Google Local Service Ads Testing Reviews & Overview Buttons

10/29/25
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Google Tests New Review and Overview Buttons on Local Service Ads

Google is experimenting with adding Reviews and Overview buttons to Local Service Ads, directing users to business profiles. These new buttons emphasize messaging features by highlighting response times. Despite upcoming changes, the old green verification checkmarks remain visible on profiles, leading to mixed signals for users.

Optimixed’s Overview: How Google’s New Local Service Ads Features Could Shift User Engagement

Introduction to Google’s New Button Experiment

Google is currently testing additional interactive elements on Local Service Ads to enhance user experience. The addition of Reviews and Overview buttons aims to provide quick access to important business information directly from the ad interface.

Focus on Messaging and User Interaction

  • Reviews Button: Redirects users to customer reviews for the business.
  • Overview Button: Takes users to the local business listing, highlighting essential details.
  • Both buttons bring up a messaging interface with a prominently displayed blue button showing messaging response times, encouraging direct communication.

Verification Badge Observations

Interestingly, despite Google’s announcement to replace the old green verification checkmark with a new blue Twitter-verified checkmark by October 20th, the older badges remain on all profiles during the testing phase. This could cause confusion about profile authenticity.

Implications for Businesses and Users

By emphasizing messaging and visibility of response times, Google appears to be prioritizing direct engagement between customers and businesses. However, the mixed usage of verification badges and the redirection to messaging may affect user trust and behavior on these ads.