Google Local Services Ads (LSA) put your business at the top of search results and charge you per lead rather than per click, a call or message from a genuinely interested customer, not a guess at how many people saw your ad.
Generating those leads is only half the job. How you handle them, how fast you answer, how accurately you mark each one, directly affects your ranking, your quality score and now, more than ever, your bill. Google has just confirmed a change to how missed calls are charged from 1 November 2026, covered in full below, so this guide has been rewritten rather than lightly edited.
How LSA leads work
When someone interacts with your Local Services ad, they either call the tracking number shown on your listing, or send a message through the ad itself.
Under Google's standard model, leads are evaluated before you're charged: only those that meet Google's quality criteria count. If a lead is invalid or low quality, it may not be charged, and you can flag lead quality directly to Google to improve future relevance. Message leads are typically priced lower than phone leads, based on the type of enquiry and the likelihood of it turning into a booking.
What the change means for you
Before 1 November 2026, whether a missed call was charged depended largely on Google's own evaluation of that call. Businesses could reasonably treat "didn't answer in time" as low risk, mark it archived, and move on.
That assumption no longer holds. From 1 November, a missed call during business hours is charged as a valid lead if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds, regardless of whether you ever pick up. Marking it "unable to contact" afterwards does not undo the charge. The only ways to avoid it are answering before the 20 second mark, or routing the call through a menu that the caller never presses a key on.
| Scenario | Before 1 Nov 2026 | From 1 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Call rings out unanswered, caller waits 20+ seconds | Case by case Google's own evaluation decided if it counted as a valid lead | Charged Counts as a valid lead automatically, during business hours |
| Caller reaches a menu but never presses a key | Not a defined exception | Not charged Timer never starts if no key is pressed |
| Caller presses a key to reach your team, then waits 20+ seconds | Not a defined exception | Timer starts at key press Charged if still unanswered past 20 seconds from that point |
| First call doesn't qualify, customer calls back later and it does | Treated largely as a fresh, separate call | Charged The follow-up call is charged if it meets valid lead criteria |
| Robocall or spam call reaches your line | Could still register in some cases | New safeguards Google says it's introducing measures to limit these |
Why quality handling matters
Google uses your responsiveness and lead engagement as ranking signals for Local Services Ads. Answering promptly and marking leads correctly helps:
- Improve your LSA ranking and visibility
- Reduce wasted spend, now a bigger factor given the missed call change
- Signal higher quality to Google's lead optimisation systems
- Attract more high-intent enquiries over time
A structured approach means every lead is acknowledged, classified and managed consistently, whether it arrives by phone or message. The SOPs below set that out.
Standard operating procedures for LSA lead handling
Answer fast, every time
Every call is now effectively billable after 20 seconds. Treat that as your working target, not the previous 15 to 30 minute callback window, which was fine for customer service but does nothing to stop a charge on a missed call.
- Greet professionally and confirm the service required
- Quickly qualify location, service needed, and urgency
- If you can't guarantee someone will pick up within 20 seconds during busy periods, that's a staffing or call routing gap worth fixing, not an SOP problem
Marking answered calls
Use Booked only if a site visit, quote or job is agreed, and the caller is a genuine, relevant customer. Examples: a survey booked, a quote requested with clear intent, an installation date discussed.
Use Archived if the caller is outside your service area, wants a service you don't provide, has an unsuitable budget, or was only researching. Select the most accurate reason, for example Not my service or Out of area.
Missed calls under the new rules
Call back as soon as possible regardless, good customer service still wins jobs and a returned call can still result in a booking. But treat the callback as a service recovery step, not a way to avoid a charge you've likely already incurred.
- If contact is made on callback, mark it as Booked or Archived as normal, based on the outcome
- If there's no contact after reasonable attempts, archive with reason Unable to contact, for your own records and Google's lead quality signals
- Remember: the follow-up call itself can also be charged if it meets the valid lead criteria, so a genuine, qualified callback that turns into a job is not a loss
If you use a call menu (IVR)
If your phone system asks callers to press a key to reach the right department, you get a real buffer, the 20 second timer only starts once they press that key. If they hang up before pressing anything, you're not charged. If your call volume is high or your answer times are inconsistent, a simple routing menu is now a genuine cost control, not just a nicety.
Spam or irrelevant calls
Archive immediately if the call is sales or marketing, a robocall, or completely unrelated to your services, with reason Spam or Not a valid lead. Google says it is introducing its own safeguards against robocalls and spam abuse alongside the November change, but keep reporting bad leads through your dashboard regardless, your feedback still shapes what Google sends you.
Booking rules
Mark Booked only when there is real customer intent. Do not mark price checkers, time wasters or wrong-service enquiries as booked. Incorrect booking damages Google's lead optimisation for your account and skews your own numbers.
Quick decision guide
Response time standards
Target response time: within 15 minutes. Maximum acceptable time: within 1 business hour. Google weighs message responsiveness heavily, slow replies reduce visibility. This part of the model is unaffected by the November call charging change.
Initial message response
Every message must get a reply. The first response should be polite and professional, acknowledge the enquiry, ask one or two qualifying questions only, and offer the next step, a call, quote or visit.
Qualifying message leads
Quickly confirm location, whether it's within your service area, the service required, and the timescale or intent. Don't provide long explanations before you've qualified the enquiry.
Marking message leads
Mark as Booked when a call is scheduled, a site visit is arranged, or a quote request with clear intent is confirmed. Examples: "Yes, tomorrow at 3pm works", "Please come and measure for a quote."
Archive if the enquiry is outside your service area, the wrong service, there's no response after follow-up, or the budget is clearly unsuitable. Use the correct reason, for example Out of area, Not my service, or No response.
No reply from the customer
Follow up after 24 hours, then again after 48 hours, with a short, polite message such as "Just checking if you'd still like help with this?" If there's still no response, archive with reason No response. Don't leave messages open indefinitely.
Spam or irrelevant messages
Archive immediately if the message is marketing or sales, unrelated to your services, or automated nonsense, with reason Spam or Not a valid lead.
Message tone
- Professional, friendly, clear and concise, helpful rather than salesy
- No pressure language, no emojis, no pricing without context unless already approved
Optimising your lead handling for the new rules
Getting leads from Local Services Ads was only ever the first step. From November, how quickly and accurately you handle them has a direct line to your bill, not just your ranking. A few practical adjustments worth making now:
- Audit your answer times during peak hours. If calls regularly ring for 20 seconds or more before anyone picks up, that's the specific gap the new policy targets.
- Consider forwarding to a mobile during hours when the office phone won't reliably be answered, rather than letting it ring out.
- Keep your LSA business hours accurate. The new missed call charge applies during business hours, so an LSA profile that overstates your availability increases your exposure.
- Add a call menu if you can't guarantee fast pickup. It shifts the 20 second timer to the key press and gives genuinely unqualified callers a chance to drop off before you're charged.
- Keep using Google's lead feedback tools for genuinely invalid leads. The new anti-spam safeguards are additional protection, not a replacement for reporting bad leads yourself.
- Maintain accurate business information and reviews. Your services, service area, hours and Google Business Profile rating still shape which customers see your ad and how much they trust you before calling.
The key points from this article
- From 1 November 2026, missed calls during business hours are charged as valid leads if the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds.
- Archiving a missed call no longer protects you from the charge. Answering quickly, or using a call menu, are the only real levers.
- Follow-up calls that meet the valid lead criteria are charged even if the first call didn't qualify.
- Message leads are unaffected by this change. Response time and qualification standards for messages stay the same.
- Mark every lead accurately regardless, Google still uses this data to judge your lead quality and conversion rate.