Google appears to have changed how phone numbers are displayed in Local Services Ads, or LSAs.
Some advertisers are reporting that even when they have selected a Google Ads tracking number, Google is still showing the phone number connected to their Google Business Profile.
This can create a problem for businesses that depend on Google Ads call tracking to measure leads and campaign performance accurately.
The issue has been highlighted by Anthony Higman, who has been discussing it since September 1 on X.
According to Higman, Google has confirmed the behavior more than once.
Google Confirms How Phone Numbers May Be Selected
Google responded to the issue on X and explained how phone numbers may be selected when businesses use both location assets and call assets.
Google stated:
“If you are utilizing both location and call assets, ads featuring specific business locations may direct calls to the phone numbers associated with those locations rather than those set within your call assets.”
Here is a screenshot of this response:
This means that when an ad is connected to a specific business location, Google may display the phone number associated with that Google Business Profile instead of the phone number configured through Google Ads call assets.
Google Ads Tweet Reply
A screenshot of Google’s response also showed confirmation of this behavior.
Advertisers Report Call Assets Are Still Being Ignored
About a week later, Higman shared another update.
He explained that the account had active and verified call assets. In addition, the Google Ads number had been selected inside the advanced settings connected to the Google Business Profile.
However, according to Higman, local ad formats were still showing the main Google Business Profile phone number.
He wrote:
“We have active and verified call assets; we have the call asset as the Google Ads number in GBP advanced settings. It is still showing the Google Business Profile phone number on all active local ad formats.”
He also stressed that the issue needed to be addressed quickly because it could affect call tracking.
Anthony sent me this screenshot to show you where this is set:
GCP Setting
Higman also shared a screenshot showing where the Google Ads phone number was configured.
The setting suggests that advertisers had correctly selected the tracking number, but Google was still displaying a different number in some local ad formats.
Why This Matters for Local Services Ads?
Phone tracking is an important part of Google Ads reporting, especially for local businesses.
Many businesses use dedicated Google Ads phone numbers to understand how many calls are coming directly from paid campaigns.
If Google displays the regular Google Business Profile phone number instead, some calls may not be tracked in the same way.
As a result, advertisers may find it harder to measure:
- Calls generated from LSAs
- Paid advertising performance
- Cost per lead
- Campaign return on investment
- Which ads are driving phone enquiries
For businesses receiving a large number of calls, even a small tracking difference can affect reporting and campaign decisions.
Is This a New Google LSA Change?
It is still unclear when this behavior started.
The issue may have existed previously in certain situations. However, Higman continued reporting the problem because the phone number being displayed did not match the call tracking setup configured by the advertiser.
That suggests something may have changed in how Google connects Google Business Profile location assets with Google Ads call assets.
Google’s response also indicates that location-specific ads can prioritize the phone number connected to the business location.
The Issue May Now Be Fixed
Interestingly, there may already be some progress.
Higman later said that the setup appears to be working correctly again.
This could mean Google has made a change or fix to how phone numbers are displayed in Local Services Ads.
However, it is still worth monitoring because advertisers should confirm that the phone number appearing in their ads matches the number they expect Google to use.
Businesses running LSAs or other local ad formats may want to check their live ads, Google Business Profile phone number, call assets, and reporting data to make sure calls are being tracked correctly.
The discussion around the issue can be followed on X.
