Most experts agree that real estate professionals should spend at least 10% of their annual commissions on advertising and marketing to generate leads. However, you should also learn about the latest ways to advertise and market your business to maximize the impact of your spending. For example, knowing how to answer the question “What are Local Services Ads?” might let you connect with more prospective clients than you would otherwise.
Local Services Ads may work more effectively than other advertising and marketing options available to real estate professionals. They could dramatically improve your lead conversion rates and send your future commissions skyrocketing, leaving you with even more money to invest in them. They have the potential to boost your business profits and allow it to achieve more success than ever before.
Before using them, just make sure you understand what LSAs are, how they work, and how they benefit those within the real estate industry. Find out everything you need to know about them below.
What Are Local Services Ads?
Local Services Ads (also known as Google Screened or LSAs for short) are online advertisements that help real estate professionals reach larger audiences by promoting their businesses to potential clients on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). They’re listed above other websites on SERPs, and in some instances, they’re even situated within Google Maps.
They enable agencies, brokerages, and other real estate companies to engage in geographic targeting and attract clients from specific cities and towns. They’re also a pay-per-lead advertising option, meaning businesses only pay for leads directly related to their companies and services.
LSAs have only been around for a decade. Google initially launched them as Home Service Ads in 2015, but they now assist more than 70 types of businesses in promoting their products and services, including those owned by real estate professionals.
How Do LSAs Work?
Now that you know the answer to the question “What are Local Services Ads?” you’re likely wondering how they work. Understanding what goes into running LSA campaigns is paramount for real estate professionals who wish to use them.
For starters, anyone with a real estate-related business who wants to run these campaigns must claim and optimize a Google Business Profile. Google started requiring this in late 2024, seemingly to establish more trust between consumers and Google-verified companies.
From there, a business must take the following steps to bring its ad campaigns to life:
- Begin by seeing if a business is eligible for these campaigns.
- Visit ads.google.com to sign up for LSAs.
- Create a business profile by providing the necessary details, including a company’s geographical area.
- Preview a company’s advertisements.
- Link a company’s Google Business Profile.
- Upload a company’s registration information and relevant documents for verification purposes.
- Set up an advertising budget.
- Wait for approval.
- Launch a campaign.
- Sit back and watch a company’s new leads start coming in.
Another thing worth noting about how LSAs work is that the order in which ad rankings appear is based on auctions behind the scenes. A company’s online advertisements are placed based on its bids during these auctions, which are primarily determined by its budget and the quality of its business profile. A business can also improve the effectiveness of its LSA campaigns by incorporating high-quality photographs into its ads and encouraging more clients to leave positive online reviews.
How Will They Benefit Your Real Estate Business?
Although Local Services Ads have only been around for a relatively short time, they have already proven effective for many real estate businesses. They could offer your company a long list of benefits from the beginning.
Here are the benefits associated with utilizing LSAs:
- Increases the online visibility of your business among search engine users
- Targets a specific audience in your company’s local area
- Minimizes advertising and marketing costs by extending a cost-effective pay-per-lead model
- Makes performance tracking possible by delivering data related to lead conversions, booking rates, etc.
- Offers badges to heighten credibility and build trust with consumers
Google has even started allowing some businesses to undergo a special screening and verification process to help them earn Google Guarantee badges. This badge will permit your company’s clients to seek reimbursement from the tech company if they’re unsatisfied with the service they receive. This might make some people feel more comfortable hiring you as their real estate agent or broker.
Discover How To Take Advantage of Local Services Ads
Getting Local Services Ads for your real estate company off the ground might present challenges, especially if your business is booming and keeping you busy. Make the most of this advertising and marketing opportunity by enlisting the services of an LSA specialist you trust and asking, “What are Local Services Ads?” Complete this brief form to learn more.
LSA FAQs
Do you have other questions about LSAs? Search for answers below.
How Long Does It Take To Get Approved for Local Services Ads?
Getting approved for Local Services Ads typically takes about three weeks. Google conducts background checks on businesses before approving them to launch advertising campaigns. You may speed up yours by ensuring you provide all the requested documents at the start of the verification process.
How Do I Manage Local Services Ads?
Google used to offer a Local Services Ads mobile app for businesses to manage their campaigns. However, the company discontinued this app in early 2015. Businesses must now manage their campaigns through the Google Ads platform to monitor performance.
How Can I Generate More Leads With Local Services Ads?
You can generate more leads with Local Services Ads by expanding your real estate business’s services and opening them up to more service areas. You can also do it by asking past clients to write online reviews and using the “Maximize Leads” bidding strategy through the Google Ads platform to optimize your advertising and marketing budget. Additionally, you should further research the answer to the question “What are Local Services Ads?” to get more ideas.