Google Local Services Ads for Plumbers, Explained

Google is constantly adding, removing, and testing new search result features to connect businesses with local buyers. One of their most successful programs of late: Local Services Ads for plumbers.

Local Services represents one more evolution of the dominant advertising channel that to this day makes the majority of Google’s revenue: paid advertising. They also represent a vital and key part of plumber digital marketing.

What Are Local Services Ads?

Unlike Google Ads, a plumber pay per click advertising strategy, Local Services is a pay per lead platform, not pay per click (PPC), and as such, it’s a separate platform from Google Ads. Google owns both platforms.

You’ve probably already seen these ads yourself. They look like this:

When investing in PPC, you’re paying Google to send traffic to your website.

When investing in Local Services ads, you’re paying Google for verified leads.

Local Services directs those potential customers to call your business without ever leaving the search engine results page. They never go to your website and instead see key snippets of information that will inform their buying decision. These snippets can include, but are not limited to your:

• Phone number
• Hours of operation
• Service area
• Customer reviews

We don’t Google Ads and Local Services as an “either/or” option when it comes to your marketing strategy, but rather as complementary and different tools in your toolbox, like SEO for plumbers, that you can use to reach different audiences.

If you’re not investing in Local Services ads for plumbers, you’re missing out on qualified leads and sales to your competitors, guaranteed.

Keep reading to learn more about how plumbers across the U.S. are increasing leads and sales via Local Services ads, or, watch the webinar below for more details:

How Plumbing Companies Benefit from Local Services Ads

• Google Guaranteed – As part of the rollout for Local Services ads, Google introduced the Google Guaranteed badge for plumbers, which gives potential customers much more confidence when moving forward with making a buying decision.
• High visibility on search engines – Local Services show as the top result in both desktop and mobile search. On smartphones and other mobile devices, they practically dominate the entire screen when you first search, before you start scrolling, making Local Services the most sought after real estate for plumbers on Google to increase leads and sales.
• Affordable leads – In most U.S. markets, Local Services ads are more affordable than pay per click (PPC) advertising (more on how much Local Services ads cost later).
• Verified leads – As a plumber, you only pay Google for leads from the Local Services platform if the customer calls you and is a verified lead. For whatever reason the lead is unqualified, you have the ability to dispute the lead fee with Google and get your money back. This allows you to optimize your advertising spend and increase ROI from your digital marketing campaigns.

How Local Services Ads for Plumbers Work

Whenever a homeowner searches for plumbing services in your area, the first thing they’re going to see in Google’s results are Local Services ads.

Local Services ads feature your very own business profile, complete with your company name, aggregate review rating, phone number, and hours of operation.

Once a user selects your company’s Local Services profile, they’re taken to a page that has key information that Google knows consumers need to make a decision:

• Company overview – This will be a list of all the plumbing services your company offers, your service area, what makes you special (your differentiators), and hours of operation. If you are a home service company that offers HVAC or electrical services (or any other home improvement service available via Local Services) you can also advertise these on your profile.
• Business Bio – Here you might mention some of the things you are proud of – maybe you are “family-owned” or “veteran-owned.” Perhaps you might list the number of years you’ve been in business. You might even list discounts you have readily available.
• Reviews – Reviews have the ability to make or break a customer’s decision to hire your plumbing company. You’ll want to generate as many 5-star reviews on your Local Services profile as possible to showcase your great work to other prospective customers engaging with your Local Services profile.
• Google Guaranteed Badge – Google is proud of their brand and you’ll see a Google Guaranteed badge appear twice on the Local Services Ads business profile, along with the brief explanation for customers that don’t know what that means: “This business has passed Google’s plumber screening and verification process.”

Why Should Plumbers Advertise on Local Services?

As we noted above, this should not be the only type of advertising that plumbers do for their businesses, but it is a relatively new and already successful tool that plumbers are using to gain market share.

How Much do Plumbing Leads Cost from Local Services Ads?

Again, you are not paying simply for exposure. You are paying per lead, and those leads are affordable as well, ranging from $9 to $35 per lead.

While results can vary, we’ve seen some Blue Corona clients do as well as 24:1 return from their Local Services ad budget! That’s like handing someone $1 and having them hand you back $24. Even results that were half as good as that would be something worth exploring!

The leads themselves are verified. If it turns out that the lead is from a pre-existing client or was some accidental call, you can notify Google and get your money back.

You’ll get that good-looking Google Guaranteed Badge next to your business and garner customer trust from the get-go.

You’ll also be included in organic search results for voice searches on Google devices, like Google Home, Android smartphones, etc. when you invest in Local Services ads for plumbers.

How Plumbers Can Sign Up (and Get the Google Guaranteed Badge) for Local Services Ads

Okay, you’ve heard the what and the how of Local Services Ads for plumbers, how do you sign up?

1. You apply for the program. Local Services ads are available nationwide.
2. The “due diligence” part starts for Google. They are going to want copies of your business license(s), business insurance, as well as new employee background checks for company owners and any plumbers entering customers’ homes. It’s key to note here that the background check needs to be done for the business owner and every person on your team that is going out into the field. If even one of your plumbers does not get the background check done, or fails it, you cannot earn the Google Guaranteed badge. These background checks will take a fair amount of time, anywhere between 2-6 weeks.
3. While Google is doing their due diligence, you should be setting up your Local Services profile. In the section above we talked about how Local Services ads work and what’s inside them, now it’s your turn to do the same:
   1. Create your company profile, with basics like telephone number, opening hours, and service area(s).
   2. Add an overview – What are the types of services you offer.
   3. Company bio – What are some unique differentiators about your company.
   4. Reviews – If you’ve already been generating reviews on your Google My Business profile, these will show up on your Local Services profile as well.

Local Services Ads for Plumbers: Start Increasing Leads & Reducing Marketing Costs Today

Still have more questions? Don’t worry, we took the time to put together an entire webinar about Local Services ads which you can watch on-demand here.

Contact us online to learn more about Local Services ads for plumbers and be sure to ask us about our Local Services ads management services!