Title: What Are Google Local Services Ads? | Keres AI URL: https://www.keresai.com/glossary/local-services-ads Updated: 2026-10-12 Description: Local Services Ads are Google ads for service businesses that charge per lead, not per click. How they work, how Google ranks them, and what they cost. Source: https://www.keresai.com/glossary/local-services-ads (HTML). This is a Markdown copy of the page's main content for AI agents and LLM tools. --- # What are Local Services Ads? Local Services Ads are Google ads for local service businesses that often appear at the top of results for searches like “plumber near me.” Businesses pass Google’s screening and pay for leads, such as calls and messages, rather than clicks. Approved businesses show a Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge. ## How do Local Services Ads work? 1. **Check eligibility.** Local Services Ads are offered for specific service categories and locations, which Google lists. 2. **Pass screening.** Depending on the category, Google’s checks can include business registration, licenses, insurance and background checks. 3. **Set up the ad:** services, service area, hours and a weekly budget. 4. **Receive leads.** Customers call or message from the ad, and you pay for leads, not clicks or impressions. 5. **Answer and earn reviews.** Google lists responsiveness to customer inquiries and your reviews among the factors it uses to rank these ads. ## How does Google rank Local Services Ads? Google’s Local Services help pages list the factors it uses, including your proximity to the customer, your review score and number of reviews, how responsive you are to customer inquiries, your business hours, and serious or repeated complaints about your business. Two of those are things a business controls day to day: answering every lead, and asking every customer for a review. ## Local Services Ads vs Google Search ads Standard Google Search ads charge per click, rank on bids and ad quality, and let you write the ad and choose keywords. Local Services Ads charge per lead, use a fixed format showing your rating and badge, and Google decides which searches they appear on from your service categories and area. They reward operational basics, answering and reviews, more than ad copy. Keres AI does not manage standard Google Search ads; that work is referred out. ## What do Local Services Ads cost? You set a weekly budget and pay per lead. Lead cost varies by service category and location, so there is no single price; Google shows an estimate during setup. The Local Services Ads add-on to Found is quoted with the plan. Found starts from $249 a month ($499 for law firms), month-to-month. See [pricing](https://www.keresai.com/pricing). ## How does Keres AI’s Found handle it? Local Services Ads setup and response is an add-on to [Found](https://www.keresai.com/services/found): verification, listing, and answering. [Remi](https://www.keresai.com/agents/inbound), Keres AI’s AI receptionist, answers each lead’s call in two rings, 24/7, asks your intake questions and books into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan. Found also sends a review request after every job and manages your [Google Business Profile](https://www.keresai.com/google-business-profile-management), which covers the review side of the ranking factors. See the service behind this concept ### Want to see Local Services Ads working in practice? See how Keres puts it to work for your vertical and workflow. ### [Google Business Profile](https://www.keresai.com/glossary/google-business-profile) A Google Business Profile is the free listing Google shows for a local business in Search and Maps. It holds your name, … ### [Review Generation](https://www.keresai.com/glossary/review-generation) Review generation is the routine of asking every customer for an online review after the job, usually by text or email w… ### [Map Pack (Local Pack)](https://www.keresai.com/glossary/map-pack) The map pack, also called the local pack, is the map and short list of businesses, usually three, that Google shows near… ### [Lead Response Time](https://www.keresai.com/glossary/lead-response-time) Lead response time (also called speed to lead) is the time between a prospect first reaching out — calling, submitting a… [← Back to the full glossary](https://www.keresai.com/glossary) ## Local Services Ads — FAQ ### How much do Local Services Ads cost? You set a weekly budget and pay per lead rather than per click. Lead cost varies by service category and location, so check the estimate Google shows for your business during setup. ### How does Google rank Local Services Ads? Google lists factors including your proximity to the customer, your review score and number of reviews, how responsive you are to customer inquiries, your business hours, and serious or repeated complaints. ### What is the difference between Google Guaranteed and Google Screened? Both are badges for businesses that pass Google’s checks. Google Guaranteed is used for home-service categories; Google Screened is used for professional services such as law firms. ### Does Keres AI manage Local Services Ads? Yes, as an add-on to Found: verification, listing, and answering every lead in two rings with Remi. Keres AI does not manage standard Google Search ads. Last updated October 12, 2026 · [Reviewed by the Keres AI team](https://www.keresai.com/editorial-policy)