How do the google local ads get displayed, I have 2 thousand dollars per month but no calls, the budget is not being used. It is a large area with maybe 100k people in it. I get maybe 1 call per week.
I am a small business owner and depend on LSA to compete with other larger companies and fly-by-night scammers.
After receiving the policy change email from Google in late August, I prepared my account for the change by getting a phone system with my voice stating that I do not provide a specific service, and for everything else, they can press a key to be connected to me.
This works really well, as many callers hang up when they hear I don't provide that specific service instead of pressing a key. According to Google's policy change email, I should not be charged unless the caller presses a key, but I see that I am being charged anyway.
For your reference, the verbiage from the email is below. What can I do to avoid being charged for callers wanting a service I don't provide? If I am being charged for every call, I will be spending more on LSA than I make from it. It's not sustainable. Anyone else experiencing this? Am I doing something wrong? Is there a better way to set this up to ensure I am not charged for services I don't provide? I have that service toggled off in LSA, but I keep getting callers for it through general search terms.
DO NOT PRIVATE MESSAGE ME. I WILL NOT RESPOND.
Here's the verbiage from the email...
| Hello,Thank you for being a Local Services Ads customer.On October 01, 2026, we are updating how and when you are charged for call leads originating from Local Services Ads. |
|---|
| What’s Changing? Missed calls: Missed calls during business hours will now be charged as valid leads if a user stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, with a few exceptions (see “Protecting your business” below for more information regarding exceptions). Subsequent calls: If an initial call doesn’t qualify as a charged lead, any follow-up calls between your business and the user that meet the valid lead criteria will be charged. |
| Protecting your business We remain committed to protecting the integrity of your leads through the following measures: If your call-receiving setup requires customers to press a key to route them to the relevant department, then the 20 second-timer will start once customers press the key. You won’t be charged if customers don’t press a key to get routed. To safeguard against spam and malicious activity, we are introducing new safeguards to help limit robot calls and address spam call abuse. |
|---|
| **Why are we making this change?**Customers turn to Local Services Ads every day with immediate needs, expecting to connect quickly with a trusted local professional. This policy update helps ensure our platform continues to meet these customer expectations while rewarding businesses that provide excellent responsiveness.TimelineThese policy updates will go into effect on October 01, 2026.If you have any questions, please reach out to your account management team or contact us at any time. |
| Sincerely, |
| Local Services Ads Team |
Hey,