What Local Services Ads are
- Ads that sit in their own box at the top of Google search for services like plumbing, cleaning or legal help.
- You pay per lead (a call, message or booking) rather than per click.
- Businesses are screened and get a badge. Since October 2025 Google has replaced the old “Google Guaranteed” and “Google Screened” badges with one Google Verified badge.
Are they available in Australia?
Not as of September 2026. Google’s Local Services help centre lists the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland and several European countries, but not Australia, and Google’s Australian ads site has no Local Services page. Anyone offering to get you “Google Guaranteed” in Australia should explain exactly how.
We’ll update this page if Google launches it here.
What Australian businesses can use instead
| Option | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile (the map results) | Free | Every local business. It’s where most local customers find you. See how to rank higher on Google Maps. |
| Google Ads (search ads) | Pay per click | Getting to the top for high-value searches straight away, while your map rankings grow. |
| Lead sites for trades and services | Pay per lead or subscription | Filling gaps in your calendar. Check lead prices and whether leads are shared with competitors. |
Google says there’s no way to pay for a better position in the map results themselves. Those are earned with a strong profile and steady reviews.
Where to start
- Make sure your Google Business Profile is complete.
- Check where you rank across your area, for free.
- If you’re missing in suburbs that matter, decide whether to work on the profile, run Google Ads there, or both.