Leveraging LSA in Underserved Markets

Cover image for Leveraging LSA in Underserved Markets
Alex Sparks
Alex Sparks
Updated - October 11, 2024

Google Local Services Ads (LSA) have grown to be an effective tool for companies looking to establish direct connections with local clients. While some markets can be quite competitive, there may be surrounding underserved areas in your market.

Key Advantages of LSA in Less Competitive Markets:

  1. Fewer Rivals: Your LSA ad is more likely to show up at the top of the search results, improving visibility and drawing more clicks, when fewer companies are competing for the same keywords.
  2. Reduced Advertising Expenses: It is usually more economical to reach your target audience when there is less competition, which results in lower advertising expenses.
  3. Simpler Route to the Top: Your company will have a major advantage if it can rank higher in the LSA results, which is typically easier in less competitive markets.

Evaluating Market Competition:

  1. Search on Google: Terms related to your industry, such as "Roofer in city" or "Realtor in city."
  2. Count the LSA Profiles: Take note of how many LSA profiles are visible once completely expanded.
  3. Determine Rivals: Examine the profiles to gauge the intensity of the rivalry such as how many reviews they have, how often they get reviews, and what is their message response time.

Understanding LSA Visibility:

Below is a typical collection of local service ads for real estate agents in a smaller town in Ohio.

  • First Search Results: Usually, only two LSA profiles are shown at the top of the search results page by Google.
Google search for Realtor in Plymouth OH
Two Real Estate Agents Huron County
  • Expansion: Up to eight profiles are seen when you click "Show more".
List of local real estate agents on local service ads
Multiple Real Estate Agents Huron County
  • Full List: You can expand up to twenty profiles and see if they're fully Google Guaranteed (indicated by a green checkmark). If there's no checkmark, it means the list of local service profiles in that market is incomplete. If all profiles are Google Guaranteed than there are hidden profiles not currently displayed.
Google Guaranteed vs Non-Google Guaranteed on Local Service ads
Google Guaranteed vs Non-Google Guaranteed

Leveraging LSA in Underserved Markets:

  • Early Adoption: Be among the first businesses in your area to create an LSA profile. For advertisements to appear, Google mandates that at least two local service profiles must target the same area but sometimes just completing the business verification and becoming "Google Screened" can allow you to rank in the top two automatically because all Google Guaranteed profiles are always placed above non-guaranteed profiles.
Real Estate Agents Park County on Local Service ads
Real Estate Agents Park County

Conclusion

By understanding the dynamics of LSA in less competitive markets and taking proactive steps, you can position your business for success and gain a significant edge over your competitors.