Search for a plumber, electrician or roofer on Google and the very top of the page often shows a row of companies with a green check badge. Those are Local Services Ads. Below them, usually, are regular ads, then the map with three companies, then the regular results. Each of those spots is earned differently.
How Local Services Ads work
- You pay per lead, a call or message, not per click.
- You have to pass Google’s screening. Depending on your trade and location, that includes background checks and license and insurance verification, and earns the badge.
- Ranking depends on your distance to the customer, your reviews and rating, how quickly you respond, and your business hours, among other things.
- Invalid leads can be credited. Leads for a service you don’t offer or outside your area can be credited back; check Google’s current rules for what qualifies.
How SEO works for contractors
“SEO” for a local contractor mostly means two things: the map pack, driven by your Google Business Profile, reviews and proximity, and the regular results, driven by your website having a good page for what someone searched.
Side by side
| Local Services Ads | SEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Days to weeks, after screening | Months |
| Cost | Per lead, ongoing | Your website, your time, maybe help |
| When you stop paying | Leads stop | Rankings fade slowly, if at all |
| Control | Google sets the rules and prices | You own the site |
What they share
Reviews power both. A shop with steady, recent Google reviews tends to do better in Local Services Ads and in the map pack. Answering the phone helps both, too. So does a website that turns a curious click into a call: if a homeowner sees your ad, then checks your website before calling, the site has to hold up.
How do you improve your Local Services Ads ranking?
- Collect steady, recent Google reviews.
- Answer calls and messages quickly; responsiveness is part of how ads are ranked.
- Keep your business hours accurate, including weekends you actually work.
- Choose only the job types you want, so the leads you pay for are the right ones.
- Mark leads as booked or not in your account, and review invalid leads.
What does good contractor SEO look like?
For a local trade business, SEO comes down to a few things done well: a complete Google Business Profile with the right primary category, steady reviews, a fast website with a page for each service and main town, consistent business details across the web, and pages that answer the questions homeowners search. None of it is a trick. It’s being the clearest, most trustworthy answer for the jobs you want.
Which should a new contractor start with?
If you need calls this month, Local Services Ads can be a good start once you pass screening, provided you answer fast and track cost per booked job. Start the long-term work at the same time: claim your profile, ask every customer for a review, and get a website with real service pages. Within a year, the organic side should be carrying more of the load.