Google Is Bringing Local Services Ads Into Google Ads: What Contractors Need to Know

By Dipa Gandhi • Published July 20, 2026 • Updated July 24, 2026

If you use Local Services Ads (LSA), one of the biggest changes in years is on the way.

Google has announced that Local Services Ads will gradually move into the Google Ads platform. Instead of managing your LSA account in a separate dashboard, you'll manage it directly inside Google Ads. The rollout begins with select U.S. advertisers in August 2026 and will continue through 2027.

The good news?

You'll still pay per qualified lead, not per click.

Your ads will still appear on Google Search and Google Maps.

Most of the things that make LSA effective today aren't changing. Google is simply moving where you manage your account.

What's Changing With LSA?

Today, Local Services Ads have their own dashboard.

After your account is migrated, you'll manage everything inside Google Ads as a special type of Performance Max campaign designed for pay-per-lead advertising. Even though it uses the Performance Max framework, your Local Services Ads will continue showing only on Google Search and Google Maps.

You'll also be able to:

View your Google Ads and Local Services Ads in one place
Manage leads from within Google Ads
See your LSA reporting alongside your other Google advertising campaigns
Manage access through your Google Ads Manager (MCC) account instead of using a separate LSA dashboard

What Isn't Changing With LSA?

Many of the things contractors like about Local Services Ads will stay the same.

These include:

You still pay for qualified leads, not clicks.
Ads still appear on Google Search and Google Maps.
You still don't need to manage keywords.
Google Verified and Google Guaranteed badges will continue to be used.
Calls, messages, and bookings will still count as leads.

Other Changes You'll Notice

Google is also making a few updates behind the scenes.

Some of the biggest changes include:

Weekly budgets will become daily budgets.
Manual bidding options will no longer be available.
Historical reports from the current LSA dashboard won't automatically transfer to Google Ads. If you want to keep your historical data, be sure to export it before your migration.
Google will notify advertisers about 14 days before their account is scheduled to migrate.

What Does This Mean for You?

For most businesses, this should be a smooth transition.

You can keep running your business as usual.

This update changes where you manage your Local Services Ads, not how they work. You'll still pay per qualified lead, and your ads will continue appearing on Google Search and Google Maps.

Google will move your campaign automatically.

You won't need to rebuild your campaign from scratch. Google will migrate your existing campaign into Google Ads, including your budget, service areas, job types, ad schedule, and other campaign settings.

Managing your account will become easier.

With Local Services Ads moving into Google Ads, everything will be managed from one platform instead of two. This gives you a simpler way to manage your advertising and makes it easier to make updates when needed.

Your business information will stay in sync.

Your business name, address, and hours will automatically sync from your Google Business Profile. Instead of updating your information in multiple places, you'll only need to keep your Google Business Profile up to date.

What Should You Do Right Now?

There's no need to make any changes today.

Instead, we recommend:

Watch for an email from Google announcing your migration date.
Export any historical LSA reports you want to keep before your account is migrated.
Make sure everyone who manages your advertising has the appropriate Google Ads access.
Continue focusing on what helps Local Services Ads perform well: earning new reviews, responding to leads quickly, and keeping your Google Business Profile accurate and up to date.

Final Thoughts

This is one of the biggest updates to Local Services Ads since Google first launched the platform.

Overall, this looks like a positive change. Bringing Local Services Ads into Google Ads should make account management simpler, reduce duplicate work, and make it easier to keep your business information consistent across Google's platforms.

The way Local Services Ads generate leads isn't changing. Contractors will still compete based on their reputation, responsiveness, and service area. The biggest difference is that everything will now be managed from one place.

We'll continue following the rollout and share any important updates as Google expands the migration throughout 2027.

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