Google expands Local Services Ads categories ahead of migration
Google expanded the list of businesses eligible for Local Services Ads (LSAs), adding more granular categories across restaurants, automotive services and beauty businesses as it prepares to migrate LSA campaigns into Google Ads.
A comparison of Google’s previous and current “Getting started with Local Services Ads” documentation shows the underlying LSA model remains largely intact, but the number and specificity of supported categories has grown substantially.
What changed. The most noticeable update is Google’s eligibility list. Previously, several industries were represented by broad categories such as “Restaurant,” “Dessert and coffee,” “Auto repair shop,” “Car wash and detailing” and a smaller selection of beauty services.
The updated document breaks many of those industries into far more specific categories. Restaurants, for example, can now fall under categories ranging from American, Chinese and Italian restaurants to pizza, sushi, steak houses, vegan restaurants and dozens more.
Automotive gets more granular. Google has similarly expanded automotive classifications beyond broad categories such as auto repair and car washing.
The current list includes categories such as Auto Air Conditioning Service, Auto Glass Repair Service, Brake Shop, Car Battery Store, Car Inspection Service, Oil Change Service, Tire Shop and Transmission Shop, among others.
Google told us the increased specificity is intentional. Separating something like a transmission shop from general auto maintenance allows businesses to more precisely identify the services they provide and potentially reach customers looking for those particular services.
Google Verified changes. The documentation also adds a new Pre-badge ads section. Eligible businesses that have passed preliminary checks can begin receiving LSA leads while completing the remaining requirements needed for the Google Verified badge. Those listings appear below providers that have completed the full onboarding process.
Google has also broadened where its Verified badge isn’t available. The previous document said it was unavailable for dining verticals. The current documentation says the badge is unavailable for auto, beauty and dining categories.
Why this matters now. The changes come as Google begins a much bigger transition for Local Services Ads.
Google confirmed that it’s continuing to invest in LSAs while gradually moving campaign management into Google Ads through 2027. The first phase starts with select U.S. home and storefront service advertisers in August 2026, expands to additional advertisers later this year, and reaches non-U.S. accounts and remaining categories in 2027.
What isn’t changing. Despite the migration, Google says the fundamental LSA model isn’t going away.
Advertisers will continue paying for valid leads rather than clicks, campaigns will remain keywordless, and ads will continue appearing exclusively in their existing local placements on Google Search and Google Maps.
Google told us that existing setups will automatically migrate into Google Ads, so advertisers won’t need to rebuild campaigns simply because the management platform is changing.
Why we care. The expanded categories give local advertisers more precise ways to tell Google exactly what they do before their campaigns move into Google Ads. That’s particularly important for businesses previously grouped into broad categories such as auto repair or restaurants, where the intent behind a search for a transmission specialist or sushi restaurant can be very different.
Bottom line. Google’s updated LSA documentation isn’t simply a longer eligibility list. It shows Google making Local Services Ads more granular across several industries at the same time that it prepares to move the product into Google Ads — keeping its pay-per-lead, high-intent structure while changing where and how advertisers manage it.
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