• GOOGLE LSA · PMAX MIGRATION · UK TRADES · 2026
Google Local Service Ads Are Moving to Performance Max: What UK Trades Need to Know in 2026
THE 30-SECOND ANSWER
Google is migrating Local Service Ads (LSA) into Google Ads as Performance Max pay-per-lead campaigns. Rollout began August 2026 in the US for select home service verticals (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing and others). UK accounts migrate in 2027. You still pay only for valid leads (calls, messages, bookings), not clicks. The standalone LSA dashboard is being retired. Historical performance reports do NOT transfer. UK trades have time to prepare, but the export-your-data window closes as your account gets migrated in 2027.
TL;DR
- What: Local Service Ads (LSA) are moving into Google Ads as Performance Max pay-per-lead campaigns.
- When for UK trades: 2027 rollout. US started August 2026. You have 6-12 months to prepare.
- Pricing model: Unchanged. Still pay-per-lead, not per click. Only pay for valid calls, messages and bookings.
- Where ads appear: Unchanged. Search results and Google Maps only.
- What breaks: Standalone LSA dashboard retires. Historical performance reports do not transfer to Google Ads. Lead histories do transfer.
- What UK trades must do now: Export all historical LSA data before your migration date. Prepare a Google Ads account structure. Update landing pages to reference “Google Verified” (the replacement for Google Guaranteed as of October 2025).
What is actually happening
On 6 August 2026, Google officially confirmed that Local Service Ads (LSA) are being merged into the main Google Ads platform as a new Performance Max campaign type: Performance Max for pay-per-lead.
The rollout is phased. It began in August 2026 for a limited set of US home service advertisers in these verticals:
- Plumbing
- HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning)
- Electrical
- Appliance repair
- House cleaning
- Lawn care
- Roofing
- Pest control
- Moving
Late 2026 expands to broader US advertiser groups. 2027 covers non-US accounts (that means UK) and remaining verticals.
The move is Google consolidating its ad platforms. LSA has always sat outside Google Ads, with its own dashboard, its own reporting and its own billing. That created friction for agencies managing both channels for the same client. Performance Max unifies everything into one Google Ads account.
UK timeline: what to expect and when
| Date | What happens | UK impact |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Aug 2026 | Google confirms LSA to Performance Max migration | Announcement only. No UK accounts affected yet. |
| Aug-Sep 2026 | First US home service verticals migrate | UK accounts unchanged. Observe US behaviour for signal. |
| Q4 2026 | Rollout expands to broader US advertiser groups | UK unchanged. Start preparing account structure. |
| H1 2027 (expected) | UK accounts begin migration | Export all data before your migration date. |
| End of 2027 | Remaining global verticals migrate | Standalone LSA dashboard fully retired. |
Google notifies account admins 14 days before migration, with a second reminder at 7 days. That gives you two weeks to export historical data. Miss the window and the year-over-year comparison data you rely on for client reporting is gone forever.
What actually changes (and what stays the same)
Things that stay the same
| Feature | Stays the same |
|---|---|
| Billing model | Pay-per-lead. You still pay for valid calls, messages and bookings, not clicks. |
| Ad placement | Only appears on Google Search results and Google Maps. |
| Google Verified badge | Continues to appear on eligible ads. (Note: this replaced “Google Guaranteed” in October 2025.) |
| Background check requirements | Same verification process for eligible verticals. |
| Lead review + refund process | Same dispute and refund workflow for invalid leads. |
Things that change
| Feature | What changes |
|---|---|
| Where you manage the account | Moves out of the standalone LSA dashboard. Everything lives in Google Ads. |
| Historical performance reports | Do NOT transfer. Export before your migration date or lose them permanently. |
| Lead history | Transfers to the new Performance Max campaign. |
| Budget cadence | Shifts from weekly to daily budgets (Google Ads standard). |
| Bidding | Managed by Google’s AI within Performance Max, not manual max-per-lead settings. |
| Google Business Profile integration | GBP edits now auto-update campaign fields (business hours, service areas, categories). |
| Reporting granularity | Google Ads reporting is deeper than the old LSA dashboard (conversion paths, audience insights, asset performance). |
| Multi-account management | Agencies can manage across clients from a single Google Ads MCC (Manager Account) rather than logging into separate LSA dashboards per client. |
How UK trades should prepare (2026-2027)
UK trades have a 6-12 month window to prepare. Doing nothing works — Google will migrate you regardless. But five preparation moves make the transition dramatically smoother and protect you from lost data.
1. Export all historical LSA data now
Do this today, not next month. Login to your LSA dashboard, download every report available: leads, disputes, conversions, spend, review data. Save to a permanent location (not just a shared drive that might get cleaned). This is the only chance to preserve year-over-year comparison data before the standalone dashboard retires.
What to export at minimum:
- All leads received (with call recordings if available)
- Monthly spend and cost per lead
- Conversion tracking data
- Review history from Google Verified customers
- Dispute and refund history
- Service area coverage and category settings
2. Get your Google Ads account structure right
You will need a Google Ads account (or MCC if you’re an agency) to receive the migration. If you don’t already have one connected to your business email, create it now. If you have one but haven’t used it in a year, log in and make sure it’s active — Google closes dormant Ads accounts after 15 months of inactivity.
3. Update all “Google Guaranteed” references to “Google Verified”
Google retired the “Guaranteed” wording in October 2025 and replaced it with “Verified”. Any landing page, brochure, van livery, invoice footer, email signature or PPC ad still using “Google Guaranteed” is out of date. Sweep everything and update.
4. Audit your Google Business Profile
Post-migration, Google Business Profile edits automatically flow into the campaign. That’s convenient if your GBP is clean. It’s a disaster if your GBP has wrong opening hours, outdated service areas or missing categories. Audit and clean up before migration hits.
Specifically:
- Confirm primary business category is the most specific one available
- Add all relevant secondary categories
- Set accurate service areas (postcodes for UK)
- Update opening hours (including holiday hours for Christmas, Bank Holidays)
- Add 20+ recent photos categorised properly
- Ensure phone number matches your website
5. Build conversion tracking that survives the move
Old LSA conversion tracking is basic (call, message, booking). Performance Max supports richer conversion signals (enhanced conversions, offline conversion imports, customer match). Get server-side tagging or Google Tag Manager in place now so post-migration your campaign has strong conversion data to optimise against from day one.
The UK trade migration checklist
Print this. Work through it in the next 8 weeks. Every task is doable in under 30 minutes.
This week
- ☐ Log into LSA dashboard, download all historical reports
- ☐ Save reports to permanent location with a dated folder name
- ☐ Confirm you have a Google Ads account tied to your business email
- ☐ If no account, create one via ads.google.com (no need to run campaigns yet)
This month
- ☐ Audit every landing page for “Google Guaranteed” — replace with “Google Verified”
- ☐ Audit van livery, invoices, email signatures for the same
- ☐ Audit Google Business Profile categories, service areas, hours
- ☐ Add 20 new categorised photos to GBP
- ☐ Install Google Tag Manager if not already in place
Next quarter
- ☐ Set up enhanced conversions in Google Ads
- ☐ Configure offline conversion import if you use a CRM
- ☐ Watch US case studies of Performance Max pay-per-lead performance
- ☐ Adjust monthly budget expectations (daily cadence, not weekly)
14 days before migration (when Google notifies you)
- ☐ Final export of all LSA data you don’t yet have
- ☐ Verify budget cap is set at expected daily equivalent
- ☐ Ensure Google Ads account is verified and payment method is active
- ☐ Screenshot current LSA rankings and top competitors for reference
Want us to run your LSA-to-Performance-Max migration?
Free 15-minute migration audit. We check your LSA history, GBP setup, Google Ads account readiness and give you a plain-English checklist. No obligation.
Frequently asked questions about the LSA to Performance Max migration
When exactly will UK LSA accounts migrate to Performance Max?
Google has confirmed 2027 for non-US accounts (which includes the UK) but has not given a specific month. Based on US pacing, expect H1 2027 for early UK verticals (plumbing, heating, electrical, roofing) with the remainder migrating through the rest of 2027. Google will notify you 14 days before your specific account migrates.
Will my cost per lead go up under Performance Max?
Not because of the migration itself. The pay-per-lead pricing model is preserved. What can change your cost per lead: the switch to daily budgets (instead of weekly), Google’s AI bidding replacing manual max-per-lead caps, and richer conversion signals that Performance Max optimises against. Early US signals suggest CPLs are stable or slightly lower post-migration for well-configured accounts.
Do I still need to be Google Verified?
Yes. The Google Verified badge (formerly “Google Guaranteed”, renamed October 2025) is still a requirement for eligible verticals to appear at the top of Search and Maps as a pay-per-lead ad. Verification requirements and process are unchanged. Any landing page or ad copy still saying “Google Guaranteed” needs updating.
What happens to my current LSA reviews after migration?
Reviews transfer with your account. Google Verified reviews appear on the new Performance Max ad in the same way they appeared on the old LSA ad. Historical review data is preserved as part of the lead history transfer.
Can I still dispute invalid leads under Performance Max?
Yes. The dispute and refund process for invalid leads is preserved. You still only pay for legitimate leads. The interface moves to Google Ads but the workflow is the same.
Will Performance Max show my ads on the Google Display Network or YouTube?
No. Performance Max pay-per-lead is a specific campaign type that stays on Search and Maps only, just like LSA today. This is distinct from the standard Performance Max (for e-commerce and lead-gen with click bidding) which does span YouTube, Display, Discover and Gmail.
Do I need to change my Google Business Profile for this?
Not urgently, but it’s a good idea to audit it. Post-migration, Google Business Profile edits automatically update your Performance Max campaign fields (business hours, service areas, categories). If your GBP is out of date now, it will misconfigure your ads once the migration happens.
What if I’ve never run Google Ads before?
You need a Google Ads account to receive the migration. Create one at ads.google.com using the email tied to your existing LSA account. You do not need to run any Google Ads campaigns first. The account just needs to exist and be verified so Google has somewhere to migrate your LSA into.
Should I switch to Performance Max now, before migration?
No. UK trades cannot switch to Performance Max pay-per-lead early. The migration is Google-controlled. Trying to run standard Performance Max (click-based) in parallel with LSA in the meantime is fine but should be treated as a completely separate campaign, not a migration test.
Will an agency running my LSA still be able to manage it after migration?
Yes, and it gets easier. Post-migration, agencies can manage all clients from a single Google Ads Manager Account (MCC), which replaces the friction of logging into individual LSA dashboards per client. If your agency isn’t set up with an MCC already, ask them why not.
How does this affect the AI receptionist workflow I have?
If you have an AI receptionist answering LSA leads (see our AI Receptionist UK guide), nothing changes on the receptionist side. Leads still flow from Google as calls and messages. The migration only affects where and how you view and manage those leads on the Google side.
The bottom line for UK trades
The LSA to Performance Max migration is real and it is happening. UK trades have a 6-12 month window before it hits. The pay-per-lead model, ad placement and Google Verified badge all stay the same. The dashboard moves, historical reports don’t transfer, and budgeting shifts to daily. Anyone still saying “Google Guaranteed” on their marketing has been out of date for nearly a year.
Do the 5-step preparation before Google notifies you. Export your historical LSA data this week regardless. Then get on with your day: nothing else you do between now and Q2 2027 needs to change because of this migration. The trade press will keep making noise about it because they need something to write about. The reality is quieter: same billing, same ads, different dashboard.
If you want a hand with the preparation or want us to run the migration when it lands, book the 15-minute audit above. Every UK trade running LSA is a candidate for the migration by 2027.
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
- Google Ads Help — Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns
- Search Engine Land — Local Services Ads come to Google Ads via Performance Max
- Search Engine Journal — Google is bringing Local Services Ads into Google Ads
- Google Business Profile — official help centre
Primary sources verified August 2026. All external links open in a new tab.
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