state licenses are current.
- Someone can answer calls during the hours on your profile.
Source: Google Ads Help on the move to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals. Read October 25, 2026.
Quick answers
Is Google Guaranteed still available?
Not as a separate badge. Google now gives one badge, Google Verified, to every advertiser that completes its checks, and businesses that had Google Guaranteed moved to it automatically. The money-back guarantee also ended: it only covered services booked through Local Services Ads before December 7, 2025, claimed within 30 days of the job.
Do I pay if I miss a call from my ad?
Sometimes. A missed call during your business hours becomes a charged lead if the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds. If your phone menu asks callers to press a key and they hang up first, there’s no charge. Missed calls also hurt your ranking, so plan who picks up during your hours.
Can I run Local Services Ads and search ads at the same time?
Yes. Google describes them as complementary: search ads give more control over keywords and copy, while Local Services Ads are simpler and charge per lead. Billing for both goes through Google Ads. If your search campaigns stop getting traffic, Google says to troubleshoot them separately from your Local Services campaign.
Can I share or pass on leads to another company?
No. Google’s policy for these ads bans selling or passing leads to other businesses. Only you or your company’s vetted technicians may do the work, and customers should see the same business name in your messages as in the ad. Call centers that reroute requests to companies not shown in the ad aren’t allowed.
Can I pause the ads when I’m too busy?
Yes. Google lets you pause your ad when you can’t take new leads and turn it back on later. In the Local Services account the switch is on the ad itself. After your account moves to Google Ads, you pause the campaign from its settings and set it to enabled again when you want leads.
Comparing Local Services Ads with search ads?
Our Google Ads page shows what our plans include and cost. Miami businesses have their own page, Google Ads in Miami, with a section on how Local Services Ads fit next to search campaigns.
Sources
- “Getting started with Local Services Ads”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “About Google Verified badge”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Google Screened: Definition”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “About Local Services”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Understand the screening and verification process”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Business screening and verification requirements”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Uploading license or insurance documents”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Manage your business details between Google Business Profile and Google Local Services Ads”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Local Services Ads overview”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “About reaching customers with your Local Services Ads”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “How leads work”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “About Automated Local Services Ads lead credits”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “How bidding works for Local Services Ads”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “How to edit your budget”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “About ad rankings”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Improve your Local Services Ads performance”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Why aren’t my Local Services Ads running?”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “How providers qualify for Local Services Ads”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Reviews and Ratings on Local Services Ads”, Local Services Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals”, Google Ads Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Local Services Ads requirements”, Advertising Policies Help, read October 25, 2026.
- “Reach Local Customers with Local Service Ads”, Google Ads, read October 25, 2026.
- “How to build trust online with the Google Guarantee”, Google Ads, read October 25, 2026.
- “How to grow your business with Local Services Ads”, Google Ads, read October 25, 2026.