Businesses will soon be required to have a Google Business Profile (GBP) to continue using Local Service Ads (LSAs) and showing customer reviews. This change enhances the connection between LSAs and GBPs, with Google positioning the Business Profile as the main source of truth for ads.
Why this matters
LSAs are crucial for businesses aiming to capture local search traffic. Without a verified and precise GBP, ads may be paused, which could disrupt lead generation and customer acquisition. Integrating reviews into the GBP underscores the need for well-managed profiles to maintain credibility and visibility in search results.
Key Details
- Deadline: By November 21, businesses need a Google Business Profile to run Local Service Ads.
- Verified Information: The name and address on the GBP must match those on the LSA; otherwise, ads will be paused. Unverified or suspended GBPs will also lead to ad pauses.
- Reviews Consolidation: Moving forward, customer reviews for LSAs will be managed through the GBP. By early 2025, all reviews will appear on both the LSAs and the GBP.
Expert insights
Ben Fisher shared the alert he received, noting: "Your Google Business Profile is now the source of truth for LSA. LSA ads will be paused if you do not have a GBP attached to an LSA."
Big picture
This change streamlines how businesses manage their reviews and ads but may cause disruptions for companies that haven’t aligned their GBP with their LSA.
Next steps
Businesses must ensure their GBP is verified, accurate, and linked to their Local Service Ads by the November deadline to avoid any interruptions in ad campaigns.
About the author
Anu Adegbola has been the Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land since 2024. She covers paid search, paid social, retail media, video, and more. Anu’s career began in 2008, focusing on delivering digital marketing campaigns, predominantly Paid Search, by developing strategies, maximizing ROI, automating processes, and enhancing efficiency across marketing departments through leadership across agencies, clients, and marketing tech sides.
Beyond editing articles for Search Engine Land, she is the founder of the PPC networking event PPC Live and the host of the weekly podcast PPCChat Roundup. Anu is also an international speaker, having presented at events such as SMX (US), SMX (Munich), Friends of Search (Amsterdam), brightonSEO, The Marketing Meetup, HeroConf (PPC Hero), SearchLove, BiddableWorld, SESLondon, PPC Chat Live, AdWorld Experience (Bologna), and more.
