Local Ads & Local Services Ads in Santa Fe, NM
Local Ads and Local Services Ads (LSAs) are two different ways to get paid placement in front of nearby customers on Google. Local Ads run on Search, Maps, and Waze with no category restrictions, charged per click. LSAs are pay-per-lead, limited to certain service categories, and require passing Google’s screening to carry the Verified badge.
Google Ads Specifically for Local Businesses
Google offers two distinct paid advertising channels for local businesses: Local Ads and Local Services Ads (LSAs). Choosing the right channel depends on how your business operates, how your customers contact you, and how you prefer to pay for advertising. We work with small businesses in Santa Fe and the surrounding area, including Los Alamos, Española, and Taos.
Local Ads (Google Ads)
Local Ads place your business in front of customers actively searching across Google Search, Google Maps, and Waze.
- How it works: Targets specific keywords and geographic locations.
- Pricing model: Pay-per-click (PPC). You pay when a searcher clicks your ad to visit your website or call.
- Eligibility: Open to almost every industry and business type.
- Best used for: Driving traffic to specific landing pages, promoting special offers, and capturing broader search demand.
Local Services Ads (LSAs)
Local Services Ads appear at the very top of Google search results, above traditional paid search and organic map listings.
- How it works: Connects you directly with local customers searching for specific services in your area.
- Pricing model: Pay-per-lead. You only pay for qualified phone calls, messages, or booking requests, not ad views or clicks.
- Eligibility: Limited to specific eligible trades and professional services.
- Google Verification: Requires passing Google’s screening process, including background checks, business license verification, and insurance proof, to display the Google Guaranteed or Google Screened badge.
What We Do
Setting up and managing Google advertising campaigns requires technical precision to avoid wasted spend. We handle the entire campaign infrastructure:
- Channel Selection: Determining whether Local Ads, LSAs, or a combination of both fits your business model and category qualifications.
- Setup & Verification: Guiding you through Google’s screening process for LSAs and setting up accurate geographic, keyword, and budget parameters for Local Ads.
- Dispute & Lead Management: Reviewing LSA call records to dispute and credit back invalid leads (such as wrong numbers or out-of-service-area calls).
- Targeting & Bid Optimization: Continuous refinement of negative keywords, audience targeting, and bidding strategies to maximize qualified lead volume.
Pricing
We don’t sell standard packages because every business’s needs are different. We also work with business owners based on their current financial situation to get them the help they need without worrying about how they’re going to pay for it. We’ll custom tailor a proposal based on your business, needs, and budget. Contact us now for a free consultation!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which one should I actually run?
That depends on how you take on work. Local Services Ads (LSAs) are built for direct phone calls and messages, someone needs a plumber or an electrician right now, sees your badge at the top, and dials. Google Ads (Local Ads) are built to send traffic to a specific web page or offer. If you qualify for LSAs, they are usually the best place to start because you only pay when an actual customer reaches out.
How does Google decide who shows up at the top of LSAs?
Google looks at five things: your proximity to the customer, your review score, your review count, your verification status, and how fast you answer incoming calls. Response time is critical. Google would rather show a business that answers the phone in two rings than a competitor with more reviews who lets every call roll to voicemail.
What happens when I get charged for a junk call on LSAs?
You will get the occasional wrong number, telemarketer, or someone calling from outside your service area. Google has a formal dispute process to refund those charges. We listen to the recorded calls, flag the invalid ones, and submit the disputes to Google on your behalf to get your budget credited back.
Do I need to run both, or is that an agency upsell?
You do not need to run both. Many service businesses do fine running only LSAs once verified. Adding Google Ads makes sense when you want to target specific niche services that LSAs don’t categorize, promote seasonal discounts, or push traffic to a detailed quote form rather than just taking phone calls.
Where do LSA reviews come from?
LSA reviews pull directly from your Google Business Profile. There is no separate review pool. The star rating and reviews on your profile dictate your ad placement and whether Google displays you at the top.
How does billing work?
You pay Google directly for the actual advertising spend, either per click on Google Ads or per qualified call on LSAs. You pay Kingster a separate management fee to build the campaigns, handle the verification process, monitor negative keywords, and dispute bad leads.