No. On 1 October 2026, the country selector in Google's Local Services Ads help centre listed Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Australia was not on it, and asking for the Australian version of Google's "Getting started with Local Services Ads" page returned the United States version instead.
Several Australian marketing blogs say otherwise, so this post sets out exactly what Google's own pages showed on the day, why the confusion exists, and what an Australian trade business can use instead. For the wider channel plan, see our guide to marketing for tradies.
What does Google's own help centre show?
Eleven countries, and Australia is not one of them. We checked these Google pages from an Australian connection on 1 October 2026:
- The Local Services help article Getting started with Local Services Ads. Its country selector lists the eleven countries above. Requesting the Australian version returned the page for the United States.
- Google's Local Services Ads address, ads.google.com/local-services-ads. From Australia it redirected to the general Google Ads page for Australia and New Zealand, which does not mention Local Services Ads.
- The Google Ads Help article Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals. It describes the product moving into Google Ads, starting with select US advertisers in August 2026, and lists non-US accounts for 2027. It does not mention Australia.
Availability can change, so check the help centre yourself before you put money aside for it.
What are Google Local Services Ads?
Pay-per-lead ads for local service businesses, shown on Google Search and Google Maps in the countries where the product runs. The business pays for valid leads, such as phone calls and messages, rather than for clicks, and the listing carries a verification badge. Since October 2025 that badge has been Google Verified, which replaced Google Guaranteed, Google Screened, License Verified by Google and the Money Back Guarantee.
Why do some Australian guides say they are available here?
Partly because many of the guides that rank for the topic in Australia are written for the United States, and partly because the product has changed its badges and, in 2026, its home inside Google Ads. Some Australian agency posts published in 2026 say Local Services Ads run in the major capitals for selected categories; others say they are not available here.
For example, 20 Minute Marketing's guide, updated in April 2026, says availability in Australia expanded in 2025 and 2026, and Adstralis, in May 2026, lists categories it says qualify here. Search Scope's guide, updated in July 2026, says they are not available, and points to the same country list we saw. Neither of the two posts claiming availability linked to a Google page that lists Australia: one links to Google's Local Services Ads address, which from Australia led us to the general Google Ads page.
Are Google Local Services Ads worth it?
Australian businesses cannot test that, because Google does not list Australia. Where the product runs, the appeal is paying for leads rather than clicks; the trade-off is less control, and Google's 2026 move into Performance Max ends manual bidding for these campaigns. For a trade business here, the useful question is what a booked job costs from the channels you can use.
Is there a difference between Google Ads and Local Services Ads?
Yes: Local Services charges per lead and Google Ads search campaigns charge per click. With search ads you choose the keywords, write the ads and pay when someone clicks, whether or not they call. With Local Services, in the countries where it runs, you pay for valid leads such as calls and messages. The two are converging: from August 2026 Google began moving Local Services into Google Ads as Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, starting in the United States.
What happened to Google Guaranteed?
It was replaced. In August 2025 Google announced Google Verified, a single badge that from October 2025 took the place of Google Guaranteed, Google Screened, License Verified by Google and the Money Back Guarantee on Local Services Ads. In 2026 Google began moving the product itself into Google Ads, with US home and storefront services first, including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, pest control, house cleaning and moving.
How much does a Google Local Services ad cost?
There is no Australian price, because the product is not offered here. Where it runs, Google charges per valid lead, and what a lead costs depends on the category and the market. For an Australian trade business, the comparable number is your cost per booked job from Google search ads, which you can work out from Keyword Planner's click prices for your trade and your own booking rates.
| Customer search | Monthly searches | Top-of-page bid range |
|---|---|---|
| plumber | 40,500 | $12 to $52 |
| electrician | 33,100 | $10 to $37 |
| pest control | 18,100 | $7 to $22 |
| air conditioning repair | 18,100 | $8 to $32 |
| removalists | 14,800 | $11 to $28 |
| roof repairs | 5,400 | $9 to $42 |
Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner, Australia, average monthly searches for September 2025 to August 2026, pulled 1 October 2026. These are the 20th to 80th percentile of historical top-of-page bids, not a promised cost per click. More trades are in our Google Ads costs for tradies data.
What can Australian tradies use instead?
- Google search ads with call assets and call tracking, bid against booked jobs rather than clicks. Our page on Google Ads for tradies covers click prices and bidding by trade.
- A Google Business Profile set up properly for a service-area business, with a steady flow of reviews. See local SEO for tradies.
- The lead marketplaces, which charge by subscription, membership or commission. Our comparison of hipages vs Airtasker vs ServiceSeeking sets out what each charges.
- The trust signals a badge would have provided: your licence details, insurance, reviews and photos of real jobs on your site and profile. In NSW, specialist work such as plumbing, electrical wiring, gas fitting and air conditioning must show the licensee's name and licence number in advertising, online included. This is general information; check your own state's rules with your regulator.
How can you check availability for yourself?
- Open Google's Local Services help centre and look at the country selector on the "Getting started" article.
- Visit ads.google.com/local-services-ads from Australia and note where it takes you.
- If someone offers to set up Local Services Ads for an Australian business, ask them to show you the Google page that lists Australia.
Then put the budget where you can measure it. Our Google Ads for tradies page covers bidding on booked jobs, our tradie marketing guide covers the full channel mix, and you can book a free 30-minute profit audit to have your own numbers checked.
Sources checked on 1 October 2026: Google Local Services Help, Google Ads Help on the move to Performance Max, Google's Google Verified announcement and NSW Government building trade advertisements.
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