Why Google Local Services Leads Are Low Quality (And How to Improve Them)

A practical scoring framework for LSA accounts that want better fit, stronger credit outcomes, and more predictable booked-job performance.

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Franco Maccarone

Written by

Franco Maccarone

Founder, LeadUp

  • 2 min read

If your Google Local Services Ads (LSA) account produces mixed lead quality, call scoring is the fastest way to create consistent optimization signals. Without scoring, teams optimize for volume and hope quality follows.

A better approach is to define quality explicitly and use that definition every week.

Why call scoring works for LSA

LSA generates conversations, not just clicks. Conversation data contains strong intent signals that basic lead counts miss.

Scoring lets you separate:

  • High-intent leads likely to book
  • Medium-fit leads that need follow-up
  • Low-fit leads that should not drive budget decisions

Build a simple 100-point scoring model

Start with weighted categories:

  • 30 points: service fit
  • 25 points: geographic fit
  • 25 points: purchase intent clarity
  • 20 points: next-step commitment

Score bands:

  • 80 to 100: qualified lead
  • 50 to 79: nurture / partial fit
  • 0 to 49: low-fit or invalid

Keep this version stable for at least four weeks before major changes.

Operational loop to improve quality weekly

  1. Score all leads on a fixed cadence
  2. Review patterns by service area and time block
  3. Rate clearly unqualified leads quickly and request credits where eligible
  4. Adjust targeting and intake scripts based on score trends
  5. Measure booked-job rate by score band

This closes the gap between call center activity and media optimization.

Connect scoring to lead-rating quality

High-quality scoring improves lead ratings because rationale is clearer and evidence is easier to package.

If your credit recovery is weak, pair this framework with How to Dispute Google Guaranteed Leads (Step-by-Step Guide).

Connect scoring to booked-job outcomes

Scoring should predict bookings. If it does not, recalibrate weights.

Related guide: What Is a Booked Job in Google Local Services Ads? (And What Google Charges For).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Changing score criteria every week
  • Letting different managers apply different definitions
  • Ignoring medium-score trends that can reveal script or targeting issues
  • Optimizing to call duration instead of qualified intent

How LeadUp operationalizes this workflow

LeadUp is built to run this quality loop at scale for agencies and operators.

  • Direct LSA integration with MCC client imports
  • Automatic call transcripts and summaries for fast review
  • In-platform lead rating to standardize quality decisions
  • Cleaner lead-rating evidence for higher credit recovery rates
  • Feedback loops that train Google toward the lead types you actually want

Final takeaway

LSA lead quality improves when call scoring is consistent, tied to real outcomes, and integrated into weekly optimization decisions. When that loop is active, volume becomes more valuable and less noisy.

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