The Role of Reviews in Winning Remodeling Leads Through Local Services Ads (LSAs)
If you’ve started using Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) for your remodeling or contracting business, you’ve probably noticed something: the contractors with more reviews and higher ratings almost always show up first. They don’t just appear higher in the ad carousel — they also get more clicks, more calls, and, ultimately, more jobs.
That’s because reviews aren’t just “nice to have” anymore. In 2025, reviews are one of the biggest factors in how Google ranks your LSA profile and how homeowners choose who to contact.
Here’s how reviews impact your visibility, why they matter so much for remodelers, and how to build a system that makes reviews a growth driver — not an afterthought.
How Google Uses Reviews in LSAs
According to Google’s own documentation, reviews directly affect where and how often your business shows up:
- Star ratings and review count both impact ranking. Providers with higher ratings and more reviews are more visible and get more leads.
- Profile quality, which includes reviews, response time, and images, influences ad ranking and even cost per lead. Higher-quality profiles may pay less per lead.
- Reviews connect through your Google Business Profile (GBP). All reviews flow into your LSA profile, so they’re part of both your ad performance and your broader online reputation.
In other words: more reviews, better reviews, and fresher reviews = stronger performance.
What Makes a Review Valuable for LSAs
Not all reviews carry the same weight. Here are the factors that make the biggest difference:
- Star rating: A 4.5+ average is ideal. Anything below 4.0 can hold you back.
- Volume: The more reviews you collect, the more trustworthy you appear. Volume matters when homeowners are choosing between two contractors.
- Recency: Google favors businesses that consistently earn new reviews, not just a big batch from years ago.
- Detail: Reviews that mention the specific service provided (e.g., “kitchen remodel”) add credibility.
- Engagement: Responding to reviews, even negative ones, signals professionalism and helps your profile quality.
How to Build a Review System That Works
Winning with LSAs isn’t about chasing reviews here and there. It’s about making reviews part of your process.
- Ask every customer at project close-out. Homeowners are most likely to leave a review when they’re excited about a finished job.
- Use the direct review link. Google provides a link you can send customers so they can leave a review in one click.
- Follow up automatically. Use email or text reminders a few days after the job is complete.
- Reward your team, not your customers. Give your staff incentives for hitting review goals. Never offer customers discounts in exchange for reviews.
- Respond to every review. Google tracks engagement, and prospects notice how you handle feedback.
Contractors who make reviews part of their workflow steadily climb LSA rankings. Those who treat reviews as optional tend to get buried beneath competitors.
Why Reviews Matter Beyond Rankings
Reviews don’t just help you rank higher. They also:
- Improve conversion rates. Homeowners are more likely to call a contractor with 75 five-star reviews than one with five reviews, even if both show up in LSAs.
- Attract better leads. Strong reviews signal professionalism, which attracts serious homeowners with bigger projects.
- Lower cost per lead. Google notes that high-quality profiles (with reviews as a core element) may receive leads at a lower cost.
Reviews are one of the rare marketing activities that influence both visibility and conversion.
What Reviews Don’t Do
Even with a strong review profile, there are limits:
- Reviews don’t prevent mismatched leads. If your service settings are wrong, you’ll still get irrelevant calls.
- Reviews don’t replace speed. If you miss calls, reviews can’t save you. Google tracks response times.
- Reviews don’t break the volume ceiling. LSAs can only deliver so many leads per area, no matter how good your profile looks.
- Reviews don’t give you the control of Google Ads. If you want to scale aggressively, reviews help, but a broader strategy is required.
The Bigger Picture
For remodeling companies, reviews are one of the best ways to get more from LSAs. They boost your ranking, build trust with homeowners, and improve lead quality. But they’re not the whole system.
The most successful remodelers pair a strong review strategy with a complete growth plan:
- LSAs for bottom-of-funnel, ready-to-buy leads
- Google Ads for control and scale
- A solid website and intake process to convert leads consistently
At B&G Growth Marketing, we help contractors and builders put all the pieces together. Reviews are powerful, but real growth comes when reviews, LSAs, and a complete advertising strategy work together.
