Are Google’s Local Service ads coming to the UK?
At the end of last year Google rebranded its Home Services ad program and expanded it to 30 US cities, and rumour has it Local Service ads will be coming to the UK soon.
In Short, Local Services ads allow small business and local tradesmen to advertise their business on Google and receive leads directly from potential customers for a fee. These come in the form of phone calls and messages sent through the adverts. They then allow the business or tradesman to reply, track bookings and manage their leads online or via an app.
Where will you see these ads?
The Local Services ads appear at the top of Google search results when a user is searching for a local tradesman or service provider. Categories currently available in the US include locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, HVAC and garage door services, and in some areas additional options such as handyman and house cleaning services are on offer.
How the Ads work for Businesses
After signing up for the Local Service ads, you will need to enter some information about your business. Like a Google My Business listing, this includes your business hours, phone number and location. The ad will show a preview of your business profile. When users click on your ad, they’ll see your profile and the reviews you have received from Google My Business and on the platform.
What sets Local Service Ads apart from AdWords, is that instead of auction-based bidding, leads are priced for each job type. This is decided by Google and is based on the cost of the job and the demand for it in that area. The price per lead is provided upfront when signing up for the service, allowing businesses to set a weekly budget according to the number of leads they would like to receive.
How to rank number one
The ranking within the Local Services unit is determined by several factors that Google says will help it match service providers to consumers.
These factors are:
- Your proximity to potential customers' locations
- Your review score and the number of reviews you receive
- Your responsiveness to customer inquiries and requests
- Your business hours
- Whether or not we’ve received serious or repeated complaints about your business
In addition to these ranking factors, Google also says that it will attempt to spread out the leads a business receives over time. This is to prevent you from spending your entire budget early in the budget period.
For the time being, UK small businesses and service providers can still make the most out of Local SEO and AdWords campaigns. But, it seems highly likely that we will see Local Services hitting our shores in the next couple of months. Therefore, now is the time for tradesmen to make sure that their Google profile is optimised, and that you build up your positive reviews.
If you don’t have a Google My Business page, get in touch today with Ascensor today and we can you get set up.