Google sent out an email this morning warning Google Local Service Ads advertisers that they need to create a Google Business Profile (if they don’t already have one) by 1/22/2025. to keep your ads running.
This update does not affect our clients. However, affiliates like lawyers.com and homesnap.com will need to pivot more quickly. Google announced back in July of 2024 that it is transitioning out of the Local Services Ads Equivalency program. Again, our HVAC clients Google Local Service Ads are not impacted by this in any way. Rest assured our team of marketing geeks at HVAC Leads are monitoring your accounts and GLSA updates on a daily basis.
Google goes on to say in the email:
Your Local Services ad will need a matching Google Business Profile to continue appearing in search results. You’ll need to go to the verification portal to complete the steps to create a profile.
If you don’t create a profile by the 1/22/2025 deadline, your Local Services ad will stop appearing in search results if it’s already live. If someone else at your business has already created a profile, you should contact support to get it matched to your Local Services Ads listing.
Create Business Profile
What’s changing:
⤷ Fresh focus on customer reviews
• When you complete the profile affiliation, your new customer reviews will be managed from Google Business Profile, not your Local Services Ads account.
• Please note that you can find your new URL here on your Local Services dashboard, but your current URL for requesting customer reviews will still work.
• Beginning in early 2025, your existing customer reviews will also be managed from your Google Business Profile. Reviews will surface on both your Local Services Ads and your Google Business Profile.
⤷ Why is this important?
When your accounts are affiliated, managing your business on Google becomes easier and even more secure. Learn more. From 1/22/2025, you must have an affiliated public Google Business Profile to run Local Services Ads.
⤷ Security matters
Google matches your ad with your business to make sure only authorized people can manage your ad, calls and messages. Sometimes Google may ask a verified business to verify some information again.
Sincerely,
The Local Services Ads Team
What will be interesting to see and we’ll be keeping a close eye on is how will this merger affect Local SEO rankings for our HVAC contractors, if any. If we identify anything positive or negative we will act quickly to take the necessary adjustments and possible ranking advantages.
