> **Local Services Ads to Performance Max: Contractor Checklist** > Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads as Performance Max. What trade contractors should export, fix and budget before the switch. Get the checklist. [Field notes](https://seoeliteagency.com/blog/)[Local SEO](https://seoeliteagency.com/blog/#local) # Local Services Ads Are Moving Into Google Ads: What Trade Contractors Should Do Before Their Account Switches Google is moving every Local Services Ads account into Google Ads as a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals, and your old performance reports will not come with it. Export them, fix your Business Profile and check your budget math before your switch date. [Jamie Kloncz](https://seoeliteagency.com/jamie-kloncz/) Founder, SEO Elite Agency, Naples FL Published October 23, 2026 12 min read [5 sources](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#sources) The ads still show on Search and Maps. The account behind them is the part that moves. In one paragraph The Local Services Ads move to Performance Max is Google's migration of every Local Services Ads account into Google Ads as a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals. You still pay per lead, and the ads still show only on Google Search and Google Maps, but budgets, bidding, callouts and reporting change ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Check your account ## Before your Local Services Ads account switches: a 7-point checklist Tick what you have done. It counts what is left before your switch date. It does not connect to your account and sends nothing anywhere. - **Screenshot or download your Local Services Ads performance reports***Google says past performance reports do not carry over to Google Ads.* - **Write down your average weekly budget and divide it by 7***That is your new daily average budget. Multiply it by 30.4 for the monthly cap.* - **Note any maximum cost per lead and per-category target you set***Manual bidding and category-level Target CPA are not supported after the switch.* - **Fix your business name, address and hours on Google Business Profile***They sync one way into Google Ads, and big changes later trigger a 24 to 48 hour review.* - **Pick at least 6 structured callouts to replace a BBB callout***BBB callouts are no longer supported.* - **Decide who answers calls during your listed business hours***A missed call counts as a lead if the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds.* - **Make sure the account administrator email is one you read***Google sends the switch notice 14 days ahead to that address.* 0 of 7 items ready Based on Google Ads Help and Local Services Help pages read October 22, 2026. General information, not advice about your specific account. 60-SECOND SELF-CHECK ## Where does your visibility actually stand? Three quick questions. You will get an honest read on where you are winning, where you are losing the customer, and the one gap to close first. Self-check 3 questions 01 When someone Googles your main service in your city, where do you land? Top of page one Page one, not the top Page two+ or not sure 02 Do you show up in the Google map pack, the top three with the map? Yes, consistently Sometimes No or not sure 03 Ask ChatGPT or Gemini for the best in your category and city. Are you named? Yes No Never checked YOUR READ Answer the three above and your visibility read appears here. VISIBILITY READ 0% ### [Measure it for real, free](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) Indicative self-check, not a diagnosis On this page - [01What is changing when Local Services Ads move into Google Ads?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#what-is-changing-when-local-services-ads-move-into-google-ad) - [02When will a Florida service-area contractor's account switch?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#when-will-a-florida-service-area-contractors-account-switch) - [03How does Google turn a weekly LSA budget into a Performance Max budget?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#how-does-google-turn-a-weekly-lsa-budget-into-a-performance-) - [04What should a contractor export before the switch?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#what-should-a-contractor-export-before-the-switch) - [05Which settings stop working after the migration?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#which-settings-stop-working-after-the-migration) - [06What carries over automatically, and what does not?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#what-carries-over-automatically-and-what-does-not) - [07Why should the Business Profile be fixed before it starts syncing one way?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#why-should-the-business-profile-be-fixed-before-it-starts-sy) - [08What should a contractor watch in the first two weeks after the switch?](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-moving-to-google-ads/#what-should-a-contractor-watch-in-the-first-two-weeks-after-) 01 / 08 ## What is changing when Local Services Ads move into Google Ads? Local Services Ads accounts are being moved into Google Ads as a special Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals. You still pay only for valid leads such as calls and messages, and the ads still appear only on Google Search and Google Maps. What changes is where you manage them: budgets, bidding, photos, callouts and the lead inbox all move into Google Ads ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Google lists what stays the same in plain terms. Its own words: "You still only pay for valid leads (such as phone calls and messages) rather than ad clicks." The campaign also stays keywordless, so targeting still comes from the service categories and areas you pick ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). What stays and what changes when Local Services Ads move into Google Ads ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)) Area Before the switch After the switch How you pay Per valid lead Per valid lead (unchanged) Where ads show Google Search and Google Maps Google Search and Google Maps (unchanged) Where you manage it Local Services Ads dashboard Google Ads, with the old dashboard redirecting there Budget Average weekly budget Daily average budget (weekly divided by 7) Bidding Manual maximum cost per lead was available Manual bidding no longer supported BBB callout Supported No longer supported Past performance reports In the dashboard Do not carry over Past leads, messages, call recordings In the lead inbox Move to the Leads page in Google Ads Standard Performance Max is a different product. It charges per click and runs across YouTube, Gmail and the Display Network. The pay-per-lead version a Local Services Ads account becomes does neither: it charges per lead and stays on Search and Maps ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). If someone tells you the move turns your ads into click ads, show them that page. 02 / 08 ## When will a Florida service-area contractor's account switch? Google is moving accounts in phases. The first phase began in August 2026 for select United States home and storefront service advertisers, including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, lawn care and pest control. Service-area businesses without a physical storefront follow in late 2026, and non-U.S. accounts and remaining categories in 2027 ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Most Naples and Fort Myers contractors run from a truck, not a storefront, which puts them in the late 2026 group. Census counted 216 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractor establishments in Collier County and 550 in Lee County in 2023 ([Census County Business Patterns, 2023](https://data.census.gov/table/CBP2023.CB2300CBP?codeset=naics~238220&g=050XX00US12021,12071)), and every one of them that advertises this way is on Google's clock. Google has not published a date per state or per trade. What it does publish is the warning: "The account administrator listed on your profile will receive an advance notification email 14 days before your migration date," with banners in the dashboard and a final reminder a week later ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). That 14-day email is the deadline that matters, and it goes to one address. If the administrator on your profile is a former office manager or an agency you no longer use, you will not see it. Check who it is today. Google also runs a support line for migrating advertisers, +1-844-205-0011, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). 03 / 08 ## How does Google turn a weekly LSA budget into a Performance Max budget? Google divides your historical average weekly budget by 7 to get a daily average budget, then caps monthly spend at that daily average multiplied by 30.4, the average number of days in a month. A $700 weekly budget becomes $100 a day with a $3,040 monthly cap. Daily spend can run higher on busy days, but the month cannot exceed the cap ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Google states both rules in one place: "Your historical average weekly budget is automatically divided by 7 to determine your daily average budget," and monthly spend "is capped at your daily average budget multiplied by 30.4" ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Worked examples of the budget conversion, using Google's own formula ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)) Average weekly budget today Daily average budget after the switch (weekly divided by 7) Monthly cap after the switch (daily times 30.4) $350 $50 $1,520 $700 $100 $3,040 $1,050 $150 $4,560 $1,400 $200 $6,080 The monthly ceiling barely moves. Google already described the old monthly maximum as your average weekly budget multiplied by the average number of weeks in a month ([Google Local Services, 2026](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en)). Dividing by 7 and multiplying by 30.4 works out to about 4.34 weeks, so a $700 week caps near $3,040 either way. What does change is how you think about a week. A storm week can spend more than one-seventh of the month, and the slow week after it less. Read the monthly line on your invoice, not the daily number, before you decide the budget is off. Before you read on Want to see how your own site answers these questions? Run the free audit. About 60 seconds, no email, and you get named findings, not a score. [Run myfree audit](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) [Booka call](https://seoeliteagency.hbportal.co/public/69bccfccf61f1d002932ebbe) 04 / 08 ## What should a contractor export before the switch? Save your Local Services Ads performance reports before your account moves, because Google says past campaign metrics such as impressions, clicks, weekly spend and ad-level reports will not migrate to Google Ads. Google says a download page is coming, and until then it recommends screenshots. Your past leads, messages and call recordings do move ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Google's answer to "Will my campaign performance reports (total spend, leads, etc.) carry over?" is one word: "No." Once the account moves, the old dashboard redirects to Google Ads and the old reports are gone from view ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). - **Screenshot every report you use.** Weekly spend, lead counts by job type, and cost per lead, for at least the last 12 months if the dashboard shows them. - **Download your lead list.** The lead history moves, but a copy in your own CRM or spreadsheet is yours whatever happens next. - **Write down your settings.** Service areas, job types, business hours, ad schedule, weekly budget and any bid limits. - **Record your cost per booked job.** Divide last quarter's spend by the jobs those leads turned into. Google does not report booked jobs; your office does. That last number is the one you will want in December. Google Ads will show "Conversions," which on this campaign type means leads you were charged for, plus "Cost" and "Cost / conv." ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). None of those tells you which leads became paying work. Your own before-and-after comparison depends on what you save now. 05 / 08 ## Which settings stop working after the migration? Three things stop working. Manual bidding, including a maximum cost per lead, is no longer supported. Category-level Target CPA is replaced by one campaign-level target unless you run separate campaigns per trade. And Better Business Bureau callouts are no longer supported, so Google asks you to choose at least 6 other structured callouts ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). The bidding change matters most to contractors who run more than one trade from one account. Google says that if you managed different Target CPA amounts for separate verticals in one campaign, "a unified campaign-level Target CPA will be calculated and applied to all vertical categories" ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). A shop that bid one way for drain cleaning and another for water heater replacement loses that split on transition day. Google's fix is separate campaigns per vertical, and its own example is plumbing and HVAC. Because new pay-per-lead campaigns cannot yet be created inside Google Ads, that setup still happens through Local Services at g.co/localservices ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). The BBB callout is the easy one to miss. If your ad leaned on "BBB accredited," pick six replacements now from the structured callouts Google offers, such as business hours, specialties or accepted payment methods. You can also add up to 100 more business photos on the Assets page ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). 06 / 08 ## What carries over automatically, and what does not? Google moves your locations, service types, business categories, budget limits, ad schedule and business photos automatically, along with your past leads, messages and call recordings. Your verified status and Google Verified badge carry over, and insurance and license reverification is no longer required. Past performance reports are the main thing that does not carry over ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). What moves with your account and what you must save yourself ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)) Item Moves automatically What to do Locations, service types, categories, ad schedule Yes Check them in Google Ads Settings after the switch Budget limits Yes, converted to a daily average Confirm the monthly cap matches what you expect Business photos Yes Add more on the Assets page if you want Past leads, messages, call recordings Yes Keep your own export as well Verified status and Google Verified badge Yes Nothing, unless Google notifies you of a new check Performance reports No Screenshot or download before the switch BBB callout No Choose at least 6 structured callouts Manual cost-per-lead bids No Plan around the campaign-level target The verification change is good news for Florida contractors. When you first joined, Google checked your license "against the state or country databases" and required that "All owners of the business must complete a criminal background check" ([Google Local Services screening, 2026](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575?hl=en)). Google now says that "Insurance and license reverification are no longer required" after the move ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Keep your Florida license active anyway. Customers can look it up on the state's DBPR site, and an expired license is a bigger problem than any ad setting. 07 / 08 ## Why should the Business Profile be fixed before it starts syncing one way? After the switch, your business name, address and hours flow one way from your Google Business Profile into Google Ads and cannot be edited there. Google runs that sync daily. A significant change to your business name, storefront address or primary category triggers a verification review that typically takes 24 to 48 hours, and your campaign may pause while it runs ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). That makes the Business Profile the control panel for your ads, not just your map listing. Hours, phone number and minor name updates sync within 24 hours. Bigger changes go to review ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Fix the profile before your switch date, not after. A contractor who renames the company, changes the primary category from "Plumber" to something broader, or moves the address in the week after migration can pause their own leads for up to two days, in the middle of whatever season it is. Service areas and ad schedules work the other way. After migration they "operate independently of your Google Business Profile," so you can target your ads differently from your organic listing ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Use that to keep ads on the towns you actually want to drive to. The same profile drives your Google Maps ranking. If it has the wrong category or thin reviews, it is costing you twice. Our [Local Services Ads management](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-management/) work starts with the profile for that reason. 08 / 08 ## What should a contractor watch in the first two weeks after the switch? Google says to "allow up to two weeks for the migration process to fully complete and for your campaign performance to ramp back to stable levels." In those two weeks, check that leads are arriving, that the right person gets the lead emails, and that calls during your listed hours are answered, because missed calls can still be charged ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). The call rule surprises a lot of owners. Google counts a lead as valid when "You missed a phone call during your business hours and the customer stays on the line for more than 20 seconds." Voicemails, text messages and emails count too ([Google Local Services, 2026](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en)). If the phone rings out while your crew is on a roof, you can still pay for that call. Two fixes cost nothing. List only the hours someone actually answers, and route lead calls to a phone that is answered. Google Ads lets you change the number that receives call and message leads ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Check the lead emails as well. Every user on the account is opted in to lead notifications by default, and at least one user has to stay opted in ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Make sure the person who books jobs is one of them. Then look at credits. Google assesses lead quality over a 30-day period and credits low-quality leads automatically, but it "no longer supports credits for 'job type not serviced' and 'geo not serviced' leads" ([Google Local Services credits, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7435486?hl=en)). Tight service areas and job types now protect your budget more than a dispute can. If you would rather not do this alone, send us your account before the email arrives. We will review your Local Services Ads settings, your Business Profile and your website together and tell you what to fix first, at no charge. [Start with the free audit](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) or [book a call](https://seoeliteagency.hbportal.co/public/69bccfccf61f1d002932ebbe). Watch it work ## Turn on what makes AI *recommend you*. AI recommends the businesses it can read, trust and quote. Flip on the four signals we engineer, and watch your visibility climb and the answer rewrite itself. THE FOUR SIGNALS WE ENGINEER **Entity graph***schema · knowledge graph* **Answer content***quotable, answer-first pages* **Trust & reviews***authority the engines verify* **Technical delivery***fast, crawlable, AI-readable* 9:41 AI VISIBILITY 6% THE AI ANSWER not recommending you [◆ You're the answer, build this for real →](https://seoeliteagency.com/free-seo-audit/) Illustrative · the four signals are the real system we build Questions ## This article, *answered*. - Will my Google Verified badge carry over to Google Ads? - Can I still create a new Local Services Ads campaign? - Do my old LSA performance reports move with the account? - Will Google charge for missed calls after the move? - How long does performance take to settle after migration? - Do I need to redo license and insurance verification? Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Yes. Google says that if you have already completed business verification, your verified status and your Google Verified badge transfer to Google Ads automatically, and insurance and license reverification are no longer required ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). If Google ever needs another business-level check, it says you will see a notification in your Google Ads account. Keep your Florida contractor license current anyway, because customers can look it up on the state's DBPR website and an expired license costs more trust than any ad setting. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Yes, but not inside Google Ads yet. Google says you cannot create new campaigns with pay-per-lead goals directly in Google Ads at this time, and that new campaigns or local accounts should still be set up through g.co/localservices ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). This matters if you want separate campaigns for separate trades, such as plumbing and HVAC, to keep separate bidding targets after the switch. Google says campaign creation in Google Ads will become available later. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples No. Google says past campaign-level metrics, such as impressions, clicks, weekly spend and ad-level performance reports, will not migrate to Google Ads ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Google says a download page is coming and recommends screenshots until then. Your past leads, message history and call recordings do move to the new Leads page. Save your reports and write down your cost per booked job before your switch date, so you can compare performance afterward. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Google's lead rules say a missed call counts as a valid lead when it comes during your business hours and the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds ([Google Local Services, 2026](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en)). If your phone system asks callers to press a key, the 20-second timer starts after they press it. Voicemails, texts and emails are leads too. The migration page does not change this rule, so the fix is the same before and after the switch: list only the hours someone answers. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples Google says many ads start running right away, but to allow up to two weeks for the migration to fully complete and for campaign performance to ramp back to stable levels ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). Avoid big changes to your Business Profile name, address or primary category during that window, because those trigger a 24 to 48 hour review that can pause the campaign. Judge the first month on leads and booked jobs, not on one slow day. Jamie Kloncz · SEO Elite Agency, Naples No. Google says insurance and license reverification are no longer required after the move, and that your verified status carries over automatically ([Google Ads Help, 2026](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en)). When you first signed up, Google checked licenses against state databases and required every owner to complete a criminal background check ([Google Local Services screening, 2026](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575?hl=en)), so that work is already done. If Google needs any further business-level check later, it says you will get a notification inside Google Ads. Sources - 1 [Google Ads Help: Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, read October 22, 2026 - phases (August 2026 select U.S. home and storefront services; late 2026 service-area businesses; 2027 non-U.S. and remaining); weekly budget divided by 7, monthly cap daily times 30.4; manual bidding and vertical-level Target CPA deprecated; BBB callouts removed, choose at least 6 structured callouts; reports do not carry over; verified badge carries over; up to two weeks to stabilize](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en) - 2 [Google Local Services: How leads work, read October 22, 2026 - valid leads include a missed call during business hours when the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds, voicemails, texts and emails; old monthly max is the weekly budget times the average weeks in a month](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en) - 3 [Google Local Services credits: About Automated Local Services Ads lead credits, read October 22, 2026 - charged leads reassessed and credited automatically; no longer credits job type not serviced or geo not serviced leads](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7435486?hl=en) - 4 [Google Local Services screening: Understand the screening and verification process - all owners complete a background check; licenses validated against state or country databases](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226575?hl=en) - 5 [Census County Business Patterns: 2023, NAICS 238220 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors - Collier 216 establishments; Lee 550 establishments](https://data.census.gov/table/CBP2023.CB2300CBP?codeset=naics~238220&g=050XX00US12021,12071) Written by [Jamie Kloncz](https://seoeliteagency.com/jamie-kloncz/), founder SEO Elite Agency, Naples FL. Published October 23, 2026. Check this page has not changed Every article is hashed when the site is built. This recomputes the hash of its text in your browser and compares it with the published record. Verify this article Related services [Local Services Ads management→](https://seoeliteagency.com/local-services-ads-management/) [Plumbing SEO for Southwest Florida→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-plumbing/) [HVAC SEO for Southwest Florida contractors→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-hvac/) [Electrician SEO for Southwest Florida→](https://seoeliteagency.com/seo-for-electricians/) ## Keep reading [All 106 articles →](https://seoeliteagency.com/blog/) [Local SEO14 min read What HVAC SEO Costs in Naples and Fort Myers, and How Many Jobs It Takes to Pay for Itself](https://seoeliteagency.com/hvac-seo-cost-naples-fort-myers/) ## Start with *the audit*. About 60 seconds, no email, and you get named findings for your own site, not a score out of a hundred. 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