Google is continuously testing and rolling out new features for its Local Services Ads (LSA) platform. Keeping up with these changes is crucial for any business that relies on them for leads.
This article provides a straightforward, factual guide to the most significant recent LSA updates. We'll cover the latest changes in data access and lead competition, and also explain how an independent platform like CallRail provides the crucial intelligence your business needs to adapt.
Understanding the LSA changes and how to adapt
Here’s a look at two major updates and how you can adapt your strategy to thrive.
Update 1: Changes to how Google can use your LSA content and interaction data
What's Happening: Google’s updated Local Services Ads Terms (effective March 2025) have changed how it can use the content and data from businesses' LSA interactions.
The Impact: The new policy grants Google a broad, royalty-free license to use both your advertiser-created content (such as your business phone number, ad copy, and profile photos) and the interaction data generated from your ads (including call recordings, message logs, and booking details). This data and content can be used across other Google products linked to your account. For example, Google now has the right to use your LSA phone number on your Google Business Profile or other platforms, making it harder to accurately attribute where certain calls originated.
The opportunity: Create a backstop to verify your data
The challenge: With Google’s expanded license to use your data, you can’t always be certain how or where your LSA data will appear — or whether Google’s reports fully reflect your campaign performance.
The solution: CallRail. With CallRail’s independent tracking and secure hosting, you receive reliable recordings of your LSA calls and maintain a complete record of every interaction. The key difference is simple: Google's platform may use your data across accounts, but CallRail ensures you have your own verified source of truth. This allows you to audit Google’s call data for accuracy and retain full control over your business data for quality assurance, training, accurate attribution, and disputing invalid leads.
Update 2: The "competitive quote" feature
What's Happening: Google is rolling out a new feature that allows a single customer lead to be sent to multiple businesses simultaneously, inviting them to provide a quote in real-time.
The Impact: This shifts LSAs from a direct lead-delivery system to a competitive bidding environment. Success now depends heavily on your business’s ability to respond faster and more intelligently than your competitors.
The opportunity: Compete smarter with deeper integration
Pro tip: The "competitive quote" feature demands 24/7 readiness.
Because CallRail tracks every LSA call, it can instantly trigger automations to help you respond faster and smarter. You can:
- Instantly engage every lead 24/7. Use Voice Assist to ensure no call is missed and automatically send texts to keep leads warm and schedule appointments. You can then transfer the most promising calls directly to the right person for immediate follow-up.
- Focus on your highest-intent leads first. Use Conversation Intelligence® to automatically identify your most valuable callers, allowing your team to prioritize follow-up with the people most likely to convert.
- Streamline your workflow from end to end. Automatically send caller intake details to your CRM to eliminate manual data entry. This, combined with CallRail's full Google Ads suite integration, gives you a cohesive and actionable view of your marketing efforts.
Stay ahead of future LSA changes with CallRail
As Google's LSA platform evolves, the rules of engagement for data use and lead competition are changing.
The key takeaway is that by integrating an independent platform like CallRail, businesses can successfully navigate this new landscape. You maintain visibility and control of your call data, create a reliable backstop to verify Google's reporting, and access powerful tools like 24/7 AI answering, providing the marketing intelligence needed to win more business.
