Local SEO

Local Services Ads (LSA)

Quick Definition

Local Services Ads are Google's pay-per-lead ad format for local service businesses — appearing above the Map Pack with a 'Google Guaranteed' or 'Google Screened' badge.

In context

LSAs are available in Canada for select verticals (lawyers, plumbers, electricians, real estate, financial advisors, etc.) and require a background check, license verification, and insurance verification before activation. Pricing is per-lead (the user clicks 'call' or 'message') rather than per-click, with rates set by category and metro. LSAs do not directly affect organic SEO but they share the same Google Business Profile data; a poorly maintained GBP hurts both. Treat LSAs as a paid channel that depends on a healthy local SEO foundation.

Example

A Toronto plumbing company runs Google LSAs alongside its organic local SEO program — the LSA leads are immediate, the organic Map Pack rankings are the long-term moat.

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Related terms

Local Citation Audit

A local citation audit reviews every existing online listing of your business for accuracy, consistency, and completeness.

Local SEO Tools

Local SEO tools include BrightLocal, Whitespark, Moz Local, and Local Falcon — each focusing on different aspects of local optimization and tracking.

Map Pack (Local Pack)

The Map Pack is the boxed group of three local business listings that appears at the top of Google for queries with local intent.

Google Posts

Google Posts are short Updates published directly through Google Business Profile, appearing in the business's Knowledge Panel and Maps listing.

Local Keywords

Local keywords combine a service or product with a geographic modifier (city, neighbourhood, region).

Local Link Building

Local link building is the practice of earning backlinks from regionally-relevant sources — local newspapers, community organizations, chambers of commerce, regional industry associations, local sponsorship pages — to boost local search rankings.

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