Google Local Services Ads are pay-per-lead ads that sit at the top of Google search with a Google Verified badge. They can be a strong lead source, but there is no land clearing, excavation or demolition category in the US today. A few contractors can qualify through a related category.
That surprises a lot of owners, because LSAs are one of the few pay-per-lead options our founder, Josh Stockel, actually likes. Below, we cover what changed with the badge, which categories exist, how LSAs stack up against your other lead sources and how to make them pay if you qualify. If you are building your whole lead system, start with our land clearing marketing guide.
What Are Google Local Services Ads?
Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) are listings that appear at or near the very top of Google for local service searches. You pay when a customer calls or messages you through the ad, not when someone clicks. Each listing shows your rating, your review count and a Google Verified badge once you pass Google’s screening.
You Pay Per Lead, Not Per Click
LSAs run on an auction. You set a budget and a bid, which is the most you will pay for one lead. Google then ranks providers on that bid plus profile quality. Google’s guide to how LSA rankings work lists responsiveness, rating, review count, photos and completed verification checks as inputs.
Google Guaranteed Is Now Google Verified
If you remember the green “Google Guaranteed” check mark, it is gone. Google replaced Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified with a single Google Verified badge. Google also ended the money-back guarantee that came with the old badge.
Can Land Clearing Companies Run Local Services Ads?
Not under their own trade name. Google’s list of eligible LSA categories covers dozens of trades, but it has no category for land clearing, forestry mulching, excavation, grading or demolition.
The Categories Closest to Dirt Work
| LSA category | Where it overlaps with dirt work |
|---|---|
| Tree services | Tree removal and stump work, common for clearing and mulching crews |
| Sewage system | Septic installs, repairs and the digging that comes with them |
| Landscaping services | Residential yard and grading-adjacent work |
| Junk removal services | Debris and small haul-off jobs |
Did You Know? Google only took guarantee reimbursement requests for jobs booked through LSAs before December 7, 2025. If someone pitches you on a “Google Guaranteed” money-back promise today, they are working from an old playbook.
Only List Work You Actually Do
If your company runs a septic division or does real tree removal, one of these categories may fit that part of your business. Do not stretch a category to cover land clearing. Verification requirements vary by category and state, and leads for job types you do not offer just burn budget and time.
Why LSAs Are the Pay-Per-Lead Model Josh Makes Room For
Josh is blunt about pay-per-lead services in his book. Most of them sell the same lead to several contractors and reward whoever drops their price first. LSAs are one of only two exceptions he names, and his reasons still hold after the badge change.
Verification Filters Out Cheap Bidders
Google screens your business before you get the badge, with license, insurance and background checks that depend on your category and state. That barrier keeps out much of the bargain-bin competition you would fight on a lead marketplace.
The Customer Picks You
Google says you only hear from customers who chose your profile out of the others shown. That is a very different starting point than a lead that has been sold to five crews at once.
Your Reputation Stays on Google
Josh’s point here is ownership. Your reviews and reputation build on Google, not inside a third-party platform that owns the customer relationship.
Straight From the Playbook: As Josh Stockel writes in Land It in the Dirt World, “If LSAs ARE available for your service in your area, they’re worth testing as a complement to your regular Google Ads.” He wrote that around the old Google Guaranteed badge. The name changed. The logic did not.
How LSAs Compare to Your Other Lead Sources
Are Local Services Ads cheaper than Google Ads? Not always. You pay for a lead instead of a click, but the number that matters is cost per booked job, and that depends on how many of those leads you close.
| How you pay | Local Services Ads | Google Search Ads | Shared lead marketplaces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment model | Per lead | Per click | Per lead |
| Who gets the lead | Only you | Only you | Often several contractors |
| Screening | Google verification | Ad policies only | Varies by platform |
| Land clearing category | No | Yes, any keyword | Usually yes |
Pro Tip: Keep your regular Google Search Ads running while you test LSAs. LSAs only cover the job types in your category. Search ads still catch the land clearing searches LSAs cannot reach.
If You Qualify, How to Make LSAs Pay
- Finish verification fully. Google offers pre-badge ads while you complete onboarding, but those listings show below providers who have finished every check.
- Answer every call and message. Google says missed calls can hurt your responsiveness score, which feeds your ranking. Turn on message and booking leads to cover nights and weekends.
- Build profile quality. Steady reviews, real job photos and a complete business bio help you rank higher. Google says higher-quality profiles may also pay less per lead.
- Track cost per booked job. Tag every LSA lead in your CRM. Our breakdown of why only 1 in 14 Facebook leads books a job shows how cheap leads can still cost more per customer.
- Review leads weekly. Give lead feedback on the ones that do not fit your services and check your lead credits in your account so you only pay for real opportunities.
Can’t Run LSAs? Here’s What Works Instead
For most land clearing, mulching, excavation and demolition crews, the answer today is a tight Google Ads campaign built for dirt work plus a strong Map Pack presence. Our guide to getting found on Google Maps covers that second half.
The Bottom Line
Local Services Ads are a real trust signal and one of the few pay-per-lead models worth testing. But there is no land clearing category yet, and the Google Guaranteed money-back promise is gone. Check your eligibility, test only where your services truly fit and keep building the channels you own, starting with the ones in our land clearing marketing guide.
Not sure whether any of your services qualify? Book a free strategy call with Blue Goat Land Leads. We’ll check LSA eligibility for your ZIP codes and map out the Google Ads and Map Pack plan that fills the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Google Local Services Ads available for land clearing?
Not as a dedicated category in the US right now. Crews that also do tree removal, septic, junk removal or landscaping may qualify under those categories for that part of their work. Check eligibility with your ZIP codes on Google’s LSA sign-up page.
Is Google Guaranteed still a thing?
No. Google replaced Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified with one Google Verified badge. The money-back guarantee tied to the old badge ended at the same time.
How much do Google Local Services Ads cost?
You pay per lead, not per click, and you set the most you are willing to pay for each lead. Your real cost depends on your category, market, bid and profile quality, so judge LSAs by cost per booked job.
Are Local Services Ads better than Google Search Ads?
They do different jobs. LSAs give you a verified listing at the top for eligible job types, while search ads cover any keyword you choose, including land clearing terms LSAs cannot reach. Most contractors who qualify run both.
