Google Ads
Pay per lead or pay per click: how the two compare
Local Services Ads and Search ads both show up when people look for a contractor on Google. You pay for them, set them up and manage them differently. Here is a plain comparison, and where CrewBuddy fits.
Text it like this
Fictional example.
How Local Services Ads work
Google shows Local Services Ads prominently in Search for many home-service categories, including electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofers, landscapers, carpet cleaners and handymen. You pay for leads, not clicks. A lead can be a phone call, a message or a booking. To earn the Google Verified badge you complete Google’s checks, such as a license or business registration, reviews depending on your category, and billing and budget setup.
Google says it orders these ads using your bid, how relevant you are to the search, how close you are, and your profile quality. Its list of quality signals includes your rating, number of reviews, average response time and photos. It also says missed calls may hurt your responsiveness. You can pause the ad from your account if you are too busy to take new leads.
Google is also moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads as pay-per-lead Performance Max campaigns. The first phase began in August 2026 for select home-service advertisers in the United States, starting with trades such as plumbing, HVAC, electrical, house cleaning, lawn care and roofing, with more businesses later in 2026 and in 2027. Google says you still pay only for valid leads. If you get a notice about the move, the setup and budget questions are between you and Google.
How Search ads work
Search ads are the text ads you build in Google Ads. You choose keywords, write the ad, pick the page it sends people to, and set a daily budget and an area. You pay when someone clicks. A responsive search ad can hold up to 15 headlines of 30 characters and 4 descriptions of 90 characters, and Google mixes them to fit each search.
Search ads take more setup than Local Services Ads, and they depend on a good page on your website. In return you see the actual searches people typed, you can block the ones that are not jobs, and you can advertise services or towns that Local Services Ads may not cover for your business. Some owners run both. Neither one promises a number of jobs. Test with a budget you can afford to spend while you learn.
Where CrewBuddy fits
CrewBuddy connects to your Google Ads account for Search campaigns. It reads results, builds paused drafts with ads and keywords, adds negative keywords and pauses things when you ask. You turn drafts on in Google Ads. It does not connect to Local Services Ads or Performance Max, so budgets, disputes and settings there stay in your Local Services or Google Ads screens.
If you run Local Services Ads, CrewBuddy can still help with the part that depends on you: answering. Send a screenshot of a message lead and it drafts a reply. Send your leads report and it summarizes what came in. The lead response guide covers what a good first reply says.
Before you spend on either one, check that your Google Business Profile is complete and your phone is answered during ad hours. Both ad types send people who expect a quick answer. See Google Ads for the slow season for a small first Search test.
Sources: Local Services Ads Help: getting started (United States), Local Services Ads Help: about ad rankings, Google Ads Help: Local Services Ads moving to Performance Max
Questions to answer first
How Google’s two main ad types for home services differ in how you pay, how you set them up, and how you manage them, and which one CrewBuddy works with.
- Is your trade and service area eligible for Local Services Ads?
- Can you answer calls and messages quickly during the hours your ads run?
- Do you have a page on your site for the service you want to advertise?