What's the Big Deal about Google Local Services Ads?

If you're in the real estate business, there's a good chance you've been hearing a lot about Google Local Services Ads, or Google LSA. The industry has been buzzing with talk about how this new seller lead source can generate a lot of inexpensive ready-to-transact leads and even produce inbound "come-list-me" calls. The question is -- is this lead source actually worth it?

What Is Google LSA?

Let's start off with the basics. What is Google LSA and why should you care?

Google LSA is a resource provided by Google that allows users to use Google to search for service providers that Google essentially prescreens and then recommends to the user.

For example, you could go to Google right now and search for "plumber in Santa Monica" and immediately Google will show you three prescreened and "Google Guaranteed" plumbers in Santa Monica. These prescreened companies pop up right at the top of the search results page (even above the pay-per-click advertisements) and are usually accompanied by numerous positive reviews featured front and center.

Google LSA has been around for quite some time for other industries, but just in the last couple of months it has become available for real estate.

So, why should you care?

If you were looking for a real estate agent in your area, wouldn't you most likely pick one of the three real estate agents Google recommended who had already been prescreened and showcased excellent reviews? It seems like a no-brainer, and the fact is, it's already working.

What Are the Benefits of Using Google LSA?

There are a few key benefits to using Google LSA that you're not going to get with other lead source providers in the real estate industry.

The most important benefits are that you receive high quality leads at a low cost.

1. High Quality Leads

• Google LSA leads primarily come in the form of inbound phone calls. That means no more chasing leads!
• The leads coming in are high intent prospects with short transactional timeframes.
• Google LSA leads are primarily sellers and out of town buyers.

2. Low Costing Leads

• With Google LSA, you only pay for inbound phone calls that last longer than 30 seconds.
• Google refunds you for any irrelevant and out-of-area calls so you're only paying for legitimate leads.
• The per-lead costs are inexpensive.

How Does Google LSA Generate More Seller Leads?

So you might be asking yourself, "How does this lead source generate mostly seller leads?"

The answer is simple. Google is doing it organically.

Typically, people who are local and looking to buy a house are not searching online for a real estate agent. Usually buyers will look for homes for sale in their local area straightaway. The only people who are really searching for real estate agents off-the-bat are people looking to sell their homes, people who are from out of town looking to relocate, or other out of town real estate agents trying to refer clients. All of these scenarios are highly desirable for lead generation.

Okay, What's the Catch?

At this point you're probably wondering, "Okay, so what's the catch with Google LSA?" While there isn't really a "catch" per se, there are a few key things you will need to do to be successful with this lead source.

1. Forty percent of the leads will be irrelevant.

That number might seem high, but keep in mind that this means 60% of the leads coming in through Google LSA are relevant and have high intention to transact quickly.

2. You need to pick up your phone.

With Google LSA, your ranking is controlled by a Google algorithm and how often you answer incoming calls from Google LSA is a major influence on how far up on the list you appear as a Google recommended provider.

3. You need to have an optimized Google My Business page.

Ninety percent of Google LSA profiles are linked to a Google My Business (GMB) page. Your GMB page should be complete with an accurate address, hours of operation, and any other required profile information.

4. You need to have business reviews.

Another really important influence on the algorithm that determines your Google ranking and ultimately how many leads you receive with LSA per month is reviews. For perspective, a real estate agent with 10 reviews will get less than six lead calls per month, whereas an agent who has 100 reviews will get upwards of 20 lead calls per month.

That's a Lot to Take in. Feeling Overwhelmed?

If you're starting to feel like you're in over your head, you'll be happy to hear that you can get help setting up your Google LSA and GMB page with Ylopo.

Ylopo has set up over 800 clients on Google LSA already and can help you get rolling with LSA fast.

Here are some of the things Ylopo can do to help you get started with Google LSA:

1. Ylopo automates the process of getting you credited for irrelevant leads.
2. As a client, you can take advantage of Ylopo's Instant Response Call Center that will pick up the phone for you so you don't have to worry about missing any inbound calls from LSA (something that would normally negatively impact your Google ranking).
3. Ylopo provides a Google LSA integration that links directly to your CRM so you can seamlessly get your Google LSA leads funneled right into the system you use daily to manage leads.
4. Ylopo provides direct assistance with optimizing your Google My Business Page so you can improve your rankings on Google LSA faster.
5. Ylopo automates the review collection process for you, helping you to quickly and effortlessly get your well-deserved reviews (something that also positively impacts your ranking on Google).

Still on the Fence?

If you're still on the fence about getting your business set up with Google Local Services Ads, here's some advice. Start by getting your Google My Business page set up and then head over to Google and search for real estate agents in your area to see which of your competitors is already taking advantage of Google LSA. It might be just what you need to see to get on board.

To learn more about Google LSA and the other seller tools Ylopo has to offer, check out www.ylopo.com/seller.