Google has significantly expanded the number of booking partners available for Local Services Ads, giving businesses more ways to let customers book appointments directly from their ads.
Previously, Local Services Ads supported around 20 booking partners. Now, Google has increased that number to more than 500 Reserve with Google partners. This represents an increase of roughly 2,400%.
Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, confirmed the update and said:
“We’re vastly expanding booking capabilities for Local Services Ads to include more than 500 Reserve with Google booking partners – up from just 20.”
This expansion could make direct booking much easier for businesses that already use supported appointment and scheduling platforms.
The booking settings will also carry over when Local Services Ads accounts move into Google Ads over the coming months.
Businesses can also check Google’s full list of 500+ booking partners.
What Does This Update Mean for LSA Advertisers?
Ginny Marvin shared more details about the update on X.
The biggest change is that businesses may no longer need to manually connect some booking partners with their Local Services Ads.
Here is what advertisers need to know.
Direct Booking From Local Services Ads
Starting with this update, if your Google Business Profile already has an active partner booking link, Google can automatically enable the same booking option for your Local Services Ads. This means businesses do not need to manually connect the booking provider again.
Customers may then be able to book an appointment directly from a Local Services Ad appearing on Google Search or Google Maps.
For service businesses, this can make the customer journey much shorter. Instead of visiting several pages before making an appointment, users can move directly from the ad to the booking process.
Direct Bookings Will Be Tracked as Paid Leads
Google is also including these direct bookings inside Local Services Ads lead reporting.
When someone books through the booking option connected to an LSA, that booking will appear as a paid lead. Advertisers can continue viewing and managing these booking leads directly inside their Local Services Ads profile.
This is important because businesses can more easily understand how many appointments are coming from their Local Services Ads campaigns.
It can also help advertisers compare booking leads with other types of LSA leads, such as phone calls and messages.
Businesses Still Have Control Over Booking Links
Google is automatically enabling eligible partner booking links, but advertisers can still control their booking preferences.
If a business wants to change its booking settings or disable a particular booking partner, it can do so from the Local Services Ads dashboard.
Go to:
Profile & Budget > Settings
From there, businesses can review their booking preferences and turn specific partner links on or off.
Why Google’s Booking Partner Expansion Matters
The jump from around 20 booking partners to more than 500 is a major expansion for Local Services Ads.
Many businesses already use third-party scheduling platforms to manage appointments. Previously, only a small number of these platforms could connect directly with Google’s booking system.
Now, many more businesses may become eligible for direct booking through their ads. This could be especially useful for appointment-focused industries where customers often want to schedule a service immediately after searching.
It may also help businesses reduce extra steps between a customer seeing an ad and becoming a lead.
For example, instead of clicking an ad, visiting a website, finding a booking page and then scheduling an appointment, a customer may be able to start the booking process directly from Google.
Google Continues to Make Major Changes to Local Services Ads
This booking update is one of several recent changes Google has made to Local Services Ads.
Google recently expanded the LSA verticals, allowing more types of businesses to participate in the advertising program.
Google has also changed the pricing for calls.
At the same time, Local Services Ads accounts are expected to move further into the main Google Ads platform over the coming months.
Together, these updates suggest that Google is continuing to expand and restructure Local Services Ads while making the platform more connected with other Google advertising and business tools.
What Should Local Businesses Do Now?
Businesses using Local Services Ads should check their booking setup, especially if their Google Business Profile already uses a supported booking provider.
Advertisers should confirm that the correct booking link is active and make sure customers are being directed to the right appointment page.
It is also a good idea to monitor LSA lead reports after the update. Since direct bookings are counted as paid leads, businesses should track how many bookings they receive and how those leads perform.
Businesses that do not want a specific booking partner connected to their ads can change the setting from their LSA dashboard.
Final Thoughts
Expanding Local Services Ads from around 20 booking partners to more than 500 gives businesses far more options for accepting appointments directly through Google.
The automatic connection with existing Google Business Profile booking links should also make setup easier for many advertisers.
For customers, the change could mean fewer steps between searching for a local service and booking an appointment.
For advertisers, it creates another important lead source to track as Google continues to develop Local Services Ads and move more LSA functionality into Google Ads.
Forum discussion at X.
