LOCAL SEO NEWS

Local Services Ads Are Showing Your Real Phone Number Instead of a Tracking Number

The Short Answer

Some Local Services Ads have started displaying the phone number from the businessu2019s Google Business Profile instead of the usual call-tracking number Google normally assigns to LSA campaigns.

Why This Happens

Google Ads typically swaps in a tracking number on Local Services Ads so it can attribute calls, measure cost per lead, and report performance accurately. When the real listing number shows instead, those calls can slip through without being counted.

The Mistake Worth Avoiding

Do not assume every lead you are getting right now is showing up in your Local Services Ads dashboard. If calls are coming through your regular business line instead of the tracked number, your reported lead count and cost per lead could both be understating what is actually happening.

What Actually Works

If you run Local Services Ads, it is worth a quick check:

The Takeaway

This is an attribution issue worth watching closely if you run LSAs, since it can make a campaign look less effective than it actually is. It is not something to panic over, but it is worth tracking for a few days.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this cost me extra money?

Not directly, but it can make your cost per lead look worse than it really is if real calls are not being counted.

How do I know if this is affecting me?

Compare your actual call log against your Local Services Ads lead report for the same date range and look for a mismatch.

Source: Sterling Sky — Local SEO News

Want This Handled For You?

ReAlign Marketing keeps your Google Business Profile accurate and compliant so changes like this do not catch you off guard.