The charge is for an enquiry
With regular pay-per-click Google Ads, the charge is for a click. Local Services Ads use a different billing unit: a valid lead.
Keep that distinction separate from the outcome you want. An enquiry is an opportunity to speak with a customer. A booked job requires the next conversation.
For an owner reviewing performance, it helps to separate the enquiries received from the work booked. Otherwise, a report can look busy without explaining what reached the calendar.
Screening comes before assumptions
Google screens or verifies businesses, and the requirements vary by business category and location.
Do not assume another business’s requirements apply to yours, or that every category follows the same checks.
Use the requirements for your own business when preparing the account. Avoid building a launch plan around someone else’s experience in a different trade or area.
Direct contact changes the handoff
Buying shared leads can mean receiving an enquiry that is also sent to other businesses. With Local Services Ads, the customer contacts your business directly.
That gives you a clear next task: respond.
Picture a homeowner calling a roofer through an ad while the owner is up on a roof. The ad created the opportunity, but the business still needs a way to catch the call and arrange the next conversation.
Before adding enquiries, decide who handles them during jobs, appointments, and other times the owner cannot answer.
Credits and account changes need attention
Google can automatically credit invalid or low-quality leads. You can also dispute leads in many cases. Do not budget on the assumption that every enquiry that fails to book will receive a credit.
Google is moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads starting in 2026. Account details and processes may change, so use current guidance when reviewing charges or managing the account.
What to do about it
- Read the screening requirements for your own category and location before you prepare an account.
- Decide who answers the enquiries while you are on a job.
- Track enquiries received against work booked, and check Google's current guidance on credits and the move into Google Ads.
Questions
Is this the same as buying shared leads?
No. The customer contacts your business directly through the ad. That describes the contact route, not a guarantee of booked work.
Can I receive credit for a poor lead?
Google can issue credits for invalid or low-quality leads automatically, and disputes are available in many cases. A lead that does not become a job is not automatically a promised refund.