Should I Try Google Local Service Ads to Get More Leads? | Ep 35

👇 Watch the full discussion below:

Co-Founder Stephen Beach & Strategist Faustin Weber discuss AI generated websites, affluent prospect behavior, and what still matters for RIA websites in 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• AI Overviews Are Changing How People Search: As more queries end in an AI summary instead of a list of links, showing up in reviews and local results matters more than ever.
• Local Service Ads Only Fire for Buyer Intent: These ads trigger only when someone searches a direct, bottom of funnel phrase like "financial advisor near me."
• A Google Business Profile Has to Come First: The ads work best on top of an already built out profile and local landing page, not as a starting point.
• Debt Consolidation Searches Drive Unqualified Leads: A large share of "advisor near me" traffic comes from people looking for debt or mortgage help, and every call is charged.
• Zip Code Targeting Narrows the Pool: Firms can aim ads at wealthier neighborhoods, though competition for those zip codes runs high.
• Verification Takes Real Time: Google now requires ID checks, license confirmation, and a walkthrough video before ads can go live.

The One Paid Ad Worth Testing for RIAs

Why This Matters More Than It Did a Year Ago

Faustin Weber opens by pointing to a recent industry wide report showing that more search queries are ending in a Google AI overview rather than a traditional results page. Firms that have been building out review counts and local pages for search and generative engine optimization now have an added reason to keep going, since that same foundation is what makes Local Service Ads work. The ads sit right alongside the AI overview and the map listings, giving a firm's Google Business Profile a second way to show up at the exact moment someone is searching to hire.

How Local Service Ads Differ From Standard Google Ads

A standard Google Ads campaign competes for keyword searches. If someone reads a page about concentrated stock or a niche a firm serves, a keyword campaign can put that firm's link in front of them. Local Service Ads work on a narrower slice of intent. They only appear for searches like "financial advisor near me" or "best financial advisor in Columbus, Ohio," and the result looks different too: a headshot, a business name, and a "Sponsored" label sitting above the map pack and the AI overview.

A side-by-side comparison of Traditional Google Ads and Google Local Service Ads, highlighting how each supports a different stage of an advisor's local marketing strategy.

The Upside: Buyer Intent Without the Guesswork

Weber calls this the biggest advantage. Running ads on LinkedIn or Facebook usually means interrupting someone who isn't yet in a buying mindset, and a keyword based Google Ads campaign has the same problem. Local Service Ads only queue up a bid when someone is already searching a direct phrase like "I need an advisor." That is about as close to a real time buying signal as paid marketing offers.

The Downside: Paying for Leads That Never Convert

The tradeoff shows up fast for firms targeting $1 to $2 million plus households. A meaningful share of "financial advisor near me" searches come from people looking for debt consolidation or mortgage relief, not investment management, and every one of those calls still gets billed. Google's dispute process for unqualified leads has also gotten harder to use, so firms should plan for some amount of spend to go nowhere. Zip code targeting helps, letting a firm aim ads at wealthier neighborhoods and skip areas more likely to generate those searches, though competition for those same zip codes tends to be steep.

Illustrative example of how Local Service Ads appear above traditional Google Ads in search results for high-intent queries like "financial advisor near me." Company names and listings shown are for demonstration purposes only.

What Verification Actually Involves

Getting set up isn't a quick process. Google now requires a walkthrough video of the physical office rather than the postcard verification some firms remember from a few years ago, and any advisor featured in the ad has to complete an individual ID check along with license confirmation. Beach and Weber describe the back and forth with Google support as slow, so firms should budget a few days to a few weeks before ads can actually launch.

A Real Result: Two Qualified Leads in a Week

One client with over 150 five star Google reviews had already built out local pages and a strong business profile before adding Local Service Ads three to five months ago. Within two to three weeks, the firm fielded a call from a prospect with $250,000 in investable assets, followed a day later by one with $800,000. Both became clients. The result came from a foundation years in the making, not from the ad alone.

The Follow Up Plan Matters as Much as the Ad

Every charged lead is only worth what a firm does with it afterward. Calls get recorded, so whoever answers has to be trained to capture a name and email before the conversation ends. Beach recommends deciding in advance, as a leadership team, exactly how many follow up calls and emails a qualified lead gets and on what cadence, so a lead that could have become a client doesn't quietly fall through.

Shameless Plug for Craft on Tap

Local Service Ads aren't a shortcut around the review generation, local content, and SEO work that most of this podcast is about. They're an accelerant for firms that have already done that work. For more practical marketing strategy built specifically for advisory firms, listen to Craft on Tap, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Ready to chat? Get in Touch.

Listen to Craft on Tap, Growth Marketing for RIAs: