Local Services Ads & the Google Guaranteed badge, explained
What Local Services Ads are, how the green Google Guaranteed badge works, and why they're a fit for Marietta service businesses.
Above the regular ads and the map pack, you've probably seen a row of businesses with a green checkmark that says Google Guaranteed. Those are Local Services Ads (LSAs) — and for a lot of service businesses, they're the best paid channel there is.
How they're different
Regular Google Ads charge you per click. Local Services Ads charge you per lead — an actual call or message from a customer. You're not paying for window-shoppers; you're paying for someone who reached out.
The green badge
To run LSAs you go through a verification process — license and insurance checks, sometimes background checks depending on the trade. Pass, and you earn the Google Guaranteed badge. That badge does two things: it puts you at the very top of the results, and it tells a nervous homeowner "Google vetted these people." For trust-driven trades, that's worth a lot.
Why service businesses love them
- Top placement — above the map pack and regular ads.
- Pay per lead, not per click — tighter cost control.
- Built-in trust — the badge does some of the selling for you.
- Dispute bad leads — if you get a junk lead, you can often dispute the charge.
The catch
Verification takes time (often a couple of weeks), and you have to keep your response time and reviews up or Google throttles your visibility. It's not "set and forget" — someone has to manage it. But once it's running, it's frequently the highest-intent paid channel a local business has.
We set up LSAs as part of the paid-ads work — verification, profile, and ongoing management — and like all ad spend, the budget goes straight to Google on your card, never marked up.
Curious whether LSAs fit your trade and area? Get a free audit and we'll tell you.