Local Service Ads, or LSAs, used to be treated like an optional alternative to traditional Google Ads, but in the last few years they’ve become a crucial tool for local search engine marketing. If you’re not familiar with LSAs, it’s time to catch up – here are some fundamentals to learn so you have a basic understanding of the role this type of ad can play in your marketing plan.
What LSAs Are
LSAs are like online business cards that allow your customers to find and communicate directly with you. They are, first and foremost, paid ads for your business that are charged based on recorded phone calls (lasting a minimum of two minutes) or amount of messages that get sent through (messaging is an optional feature) via the ad. LSAs are particularly useful for professional service providers such as chiropractors, medical providers, lawyers, and contractors to connect with their prospective clients. When potential clients search for the specific type of services a professional offers on Google, their business will appear at the top of the Google search engine result page (SERP).
What LSAs Include
LSAs can appear on desktop or mobile devices – though they’re more targeted towards mobile – and usually includes:
- A headshot of the professional
- How many years they’ve been in business
- Link to the website
- Ratings from past clients
When creating an LSA, you must choose whether you require the leads to be more specific, or if you’re open to broader inquiries. If you choose to only take more specific leads, you may dispute messages and calls that don’t fall into the categories you pre-select.
Where LSAs Appear
LSAs can show up on all kinds of SERPs (including Google’s AI Search Generative Experience). However, since the main call-to-action of LSAs is “call,” they are more focused on mobile. Three ads are presented to users on both mobile and desktop. At the bottom of the ad unit, the user can click or tap to view additional business ads. How many ads are in a given market in any specific category depends on the number of businesses in that market category. LSAs are currently only available in a handful of countries, including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. When LSAs first became available, there was a deluge of entries and a long wait to get onboarded. Nowadays, most local verticals are accepted and it’s a pretty straightforward process.
How Your Small Business Can Benefit From LSAs
LSAs offer a range of benefits for local businesses. Below are some key advantages of LSAs for your local business:
- They’re more cost-effective than traditional paid search
- They boost your local SEO efforts
- You only pay for each real lead that comes your way
Contact Us Today
LSAs can be a great way to advertise your local business and connect with prospective clients. If you’re looking for cost-effective digital marketing services so you can focus your precious time building your business, call Affordable Digital Marketing today!