Update: Google Local Services Ads Now Syncs Key Business Details Directly From Your GBP
Google is making another change to how Local Services Ads (LSA) and Google Business Profile (GBP) work together.
Over the next two weeks, Google will begin sourcing several important business details directly from your verified Google Business Profile and automatically syncing them to your Local Services Ads account.
For contractors already using both GBP and LSA, this should make managing business information a little easier. However, it also makes it more important than ever to keep your Google Business Profile accurate.
What Information Will Now Sync From GBP to LSA?
Google says the following information will be pulled directly from your verified Google Business Profile:
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Business name
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Business address
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Location type, such as whether customers can visit a physical location or the business operates as a service area business
Only verified information on your GBP will sync to LSA. According to Google, changes will typically appear within 48 hours after they are verified.
If you make an edit to your GBP that is still pending approval, that change will not appear in LSA until Google approves it.
What Happens If Your GBP and LSA Information Don't Match?
This is where businesses need to pay attention.
If the business name and address on your LSA account already match your Google Business Profile, you do not need to do anything.
If they do not match, Google will automatically replace the information currently in LSA with the verified information from your GBP.
Going forward, if you need to change your business name, address, or location type, you will make that change through your Google Business Profile rather than updating the information separately in LSA.
This is another reason to regularly review your GBP and make sure your business information is correct and compliant with Google's guidelines.
Some Businesses May Need to Verify Again
If the sync results in a significant change to your business information, Google may require additional verification.
Google says affected businesses will be identified within one to two weeks. If your account requires additional verification, you will have 7 days to upload the requested business registration or license through the LSA verification portal.
If your LSA account was approved through Google's accelerated verification process, Google says your verified status will not be affected by this update.
Seeing "Set Up Your Google Business Profile" in LSA? Don't Create Another Profile
There's one part of this update that could cause some confusion.
If Google does not recognize the GBP associated with your LSA account, you may see a message like this in your dashboard:
Your Local Services ad needs a matching Google Business Profile to continue appearing in search results and to display your customer reviews.
You may also see a "Create profile" button.
If your business already has a live Google Business Profile, do not click "Create profile."
Especially if your GBP was previously linked to LSA, creating another profile could result in a duplicate Google Business Profile and create additional problems.
Instead, confirm that your existing GBP is properly linked and contact Google support if LSA is not recognizing it.
Why This Update Matters
Google is continuing to connect its local advertising and business profile systems more closely.
Once this update is in place, changes you make to your GBP business name, address, or location type will automatically carry over to LSA. Google also says this unified information will carry over as accounts migrate to Performance Max, including additional information such as business hours.
For business owners, the takeaway is simple: your Google Business Profile is becoming an even more important source of truth for your business information across Google.
Take a few minutes to check your GBP now. Make sure your business name, address, and location type are accurate before Google begins syncing that information to your Local Services Ads account.
