Playbooks / Local Services Ads vs. Google Search Ads: Which Should a Plumber or HVAC Company Run?
Local Services Ads vs. Google Search Ads: Which Should a Plumber or HVAC Company Run?
If you run a plumbing or HVAC company, Google gives you two main ways to pay for the top of the search page: Local Services Ads (LSA) and regular Google Search Ads. Owners often ask which one is better. Usually the honest answer is that they do different jobs, and the strongest accounts run both under one budget.
What's actually different
Local Services Ads show at the very top of many local searches, with your star rating and a Google Guaranteed badge. You pay per lead (a call or message), not per click. You don't pick keywords. Google matches you to searches based on the job types and service area you choose.
Google Search Ads appear below LSA in the regular ad slots. You pay per click, and you control the keywords, ad copy, landing page, schedule and bids in far more detail.
When LSA tends to win
- Urgent, simple searches like "plumber near me" or "AC repair"
- Businesses with lots of strong reviews, since reviews are a big factor in LSA ranking
- Owners who want a simple, pay-per-lead setup with less to manage day to day
When Search Ads tend to win
- High-value specific jobs like tankless water heater installation, repiping or heat pump replacement
- When you want to send people to a dedicated landing page with an offer or financing
- When you need tight control over which searches you pay for
The mistakes we see most
- Every LSA job type switched on. If you don't want small jobs, turn those job types off.
- Service area drawn too wide. Pay-per-lead is only cheap if you can actually serve the lead.
- Search campaigns with broad match and no negative keywords. These end up paying for "plumber salary" and "how to fix a toilet."
- Nobody answers the phone. Responsiveness matters for LSA, and a missed paid call is wasted money twice over.
- No tracking. If calls from each channel go to the same number, you can't tell which one is paying off.
Where to start
If you're starting from zero, LSA is often the quickest, simplest place to begin, as long as you can get verified and have solid reviews. Add Search campaigns next for your highest-value services, with call tracking in place from day one so you can compare cost per booked job rather than cost per lead.
Not sure how your current setup stacks up? Request a free audit and we'll review both for you.