News & Notes on Google Local Services Ads: July 2022

It is time for another round of updates on the latest in Google Local Services Ads, straight from the Google Partner newsletter. Check out this post to learn more about the highlighted changes and information impacting law firms.

Approximate Read Time: 2 Minutes

Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) continue to evolve, and we continue to be here with news and updates on these changes for lawyers and law firms. Keep reading to learn more about the latest updates in the Google Partner newsletter that matter to lawyers and law firms using LSAs to grow their practice.

FYI: Leverage the Insights Page in Google Ads

Within your Google Ads account, data about your ad performance is available through the Google Insights page! Using Google Insights, you can check out the different search terms that triggered your ads, as well as explore the trends in costs and conversions week over week for your campaigns.

New: Mobile Testing for Single Business LSA

For LSAs to trigger on the search engine results page (SERP), there is typically a 2+ business rule in place for the vertical. In other words, two businesses in your vertical (industry) and location must have completed the onboarding process and be currently running LSAs for the ad to be shown on the SERP. However, Google is testing a change to this rule that would allow a single LSA to be served in mobile search results, even if the 2+ business rule is not met.

This testing is global and across all verticals. However, the test is only currently being run with a small percentage of mobile searches (with more testing coming in the future). Please note that to potentially have your ad served as a single business result in this scenario, you must still have completed all other verification and onboarding requirements for your own LSA.

Reminder: 5+ Review Requirement Applicable to Personal Injury Lawyers

Last month, we shared that Google announced it was updating its minimum review count requirements in certain industries to require at least five customer reviews before a new ad could go live. While this rule is not applicable to all legal service providers, it does apply to personal injury lawyers.

Now, Google is enforcing the five review requirement for new personal injury lawyer LSAs, though the change is not applicable to LSAs that were running before June 30, 2022. If you need more reviews, you can receive them directly on your LSA profile or add them from your Google Business Profile.

Final Thoughts: Why Do You Care?

The changes at Google with regards to its ad products, including LSAs, impact lawyers using paid advertising solutions to grow their firms. Staying up to date on these trends can help you continue to maximize your return on investment in these marketing strategies.

If you need help keeping up with your Google Local Services Ads in a changing environment or simply do not want the distraction of keeping up with the changes while trying to manage your practice, contact our Justia Amplify team to learn what our PPC and LSA management services can do for you.

Justia offers premium website, blogging, and online marketing solutions for law firms. We have an unparalleled record in helping law firms grow. Regardless of whether you are just starting your online marketing efforts or have a fully developed website and blog, we have solutions to help propel you to the next level. In addition to our website and blog services, we also help clients with content, lawyer directory services, social media, local SEO, and PPC Management. Contact us for more information, or call us at (888) 587-8421.