Local Services Ads checklist: 43 checks before you apply

Group 1: Eligibility and the right category

Availability and requirements vary by trade, area and country, and Google changes them. Start with Google's own eligibility check rather than a list in a blog post.

• You ran the eligibility check in the sign-up flow with your exact business address and trade. The result is what counts for you. Save a screenshot or a written note with the date. Google's "Understand the screening and verification process" help page says requirements vary by category and location.
• The category offered matches the work that brings most of your revenue. A plumber who mostly does septic work or sewer repair may not match the category that is open. Pick on purpose, not by default.
• If your main work is septic, you have recorded what the eligibility check said. We could not confirm septic eligibility on the Google pages we read, so do not assume. Write down the answer and what you will do if it is no.
• The service area you set matches where a truck can arrive in good time. Postal codes or areas you actually serve. Google prohibits misrepresenting your service areas.
• You read Google's "Local Services Ads requirements" help page once, start to end. It lists what is prohibited, such as inaccurate pricing information, false license or insurance claims and passing leads to others.
• You have worked out whether leads can pay off at your job values. Compare the cost of a lead you could expect with your close rate and average job. See Local Services Ads cost and the budget calculator.
• You know whether you are in the US or Canada pages, and read the right one. Some features and checks differ by country. See Local Services Ads in Canada if you serve Canadian customers.

Group 2: Business identity and registration

Most verification delays come from names and addresses that do not match across documents. Fix them before you apply.

• Your legal business name is written the same way on every document and on your profile. Registration, insurance certificate, license, bank account and Google Business Profile. Google warns that names must match across documents.
• Your Google Business Profile is verified, public and uses the same name and address as your registration. The profile must match your Local Services ad and you must own or manage it. See the plumber Google Business Profile guide.
• The person who will complete the checks is an owner or manager of the profile. Google says that person must be one, and ads cannot show until the profile step is done. Request access before you start if needed.
• In the US, you have a D-U-N-S number that matches your profile name and address, or an accepted alternative ready. Google lists a Secretary of State registration, an IRS EIN or a Department of Revenue registration as alternatives. Applying for a D-U-N-S number can take up to 30 days, per Google, so start early.
• In Canada, you know what proof of registration Google accepts for your province. Google says options vary by country and can include documents, numbers or attestation. Check the current requirements in your dashboard.
• If you advertise under a trade name, you have the DBA or trade-name document ready. The insured name and the advertised name should be reconciled with paperwork, not left to guesswork.
• The person verifying identity has a clear, unexpired government photo ID. The name on it should match the registration documents exactly. Where a representative check applies, Google asks for this.

Group 3: Licenses and insurance

These documents are the heart of verification for trades. Know what Google asks for, in your category, before you start.

• You have the business and owner license numbers and expiry dates written down. Google says it verifies state, provincial or national licenses where possible. Check the current license rules for your state or province.
• County, city or provincial licenses that apply to you are current. Google says you must confirm these yourself, and that you must have licenses where you advertise.
• Every person who needs a license to do the work has one, and you have the details. Google says all service professionals must be licensed where required. Never use the license of someone who does not work for you.
• Your insurance certificate is signed, non-editable and shows a policy number. Google describes a valid certificate for North America in these terms, with the insured name matching your advertised name or a DBA document.
• The certificate will still be valid for at least 14 days after you submit it. Per Google's page. Renew first if the date is close.
• The coverage types and minimum amounts match what your dashboard shows. General liability and, for some categories such as plumbers, professional liability. Google's US page gave no minimum amounts, so read the amount in your account and ask your broker if unsure.
• License and insurance expiry dates are in a calendar with reminders at least 60 days ahead. Google re-evaluates advertisers regularly, and a lapsed document can lead to a pause or a lost badge.

Group 4: People and background checks

In some categories Google runs background checks that cover the business, the owners and the technicians who do core work. Plan them as part of hiring.

• You know whether background checks apply in your category and area. Your Local Services dashboard shows which checks apply. Google's "Business screening and verification requirements" page said plumbers in the US have an added level of screening that includes service professional checks.
• You have a list of all owners and all technicians who perform core services. Google says office, clerical and customer support staff are exempt, but technicians are not.
• Each owner and technician has agreed to the check and knows what it covers. Google says it includes identity and criminal history checks, and does not include a credit check. The checks are free to the business.
• Only you or your own vetted technicians fulfil Local Services leads. Google prohibits selling or passing leads on to other businesses or unvetted individuals. Check how subcontractors fit.
• A new-hire process puts a Google check in the onboarding steps. A technician who is not cleared should not take Local Services jobs.
• You know who to contact if a check shows an error. Google says questions and appeals about background checks go to the check partner. After a final disqualification there is a 30 day wait to reapply, and after a second denial 180 days, per Google.

Group 5: Profile, pricing and reviews

The ad profile is what a homeowner sees before calling. Google says completed verification, rating, number of reviews and response time all feed into profile quality.

• The job types you want are on, and the ones you do not want are off. Review the list in the dashboard. A lead for a job you do not do is still a cost to handle.
• Your business hours are set honestly. Google uses your set hours to estimate message response times. Do not claim round-the-clock service you cannot give.
• You have a written pricing policy covering trip fees and diagnostic charges. Google's requirements page says these must be disclosed and customers told they owe them even if no further work is done. Prices must not rise on arrival unless the work differs significantly.
• Your team knows the rule against low estimates used to win jobs. Google prohibits low estimates followed by unusually high charges. Train everyone who quotes by phone.
• You have real reviews on your Google Business Profile, and a way to keep them coming. Some businesses need a minimum number of reviews, per Google, though it gives no number. Ask every customer. See Google reviews for plumbers.
• You do not gate reviews or offer anything in exchange for them. Both are against Google's policy and can lead to removal or penalties.
• Photos and the business description are complete and accurate. Real crew, trucks and work. The profile is part of the first impression.

Group 6: Billing, response and ongoing operations

Verification gets the ads live. Keeping them live depends on billing, answering leads and staying inside the rules.

• Billing is set up, and you know that Google Ads handles billing for these ads. Google says Local Services Ads use Google Ads for billing, so a billing or suspension issue in Google Ads can stop your ads. Check payment details before you launch.
• The weekly budget is set from your numbers, not guessed. Google calls it an average weekly budget, with a monthly maximum of the weekly budget times 30.4 divided by 7. Work backward from the number of booked jobs you want.
• One named person owns the lead inbox and a back-up covers them. Google highly recommends responding to leads as soon as they come in, and says fast response could help ranking and lead volume.
• The business number can receive the Call from Google forwarding message. Google notes you may miss the message if you use call forwarding or VoIP on that number. Test with a real call.
• Message lead alerts go to email or text, and someone checks them within the hour. You can choose email, SMS or both in "Profile & budget", per Google.
• You have a rule for declining leads for jobs you do not do, with a short reply. Google says declined leads are removed and the customer is notified, and you can add an explanation.
• Missed calls are tracked, and the owner knows that missed calls can hurt responsiveness. Google's ad ranking page says missed calls may negatively affect your responsiveness. Check current billing and lead rules in your account too.
• You review leads weekly, record which became booked jobs and know how to question a lead. See dashboard and lead disputes. Do not redirect customers to other numbers to avoid paying, which Google prohibits.
• You do not advertise "Google Guaranteed" as if the old guarantee still exists. Google replaced the older badge with a single Google Verified badge and is discontinuing the Money Back Guarantee. See the Google Guaranteed badge guide.