Small businesses should prepare for Google’s changes to Local Services Ads. (Photo illustration: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
SOPA Image/LightRocket (via Getty Images)
Big changes are coming that small business owners should know about.
Starting November 21, Google Local Services ads will only appear in search results if they are linked to your business’ Google Business Profile. If not, the ad will be paused and not displayed at all.
Google Local Services Ads connects businesses directly with local customers. These appear at the top of Google search results and allow businesses to pay only for leads that are relevant to their services. Many small businesses rely on these ads to attract new customers, and research shows that 98% of U.S. consumers look for local businesses online. Very effective. According to Fit Small Business, a small business industry publication, over 80% of these searches result in a sale.
Google Business Profile allows businesses to control how they appear on Google Search and Maps. It’s free and helps businesses appear in local searches, which is important for attracting new customers. To become certified, businesses must prove their legitimacy by receiving video or phone verification, or in some cases a postcard from Google. This verification helps prevent lead generation hijacking, where fake companies are set up to transfer leads to another company, often to avoid bad reviews or increase leads. .
According to Ben Fisher, founder of Steady Demand, a specialist in Google Business Profiles and Local Services Ads, this change was introduced to improve consistency and security by adding an additional layer of verification. Fisher says this will prevent bad actors from abusing the local services advertising ecosystem.
SEO gurus say spamming and local services ad hijacking has become an almost unmanageable “whack-a-mole” problem for Google. “We need something like an act of Congress to remove fake profiles from local services ads,” he says. “That’s not going to happen. Currently, it can take months to remove malicious actors.”
Mr. Fisher has 30 years of experience in digital marketing and is qualified to comment on this issue. He is one of only 80 Google Business Profile Product Experts on the planet. Google’s Product Experts program is made up of trusted users who help others troubleshoot and optimize their use of the search giant’s business tools, and provide direct feedback on potential improvements.
Fisher estimates this change will affect about half of businesses that advertise locally on Google. He supports the move, although he acknowledges there may be false positives. The changes are aimed at curbing fraudulent activity in the system, with garage door companies, which are as common criminals as locksmiths and lawyers, gathering feedback from unaffiliated companies to strengthen their reviews.
Here are steps business owners should take now, according to Fisher:
First, make sure you can sign in to both your Local Services Ads and Google Business Profile accounts. Next, make sure both accounts are registered to the same email address. Then visit the Local Services Ads platform and check for messages such as “Edit your Google Business Profile or create a new Google Business Profile.” If you see this message and aren’t sure if you already have a profile, Fisher strongly advises against creating a new one until you know for sure. In his words: “What I’m saying is, if your Google Business Profile is going to give you advice, talk to an expert.”
Although it’s a hassle, Fisher says the change shouldn’t deter small businesses from using local services ads.
“The lack of local service ads is crazy,” Fisher said.
