Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article
TL;DR Summary of Google Updates Broad Search Settings for Local Services Ads
Google has enhanced its help document on the broad search setting in Local Services Ads, explaining how advertisers can enable or disable it. Broad search allows ads to appear for general category queries like “plumber near me,” but can be turned off to focus on specific service searches. Advertisers can now view and filter leads generated from broad search within their lead inbox. Special considerations apply for industries like legal and food & beverage, and disabling broad search affects all verticals in multi-industry accounts.
Optimixed’s Overview: Understanding Google’s Enhanced Broad Search Controls for Local Services Ads
New Insights into Broad Search Functionality
Google’s update clarifies how the broad search setting works within Local Services Ads (LSA). When enabled, ads automatically serve for broad industry categories, helping advertisers capture general queries such as “dentist near me” without specifying exact services. This increases exposure but may generate less targeted leads.
How to Disable Broad Search and Its Effects
- Advertisers can disable broad search via the Profile & budget section in their LSA lead inbox settings.
- Disabling this setting limits ads to specific service queries (e.g., “sink installation”), potentially reducing lead volume but increasing lead relevance.
- This setting is global across industries in multi-vertical accounts, meaning disabling broad search affects all promoted service categories.
Lead Management and Reporting Enhancements
Google now provides tools to identify leads generated from broad search queries:
- Within the leads table, filtering by Category under “All search intents” helps isolate broad category leads.
- Reports on Total lead spend and Charged leads can be filtered by “Category” or “Direct Business” to analyze performance.
Industry-specific Nuances for Legal and Food & Beverage Advertisers
- Legal advertisers opting out of broad search will no longer appear for general law queries, only specific practice areas.
- Food & Beverage advertisers disabling broad search will stop appearing for generic restaurant searches but remain visible for broader food-related queries.
- These opt-outs are managed via toggles in the Profile & Budget section under Job Type settings.
Additional Clarifications on Targeting
Google emphasizes that Local Services Ads cannot target competitors’ branded search queries. However, branded query targeting remains available through Search and Performance Max campaigns.
