What Changes When Local Services Ads Move to Google Ads

Google is moving Local Services Ads (LSA) into the main Google Ads platform, where each LSA account becomes a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals. You still pay only for valid leads, such as calls and messages, and your ads still show only on Google Search and Google Maps.

If Google emailed you about the move, this guide covers what happens on your migration date and what to do before and after it. It follows Google's help pages as of October 16, 2026.

When Your Account Moves

Google is moving accounts in three phases. Its transition page says the first phase began in August 2026 for "select home and storefront service advertisers" in the US. Google's list of supported business verticals says broader groups follow in late 2026. They include service-area businesses without storefronts, professional services and accounts with custom bidding or booking setups. Non-US accounts and the remaining categories follow in 2027.

Your trade alone won't tell you which phase you're in. Google says the first phase covers only "select" advertisers, and one of the late-2026 groups is service-area businesses without storefronts. Google's email is the reliable signal. Admins on the account get a notice 14 days before the migration date and a final reminder 7 days after that, and Google sends a confirmation once the move is done.

Key Takeaway: Don't guess your date from your trade. Watch the inbox of each admin on the account, because that is where Google's 14-day notice lands.

What Carries Over and What Doesn't

Most of your setup moves without any work from you. Google says your targeted locations, service types, business categories, budget limits, ad schedule and business photos transfer automatically. Past leads come along too, with customer contact details, message history and older call recordings. You'll find them on the new Leads page in Google Ads.

Performance reports are the exception. Google says your earlier campaign-level metrics won't carry over. If you need those reports right away, it tells you to screenshot them before migrating. Google also says a way to get historical reports will come later.

Those screenshots become your baseline. Until Google's historical report download is available, they may be the only record you have to compare the new campaign's costs against. Our guide to marketing attribution for home service businesses shows how to tie leads to booked jobs in your own records, so your history doesn't live only inside Google.

Key Takeaway: Leads, recordings and settings follow you into Google Ads. Reports stay behind, so capture them before your date.

What Changes in Google Ads

Bidding and targets

Manual bidding ends. Google's transition page says, "Manual bidding (such as setting a maximum cost-per-lead) is no longer supported in Google Ads." Instead, Google calculates one Target CPA for the whole campaign and applies it to every category in it.

That matters for companies that list more than one service category. If you want separate rules for your HVAC advertising and your plumbing advertising, Google says to run them as separate campaigns. The same question comes up for roofing advertising when the company lists other categories too.

Budget

Your weekly budget turns into a daily one. Google divides your historical average weekly budget by 7 to get a daily average. It then caps monthly spend at that daily average times 30.4. A $700 weekly average, for example, becomes a $100 daily average with a $3,040 monthly cap, and that example is only arithmetic, not a suggested budget.

Callouts and business details

Google no longer supports BBB callouts. If your ad used one, Google says to add at least 6 other structured callouts. Google's page on pay-per-lead goals says you can add images, your founding year and up to 6 callouts per category. It also says asset optimization can scan your website to create assets, and you can turn that off.

Your business name, address and hours now come from your Google Business Profile. They sync one way into Google Ads and can't be edited there.

Where to find things

Budgets, bidding, locations and service types sit under Campaigns > Settings. Photos and callouts are under Campaigns > Assets, and leads are under Goals > Conversions > Leads. Lead email alerts live under Admin > Notifications.

After migration, the old LSA dashboard redirects to Google Ads. A brand-new pay-per-lead campaign still begins at g.co/localservices, and your campaign stays keywordless.

Key Takeaway: The max cost per lead and the BBB callout go away, and the weekly budget becomes daily. Plan for all three before your date.

Before Your Migration Date

Once Google's first email arrives, work through this list.

1. Check who the admins are. Google sends migration emails to admins, so the person who should read them needs admin access. If a former agency or employee still holds that access, see our guide on what to secure before you leave your marketing company.
2. Screenshot your reports. Capture the campaign-level numbers you want to keep as a baseline.
3. Write down your current bids. Note your bid mode and any max cost per lead, since those controls end.
4. Decide on separate campaigns. If two categories need different targets, plan to split them.
5. Draft at least 6 callouts. Do this if you rely on a BBB callout today.
6. Check your Business Profile. Your name, address and hours will feed Google Ads, so fix them at the source.

After Your Account Moves

When Google confirms the move, sign in to Google Ads and check these four things.

• Open Goals > Conversions > Leads and confirm your past leads and call recordings are there.
• Under Admin > Notifications, make sure the person who returns calls gets lead emails. Google says at least one user must stay opted in.
• Under Campaigns > Settings, compare the new daily budget with your old weekly figure.
• Under Campaigns > Assets, confirm your photos and new callouts.

Google says to allow up to two weeks for the migration to finish and for performance to stabilize. Give the campaign that time before you change targets. The metrics Google points to are Conversions, Cost and Cost / conv.

Check your lead types too. Google's pay-per-lead page says direct phone calls are required, while texts and emails are optional. Google lists bookings as "Optional, available starting in October 2026." If something looks wrong, Google lists a migration support line at +1-844-205-0011, open Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST.

Eligible advertisers also get a trust badge. Google's Google Verified page says eligible existing advertisers who've completed verification requirements automatically earn the new Google Verified badge, and that LSA ranking won't be affected by the badge change.

For ASP clients, we manage LSA accounts as part of paid media management, which is included from our Growth plan up. Google suggests running these campaigns alongside Search, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns. For more on how those pieces fit together, read our overview of PPC advertising for home service businesses.

Key Takeaway: Give the new campaign up to two weeks to settle, and make sure lead emails reach the person who calls customers back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I still pay per lead after Local Services Ads move into Google Ads?

Yes. Google says you still pay only for valid leads, such as phone calls and messages, rather than ad clicks. Your campaign stays keywordless, and your ads keep showing only on Google Search and Google Maps. What changes is where you manage the campaign and how bidding and budgets are set.

When will my Local Services Ads account move?

Google is moving accounts in phases. August 2026 covers select home and storefront service advertisers. Late 2026 covers broader groups, such as service-area businesses without storefronts, and 2027 covers non-US accounts and the remaining categories. Each account gets its own date, and admins receive an email 14 days before it.

Do my old leads and call recordings transfer?

Yes. Google says past leads, including customer contact details, message history and older call recordings, transfer to Google Ads automatically. They stay available on the new Leads page. Your campaign-level performance reports do not transfer, so take screenshots before your date if you need them.

What happens to my maximum cost per lead?

It goes away. Google says manual bidding, including a maximum cost per lead, is not supported in Google Ads. Google calculates one Target CPA at the campaign level and applies it to every category in that campaign. If you want different rules for different services, Google says to set up separate campaigns.

How will my Local Services Ads budget change?

Google divides your historical average weekly budget by 7 to set a daily average budget. Monthly spend is capped at that daily average times 30.4. A $700 weekly average, for example, becomes $100 a day with a $3,040 monthly cap. Check the new figure under Campaigns > Settings after your move.

Can I start a new Local Services Ads campaign inside Google Ads?

Not yet. Google says you can't create new campaigns with pay-per-lead goals directly in Google Ads at this time. New pay-per-lead campaigns still start at g.co/localservices. Existing accounts move into Google Ads on their own migration date, and the old LSA dashboard redirects there afterward.

Getting Ready for Your Date

The pay-per-lead model and the Search and Maps placement stay the same. The bidding, the budget format, the callouts and the place you manage it all are what change. Confirm your admins, save your reports and settle your bidding plan before Google's final reminder arrives. If you'd like a second set of eyes on your account before the move, talk with ASP.