Changes to Google Ads for Local Businesses

If your firm runs Google Local Services Ads, you need to review your phone coverage before October 1. Google has announced that it will charge small businesses for some calls that go unanswered. If your receptionist is on another call, and the customer hangs up, your firm could not only miss out on revenue – you may also be left holding the bill. Google’s advertiser notice

For a small firm, that makes phone coverage part of the advertising budget. Before spending more on Google Search ads, check whether the calls you’re already receiving reach someone who can help.

What is changing

Starting October 1, 2026, missed calls during business hours can be charged if the caller remains on the line longer than 20 seconds.

If your firm advertises on Google, check for notifications in your Ads account. This is a Local Services Ads change, not a rule covering every Google ad. Regular Search ads with call buttons generally charge per click. Google’s call-asset guidance

You’ll still pay for a valid lead when you answer. Answering gives you a chance to learn what the caller needs and decide whether your firm can help, so you don’t miss out on potential business. Google’s lead rules

Review your missed calls

Pull up your recent call history and look for patterns. Are calls going unanswered over lunch? When your receptionist is already on the phone? After everyone has left for the day?

You may need another employee to cover overflow calls in the afternoon. Or you may discover that Google ads are running after your office is closed.

Next, look at what you’ve actually paid for those calls. Check whether anyone called back and reached the person, or whether Google credited the charge. If you pay $150 per lead on Google, just eight charged missed calls could take up $1,200 of your monthly ad budget. Use your own numbers, but you can see how this adds up even when you’re only missing a few calls a week.

Advertising schedule

You can set Local Services Ads to run during business hours or choose your own schedule. If you also run regular Search ads, you can choose when their call buttons appear. Ask whoever manages your ads to walk you through both settings. Local Services scheduling, Search call scheduling

For personal injury firms, accidents don’t just happen during business hours. Turning off your evening ads means missing out on opportunities to connect with clients who need urgent help. Paying for a third-party answering service gives you a chance to understand each client’s needs when they call.

While you’re in the account, check the locations and types of work you’re advertising for. Google no longer offers credits simply because you don’t serve the area or handle that type of request. Make sure your settings reflect the work you actually want. Google’s credit policy

What to do

If your staff can’t get to every call, this is a good time to consider an answering service. They can cover evenings and weekends, or pick up calls during the day when your team is already on the phone. You don’t have to replace your front desk to get help with the calls it’s missing.

Traditional answering services use human representatives, with some teams based in the U.S. and others overseas. Increasingly, many firms are looking to AI-based answering services. AI services often cost less than human staff, and they can be highly customizable to your firm’s needs. Ask prospective answering services if they can accommodate your firm’s intake questions, case criteria, and “pager duty” rules for transferring calls to attorneys. When comparing options, ask what each would cost at your usual call volume and whether the intake work you need is included.

You don’t need a second phone number. Your existing number can ring the front desk during the day and send calls to an answering service when the team is busy or the office is closed. Separate numbers can make sense in some situations, though. You might have an office line for existing clients and a dedicated intake line that gets answered around the clock. That gives you a clear place to send people responding to your ads.

Have your ads manager check the setup before switching numbers. Google supplies the forwarding number shown in Local Services Ads and has requirements for the business number it connects to. Google’s phone-number guidance, how calls are forwarded

Whatever setup you choose, try calling it when your receptionist is already on the phone. Then try it after hours. If you hire an answering service, ask what happens when several people call at once, or when an attorney doesn’t pick up a transfer. You want to find those gaps before paying to send more callers through them.

Always follow up

When a call is answered, always collect the information your firm needs to determine next steps. For personal injury cases, that probably includes what happened, when and where it happened, and whether the caller has already received medical treatment. Decide who gets that information and who calls the client back the next morning. A message sitting in a shared inbox can be easily overlooked.

If a high-priority client needs an attorney right away, decide which attorneys will be on call and when. Set up a regular on-call rotation (similar to “pager duty” for doctors), so each attorney knows when they’re responsible for taking those calls. Designate a backup attorney if the person on call can’t answer.

Once you’ve made changes, check a few more calls. See whether callers got through, whether your team had enough information to help, and what happened afterward. That will tell you whether the changes are working.

Lighthouse Legal

Lighthouse can help with that coverage. Our intake agents answer calls 24/7, ask the questions your firm needs answered, and send the details to your team. When a caller meets your criteria for a live transfer, the agent can connect them with an available attorney or staff member. See how Lighthouse works.