Google is moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads. Your old reports won't carry over, and budgets and bids change. Here's what to save first.
By Reid Casey · Last checked Oct 31, 2026, 7:03 AM ET against 5 Google help pages
Short answer: Google is moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads as "a specialized Performance Max campaign type optimized specifically for pay-per-lead goals", and your ads still show on Search and Maps the same way (Google Ads Help). Your leads carry over, but your Local Services Ads performance reports "will not transition", so save them before the migration date in your email (Google Ads Help).
Key takeaways
- Your lead history moves to Google Ads, but your performance reports don't (Google Ads Help).
- Your weekly budget turns into a daily average, and manual cost-per-lead bidding ends (Google Ads Help).
- Your Business Profile name, address and hours now feed your ads, one way only (Google Ads Help).
What is changing with Local Services Ads?
Your Local Services Ads (LSA) account is moving into Google Ads, and Google says "where and how your ads appear to local customers on Google Search and Google Maps remains exactly the same" (Google Ads Help). Google adds: "You still only pay for valid leads (such as phone calls and messages) rather than ad clicks" (Google Ads Help).
What changes is where you manage it. On migration day, your old dashboard login will "automatically redirect you to your campaign overview in Google Ads" (Google Ads Help).
When will your Local Services Ads move to Google Ads?
Google publishes phases, not your date, and calls them your "estimated transition timeline" (Google Ads Help). Your own date comes in an email 14 days ahead (Google Ads Help). So the answer is: when your email arrives.
Google's August 2026 phase covers "select home and storefront service advertisers in the United States", and its list names plumbing, HVAC and electrical (Google Ads Help). Its Late 2026 phase includes "service-area businesses without physical storefronts" (Google Ads Help). Many trade shops work out of a truck, so our reading is that yours could fit either line. Google's 2027 phase covers "all remaining business categories that were not migrated in 2026" (Google Ads Help).
Watch the admin inbox. The notice goes to "The account administrator listed on your profile" 14 days out, then "A final reminder email is sent 7 days later" (Google Ads Help).
What carries over, and what doesn't?
Leads move, reports don't: "Your Local Services Ads performance reports will not transition to Google Ads" (Google Ads Help). A download page "will be available soon". Until then, Google says "If you need your reports immediately, please take screenshots of them before migrating."
Your lead history, including call recordings and messages, "will automatically transfer to Google Ads" (Google Ads Help). You'll find it under Goals, then Conversions, then Leads. Your targeted locations, service types, business categories, budget limits, ad schedule and business photos "will move over" too.
Your Google Verified badge carries over, and "Insurance and license reverification are no longer required" (Google Ads Help). BBB callouts are dropped. Google suggests "at least 6 other structured callouts" instead.
What happens to your budget and bids?
"Your historical average weekly budget is automatically divided by 7 to determine your daily average budget" (Google Ads Help). Monthly spend is "capped at your daily average budget multiplied by 30.4 (the average number of days in a month)".
"Manual bidding (such as setting a maximum cost-per-lead) is no longer supported in Google Ads" (Google Ads Help). The bid strategy "Defaults to MaximizeConversions" (Google Ads Help). You can still set a target cost per lead (Google Ads Help).
If you ran different targets by trade, "a unified campaign-level Target CPA will be calculated and applied to all vertical categories" (Google Ads Help). To keep them apart, Google says to use "separate campaigns for each vertical", like plumbing and HVAC. Our example: if a no-heat call is worth more to you than a drain clog, check this first.
What changes for your phone number, lead alerts and Business Profile?
Google says "you can edit the phone number to which your call and message leads are routed in real time" (Google Ads Help). That setting sits under "Contact information" in campaign settings (About campaign settings).
Lead emails go to every account user by default. Google says "All account users and direct managers are automatically opted in to receive these email alerts by default" (Google Ads Help). Users can opt out, but one has to stay opted in.
"Your business name, business address, and business hours sync in one direction from your Google Business Profile to Google Ads" (Google Ads Help). A big name or address change triggers a review that "typically takes 24 to 48 hours, during which your campaign may temporarily pause." For what your profile's own numbers count, see what Business Profile calls really mean.
Why might your leads dip right after the move?
Google says to "allow up to two weeks for the migration process to fully complete and for your campaign performance to ramp back to stable levels" (Google Ads Help).
Our advice: don't judge the new setup on week one. Compare it against your screenshots after two weeks.
Reid's take
I'd screenshot every Local Services Ads report you have, tonight. Google says those reports won't move to Google Ads, and the download page is only promised "soon." Your leads move. Your report numbers don't. Google also says to give the new campaign up to two weeks to settle. When those two weeks are up, you'll want a before picture to compare against.
What to do this week
What should you do this week? Five steps. Where a step is our advice, we say so.
- Screenshot your Local Services Ads reports now. Google says reports "will not transition" (Google Ads Help).
- Make sure someone reads the account administrator's inbox. The 14-day notice goes to "The account administrator listed on your profile" (Google Ads Help).
- Write down your weekly budget and any per-trade bids. Google converts them for you (Google Ads Help). Our advice: keep the old numbers to check against.
- Fix your Business Profile name, address and hours now. Big changes go to a review that can pause your campaign (Google Ads Help). Doing it before the move is our inference, not a Google promise.
- Decide which phone your lead calls ring after hours, and set it after the move. Google lets you change it "in real time" (Google Ads Help). Google's How leads work page says a missed call during business hours can count as a valid lead when "the customer stays on the line for more than 20 seconds", and Open Now on Google isn't the same as answering covers what that means for you.
If you want that lead line answered after hours, TechStackRx sets up a 24/7 voice agent for it. Google lets you "download your leads to import into your own CRM" (Google Ads Help), and we set up a CRM your shop owns. TechStackRx isn't running your ads, but we work with partners who do if you'd rather hand it off.
What we don't know yet
- Your exact migration date. Google's phases are "estimated" (Supported business verticals).
- Which phase a truck-based trade shop lands in. Google names electrical, plumbing and HVAC in its August 2026 phase and "service-area businesses without physical storefronts" in Late 2026 (Google Ads Help).
- When the report download page goes live. Google says "soon" (Google Ads Help).
- Whether a phone change on your Business Profile touches your lead-routing number. Google's page doesn't say.
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Caveats and methodology
- How we checked: we read the Google help pages under Sources live on Oct 27, 2026, at 9:01 and 9:11 PM ET, and re-read them on Oct 31, 2026, at 7:03 AM ET.
- Fact vs. opinion: "our reading", "our advice", "our inference" and the trade examples are ours, not Google's.
- We sell, too. TechStackRx sells lead follow-up automation, 24/7 voice agents and CRM setup for home-service businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Are Local Services Ads going away?
No. Google says they're moving into Google Ads, and "where and how your ads appear to local customers on Google Search and Google Maps remains exactly the same."
When will my Local Services Ads move to Google Ads?
Google lists phases for "August 2026", "Late 2026" and "2027", and calls them an "estimated transition timeline." Its 2027 phase covers "all remaining business categories that were not migrated in 2026." Your own date is in the email Google sends your account administrator 14 days before your migration. We don't predict a date: it's when your email arrives.
Will my Local Services Ads reports carry over?
No. Google says your performance reports "will not transition to Google Ads." Screenshot them now. Google says a download page "will be available soon."
Will my past leads carry over to Google Ads?
Yes. Google says your lead history, including contact details, message history and older call recordings, "will automatically transfer to Google Ads." You'll find it under Goals, then Conversions, then Leads.
What happens to my weekly budget?
Google divides your average weekly budget by 7 to set a daily average budget. Monthly spend is capped at that daily average multiplied by 30.4.
Can I still set my own cost per lead?
Manual bidding ends. Google says "Manual bidding (such as setting a maximum cost-per-lead) is no longer supported in Google Ads." You can set a target cost per lead, and the default bid strategy is Maximize Conversions. If your trades need different targets, Google says to use "separate campaigns for each vertical."
Can I change the phone number my leads ring?
Yes. In Google Ads you can edit the number your call and message leads ring "in real time."
Will changing my Business Profile pause my ads?
It can. Big changes to your business name, storefront address or primary category need verification, which "typically takes 24 to 48 hours, during which your campaign may temporarily pause." Google says hours, phone number and minor name changes "will sync automatically within 24 hours." Google doesn't say whether a profile phone change affects the number your leads ring.
Sources
- Google Ads Help, "Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals", undated. Source page. Accessed Oct 27, 2026, 9:01 PM ET.
- Google Ads Help, "Supported business verticals for Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals", undated. Source page. Accessed Oct 27, 2026, 9:01 PM ET.
- Google Ads Help, "About campaign settings for Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals", undated. Source page. Accessed Oct 27, 2026, 9:11 PM ET.
- Google Ads Help, "Lead quality and budgets for campaigns with pay-per-lead goals", undated. Source page. Accessed Oct 27, 2026, 9:11 PM ET.
- Local Services Help, "How leads work", undated. Source page. Accessed Oct 27, 2026, 9:01 PM ET.