In 60 Seconds
- •Maximize Leads (Auto): Google chooses your bid. Best for starting out or high-volume areas. It ensures you don't miss opportunities, but cost can fluctuate.
- •Max Per Lead (Manual): You set a cap (e.g., 'I will not pay more than $50'). Best for budget control, but if you bid too low, you disappear.
- •The Ranking Algo: Bid is NOT the only factor. Proximity, Reviews, and Answer Rate matter more. You can't just 'buy' the #1 spot if you have 1 star.
- •Strategy: Start with Auto to establish a baseline cost. Once you know the average (e.g., $45), switch to Manual and bid slightly higher ($55) to secure position while capping risk.
- •Weekend Bidding: Competition drops on weekends. Consider raising bids on Saturday/Sunday to capture high-value emergency work.
Google LSA is an auction. But it's not a highest-bidder-wins auction. It's a Highest Value + Highest Bidder auction.
The Factors
- Verification: Are you Google Guaranteed?
- Reviews: Quantity and Score.
- Responsiveness: Do you answer the phone?
- Proximity: Are you near the searcher?
- Bid: How much will you pay?
Strategy 1: The Aggressive Launch (Maximize Leads)
Use when: You are new or volume is low. How: Set bidding to "Maximize Leads." Why: You need data. You need to train Google's algorithm that you are a good business that answers phones and books jobs. Let Google determine the market rate.
Strategy 2: The Sniper (Max Per Lead)
Use when: You have reliable data and want to protect margin. How:
- Look at your last 30 days average CPL (e.g., $62).
- Set your Max Per Lead to $75. Why: This prevents Google from charging you $150 for a single lead during a "surge," but keeps you competitive enough to win the standard auctions.
Strategy 3: The Weekend Warrior
Most plumbing/HVAC businesses turn off ads on weekends. Demand drops, but Supply drops more. Tactic: Increase your Max Per Lead by 20% on Saturdays. Result: You capture the emergency jobs (Water Heaters, AC failures) when big competitors are closed. These jobs have the highest ticket value.
[!TIP] Don't Starve the Algo If you set your Manual Bid to $25 when the market rate is $50, you won't get "cheaper leads." You will get zero leads. You have to pay to play.
Read Next in This Hub:
- LSA Spam - Protect your budget.
- Google Ads Fail - PPC issues.
Related System:
- Local Visibility Systems - We manage your bids.