What Are Local Service Ads?
Local Service Ads, also known as LSA, are a type of ad that, when displayed, appears at the top of Google’s Local search results and above traditional PPC Ads.
LSA can also be shown in Google’s Local 3-pack search results; if present, it shows as the first result of 4.
LSA has a green check mark next.
All local search ads say Google Verified, Google Guaranteed, or Google Screened.
Local Service Ad Example
What types of businesses can run LSA?
Local service ads (LSA) are not available in every industry. Currently, they cover 70 types of small businesses.
What LSA categories are available for lawyers and law firms?
Here are the legal categories for LSA as of 09/01/2024:
- Bankruptcy Law
- Business Law
- Contract Law
- Criminal Law
- DUI Law
- Estate Law
- Family Law
- Immigration Law
- IP Law
- Labor Law
- Litigation Law
- Malpractice Law
- Personal Injury Law
- Real Estate Law
- Tax Law
- Traffic Law
How is LSA different from PPC?
LSA – Local Service Ads do not drive traffic to your website; they drive action via a phone call or form fill.
With Local Service Ads, you pay for advertising that drives a contact to your law firm. The difference is that you are not paying for clicks without conversion but only for phone calls and form files.
PPC – With traditional PPC for lawyers, you pay for clicks on your ad that appears in Google’s search engine results. These clicks do not guarantee a phone call or a contact form submission.
PPC clicks are sent to your website, either to a landing page or an organic page.
With PPC, you pay for all clicks to your ads regardless of whether there was a call, form fill, or conversion.
Google’s LSA requirements for lawyers and law firms
LSA requires that you have a validated Google Business Profile and at least three reviews of your law firm.
Google requires lawyers to upload a headshot. The lawyer’s headshot is shown next to the ad.
The firm must be vetted by Google, which means the firm must provide:
- Your Bar #
- 3rd party criminal background check (requires your social security number)
- Proof of liability and malpractice insurance.
- Validated Google Business Profile (GBP)
- 3+ GBP reviews (to start receiving clicks)
- A headshot of the applying lawyer (required).
What are the benefits of LSA for lawyers?
Law firms receive a great return on investment as the advertising they are spending will only provide a call or contact form fill, vs. traditional PPC, which does not guarantee contact with a prospect!
Local Service Ads have the highest visibility on Google’s local search engine result pages:
- LSA appears above traditional PPC Ads
- LSA can appear in Google’s Local 3-Pack and, if present, is above all the Google Map Pack results.
- Local service ads are not limited to the town where your law firm’s office is located; this allows your firm to expand your local visibility to towns and cities near your office, the county where your practice is located, or even the state if you only have one location!
- LSA works well alongside Call-only ads.
Local Service Ad Strategy
- Ensure you have selected all the correct LSA categories for your firm.
- Expand your LSA ads to the county where your law firm office is located to expand your local visibility.
- Max out your bid by week or month when possible.
- Only run ads during business hours when you can answer calls.
- Turn off local service ads when you are on vacation or can’t receive or respond to calls or complete form submissions.
- Ensure you interact with the LSA dashboard promptly after speaking with prospective clients.
Ensure you tell Google with each LSA Ad:
- If you spoke with the prospect
- Did you sign the prospect up as a client or not
- Was the prospect a good or bad lead?
When you follow the above strategy, Google will increase the number of impressions your law firm’s local service ads have. To do so, you must promptly engage in Google’s LSA dashboard. This can increase your local service Ad impressions.
Google wants to only send leads to attorneys who engage with their leads.
Google will punish attorneys’ local service ads by decreasing impressions when the attorneys do not engage with the LSA dashboard promptly.
Companion LSA Podcast Episode
Check out the companion podcast episode: Local Service Ad Strategies with Mike Goldstein.
