LSA Update: Reviews Are No Longer Required to Go Live
Google has removed the minimum review requirement for Local Services Ads.
Previously, contractors needed 1–5 Google reviews (depending on industry) before their LSA profile could activate.
That requirement is gone.
You can now launch LSAs without reviews.
These screenshots show that “Customer Reviews” was listed as one of the verification items, whereas now, it’s not required.
What This Means
This change:
- Speeds up onboarding
- Helps brand-new businesses launch faster
- Removes a common approval bottleneck
But here’s the important distinction:
Reviews are no longer required for activation, but they are still critical for ranking and performance.
Reviews Still Impact Performance
LSA visibility is still influenced by:
- Review count
- Review rating
- Responsiveness
- Proximity
- Budget
- Optimized LSA
If two contractors are competing in the same area, the one with stronger, high-quality reviews will typically see better visibility and more consistent lead flow.
Launching without reviews may mean:
- Lower placement in the carousel
- Fewer impressions
- Slower momentum
Bottom Line
This update reduces the time to go live.
It does not reduce the importance of reputation.
You just shouldn’t expect strong LSA performance without them.
