Why Your Local Services Ads Need Call-Only Campaigns Right Now
Local Services Ads (LSAs) are a powerful way for contractors to generate leads, but they come with limitations. You can’t control keywords, ad copy, or even exactly when your ads show. For many contractors, this creates gaps — especially if the goal is consistent, high-quality phone calls.
That’s where pairing LSAs with Google Ads call-only campaigns comes in. While LSAs generate volume, call-only campaigns give you precision. Together, they create a stronger system that captures more of the right calls at the right time.
Call-only campaigns are a type of Google Search ad built specifically to drive phone calls. Instead of clicking through to a website, homeowners tap your ad to call directly. This makes them ideal for service businesses where the phone is still the primary conversion tool.
For contractors, that means:
When someone clicks an ad, Google assigns them a unique ID called a GCLID. You can capture that ID at the moment of the form fill (or phone call) and store it in your CRM or client intake system.
Then, when that lead actually becomes a paying customer, we import that closed revenue back into Google and tie it to the original GCLID. This tells the system: Hey, this wasn’t just a click or a lead—it was $34,750 of booked business.
Now Google doesn’t just optimize for leads. It optimizes for revenue-qualified conversions. The algorithm learns what paths created real customers, not just prospects. Over time, this shifts targeting, bidding, and ad delivery toward higher-value opportunities instead of just higher volume.
It’s not about floodgates of data. Even 50 post-sale conversions a month is enough to provide a powerful machine learning signal when the value is clear.
This shifts your campaigns from aimless automation to strategic capital allocation.
While LSAs have great placement, they also have limitations:
Call-only campaigns fill the gap by letting you:
When you run LSAs and call-only campaigns together, you:
Local Services Ads are a strong starting point for contractors, but they’re not the whole picture. Adding call-only campaigns ensures you’re not just getting leads — you’re getting the right leads. The combination of LSAs for broad, intent-driven calls and call-only campaigns for precise targeting creats a more reliable growth engine for your contracting business.
At B&G Growth Marketing, we help contractors balance LSAs with Google Ads strategies that scale beyond the basics.
Turn tactics into traction with a strategy built to perform, no guesswork, no fluff, just results.
