Google is making one of the most significant updates to Local Services Ads since the platform launched.
Beginning in August 2026, Google will start moving Local Services Ads—commonly called LSAs—out of their separate dashboard and into the main Google Ads platform. Existing LSA campaigns will be converted into a specialized type of Performance Max campaign built around pay-per-lead goals.
For businesses that rely on LSAs to generate phone calls, messages and booked appointments, the words “Performance Max” may immediately raise concerns about losing control or having ads appear across Google’s entire advertising network.
Fortunately, that is not what Google has announced.
Although the platform and campaign structure are changing, the core Local Services Ads experience will remain largely intact.
What Is Changing With Google Local Services Ads?
Today, Local Services Ads operate inside a separate platform with their own lead inbox, reporting tools, budget settings and campaign controls.
After the migration, businesses and marketing agencies will manage LSAs inside the same Google Ads account used for Search, Display, YouTube and traditional Performance Max campaigns.
Google will classify the migrated campaigns as Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals. However, these will not operate exactly like standard Performance Max campaigns.
They are a specialized campaign type designed specifically for Local Services advertisers.
The transition will begin with a limited group of advertisers in the United States in August 2026. Additional accounts will be migrated in phases through 2027.
What Will Stay the Same?
The most important features of Local Services Ads are not going away.
Businesses Will Still Pay Per Lead
Local Services Ads will continue using a pay-per-lead pricing model.
Advertisers will pay for valid customer contacts, such as:
- Phone calls
- Messages
- Appointment or booking requests
Businesses will not suddenly begin paying every time someone clicks on an LSA. Google’s valid-lead billing model will remain in place.
Ads Will Still Appear on Search and Maps
Despite being labeled as Performance Max campaigns, migrated LSAs will not automatically begin serving across YouTube, Gmail, the Google Display Network or other standard Performance Max placements.
Google says these campaigns will continue appearing exclusively in Local Services placements on Google Search and Google Maps.
Keywordless Targeting Will Remain
Local Services Ads will remain keywordless.
Google will continue matching businesses with potential customers based on factors such as:
- Services offered
- Business categories
- Service areas
- Customer location
- Campaign settings
- Business eligibility and verification
Advertisers will not need to build traditional keyword lists for their migrated LSA campaigns.
Google Guaranteed and Google Screened Programs Will Continue
Businesses that qualify for Google Guaranteed or Google Screened status will continue participating in those programs after migration.
The change primarily affects where and how campaigns are managed—not the fundamental customer-facing Local Services Ads product.
What Will Be Different After the Migration?
Although the customer experience should remain familiar, several important campaign-management features are changing.
Weekly Budgets Will Become Daily Budgets
Local Services Ads currently use an average weekly budget.
Once campaigns move into Google Ads, they will use an average daily budget. Google will automatically convert the existing weekly amount into a daily average.
Businesses should review this number after migration to confirm that it accurately reflects their intended monthly advertising investment.
Manual Cost-Per-Lead Bidding Is Going Away
Some Local Services advertisers currently use manual bidding to establish the maximum amount they are willing to pay for a lead.
Manual bidding will no longer be supported after migration.
Google will instead use automated bidding and calculate a campaign-level target cost per acquisition, or Target CPA. Advertisers that currently have different lead-cost targets for separate service categories may have less granular bidding control unless those services are divided into separate campaigns.
This will be one of the most important areas for businesses and agencies to monitor.
Google’s automation may ultimately make campaign management easier, but advertisers should carefully review lead volume, lead quality and cost per qualified opportunity after migration.
Historical Performance Reports Will Not Transfer
This is the most urgent part of the update.
Google has confirmed that historical campaign performance reports from the existing Local Services Ads dashboard will not transfer into Google Ads. Once an account is migrated, access to the old LSA dashboard will end.
Businesses should export their historical performance data before their migration date.
Important information to preserve may include:
- Total leads
- Lead costs
- Advertising spend
- Cost per lead
- Impressions
- Booking information
- Performance by service category
- Monthly and seasonal trends
This data is especially valuable for year-over-year comparisons, forecasting, budgeting and evaluating long-term campaign performance.
Customer lead history is expected to transfer, but businesses should not assume that their complete historical reporting will remain accessible.
Lead Management Is Moving Into Google Ads
The current Local Services Ads inbox will be replaced by a Lead Manager inside Google Ads.
Businesses will use the new system to review and respond to incoming calls, messages and booking requests.
During the transition, teams should verify that the right employees have access to the Google Ads account and understand where new leads will appear.
A campaign can generate strong lead volume and still underperform if calls and messages are not answered quickly.
Business Information Will Sync With Google Business Profile
After migration, important business information will sync more directly from the company’s Google Business Profile.
This includes information such as:
- Business name
- Physical address
- Standard operating hours
Businesses should review their Google Business Profile before migration and make sure all information is complete and accurate.
Incorrect hours, outdated contact information or inconsistent business details could create problems across both organic local search results and paid Local Services Ads.
Is This a Good or Bad Change for Advertisers?
The answer will depend on how well Google executes the transition.
Centralizing Local Services Ads inside Google Ads should make campaign access, billing and account management easier—particularly for businesses already running multiple Google advertising products.
Agencies will also be able to manage more of a client’s advertising strategy from one platform rather than switching between separate systems.
However, the transition also gives Google’s automation more control over bidding and campaign optimization. That makes accurate conversion information, lead-quality tracking and careful account monitoring even more important.
The Performance Max name should not create panic. These campaigns will retain the features that make LSAs unique, including pay-per-lead billing and Search and Maps placements.
At the same time, businesses should not treat the migration as a completely administrative change.
Budget settings, bidding controls, reporting and lead-management workflows will all be affected.
How Businesses Should Prepare
Companies currently running Local Services Ads should take the following steps:
1. Export Historical Reports
Download all available LSA performance reports before your account is migrated. Preserve enough information to support monthly, seasonal and year-over-year comparisons.
2. Review Google Ads Access
Confirm that business owners, internal team members and marketing partners have the appropriate access to the Google Ads account receiving the migrated campaign.
3. Audit Your Google Business Profile
Verify your business name, address, phone number, operating hours, service areas, categories, photos and other important information.
4. Document Current Campaign Settings
Record your existing weekly budget, bidding strategy, service categories, service areas, schedule and lead settings. This will make it easier to identify anything that changes during migration.
5. Monitor Performance Closely
After migration, compare lead volume, lead quality, cost per lead, booking rates and revenue with the campaign’s previous benchmarks.
Do not judge the transition based only on the number of leads. A campaign generating more inquiries is not necessarily improving if those inquiries are less relevant or less likely to become paying customers.
The Bottom Line
Google is not eliminating Local Services Ads.
Instead, Google is bringing them into its primary advertising platform as specialized Performance Max campaigns built around pay-per-lead goals.
Businesses will still pay for valid leads, ads will still appear on Google Search and Maps, and keywordless targeting will remain.
The biggest immediate concern is preserving historical reporting before it becomes inaccessible. After that, businesses should focus on monitoring automated bidding, checking converted budgets, maintaining an accurate Google Business Profile and responding quickly to leads inside the new Google Ads Lead Manager.
For businesses already seeing strong results from Local Services Ads, there is no reason to panic—but there is every reason to prepare.
At Ascent Digital, we help home-service businesses manage Local Services Ads, Google Search campaigns and complete lead-generation strategies. Our team will continue monitoring the rollout and helping our clients navigate the transition without losing visibility into campaign performance.
