From sign-up to signed cases.
Here's exactly how HotClicks launches and runs Local Services Ads for your firm, and how we're handling Google's move of LSA into Google Ads.
The process
Five steps. One team.
-
01
Market check & free audit
We confirm your city is open (we take one firm per city), check which practice areas Google offers there, review any LSA account you already run and estimate what leads will cost.
-
02
Account setup & Google Verified
We create your account or take over the one you have, then manage verification for the firm and every attorney on the listing until the Google Verified badge is live.
-
03
Profile & budget
Practice areas, service area, hours, photos and attorney details, all matched to your Google Business Profile. Then a budget sized to compete for the #1 spot and the lead volume you want.
-
04
Reviews & responsiveness
A review request process that follows your state bar's advertising rules, plus our guarantee that every lead gets a response in under one minute.
-
05
Optimize & report
24/7 monitoring of your ads, weekly lead and charge review, monthly settings review, and a monthly report that runs all the way to signed cases.
Verification
What Google Verified takes for a law firm
In October 2025, Google replaced the old Google Screened label with one Google Verified badge. Law firms still go through the same kind of vetting to earn it, and you have to keep credentials current to keep it.
- Bar license for each advertised attorneyGoogle checks each license against state bar records.
- Identity checksGovernment-issued ID for the firm owner and the attorneys featured on the listing.
- Background and business registration checksRun on the business, and on individuals where Google requires it.
- Professional liability insuranceProof is required in many practice areas and locations.
- A verified Google Business ProfilePublic, verified and consistent with your firm's name, address and phone number.
The move to Google Ads
LSA is moving into Performance Max. Here's our plan.
Google is migrating Local Services Ads into Google Ads as Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, in phases from August 2026 into 2027. The move happens automatically, but it changes how your account is controlled.
| Area | Today in LSA | After the move |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Weekly budget | Average daily budget (your weekly budget divided by 7) |
| Bidding | Max cost per lead, or target CPA by practice area | No manual bidding. One target CPA per campaign. |
| Leads | LSA lead inbox | Leads page inside Google Ads; past leads transfer |
| Reports | LSA dashboard history | History doesn't carry over. Export it first. |
| Bad leads | Automated credits, no manual disputes | Same: no manual disputes |
| Badge | Google Verified | Transfers automatically |
| Billing & placement | Pay per lead; top of Search and Maps | Unchanged |
Our migration checklist
Every HotClicks LSA client gets this handled before and after their migration date.
- 01Export your LSA lead and performance history before your migration date
- 02Convert weekly budgets to daily budgets that keep monthly spend where you want it
- 03Split practice areas into separate campaigns where you need separate cost targets
- 04Move lead alerts into Google Ads and walk your intake team through the new Leads page
- 05Replace retired BBB callouts and keep every attorney's Verified status current
Based on Google's published guidance for the LSA transition to Performance Max, as of November 2026. Timing for your account may differ.
Already running LSA? Get ready for the move.
We'll review your current account and tell you exactly what the migration means for your budget, bidding and lead flow.