How LSA differs from Google Ads
Google Ads charges per click on a search ad. LSA charges per lead — only when a prospect actually calls or messages you and the contact qualifies as a real service inquiry. The economics are usually meaningfully better: in our managed accounts, LSA leads consistently cost 30–60% less than equivalent Google Ads leads and convert 1.5–2.5x better because they're higher-intent.
LSA also requires a vetting process Google Ads doesn't: industry membership in supported categories, current trade licensing, general liability insurance at the threshold Google requires for your category, and background checks for the business owner. Verification typically takes 2–6 weeks.
Eligibility in Canada
LSA in Canada supports 70+ home service categories (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, cleaning, landscaping, etc.), legal services (Google Screened with bar verification), real estate, financial planning, and selected healthcare categories. Insurance requirements typically start at C$1M general liability for most home services and rise for higher-risk categories like roofing or electrical.
Geographic coverage is strongest in major metros (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton) and increasingly available in mid-sized cities. Some regional categories that are common in the US aren't yet available in Canada — pre-flight your category in Google's Local Services Ads sign-up flow before committing time to documentation.
What determines LSA ranking
Reviews (count and average rating), response time (how quickly you answer calls and messages — sub-2-minute is the practical bar for top-3), booking rate (the percentage of LSA leads you actually book as jobs), account hours and availability (24/7 outranks 9–5 in most categories), bid amount (a tiebreaker, not a primary factor), and service area tightness.
Bid is much less important than most accounts assume. Outbidding the competition without strong reviews and fast response time produces budget burn without ranking lift. The order of operations: build review volume and response infrastructure first, then optimise bid strategy.