Last updated October 21, 2026.
Channel comparisonGoogle Ads vs Google LSA: cost per lead by trade
Yes: in all 10 contractor trades with both figures, Google LSA's headline cost per lead is lower than Google Search Ads, by $13.78 (House Cleaning) to $109.67 (General Contractor) per lead. Across all home services, LSA is $67 (average; AdGenius, Aug 2026) vs $90.92 for Google Search Ads (average; WordStream/LocaliQ 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks, Apr 2025 – Mar 2026), but in SearchLight's same-source data branded search ($34) beats LSA ($53) while non-branded search costs $149. The LSA and Google Ads figures in the trade table come from different sources and periods, so treat the gap as directional, not a like-for-like test.
Read this before comparing
- LSA and Google Ads numbers per trade come from different publishers and measurement periods. Google LSA: AdGenius (Jun 2026 – Sep 2026); AdGenius (Jun 2026); AdGenius (Jan 2026 – Apr 2026); 99 Calls (Apr 2026 – Jun 2026); AdGenius (Aug 2026); AdGenius (not stated (published Sep 29 2026)). Google Ads: LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks (Apr 2024 – Mar 2025); WordStream/LocaliQ 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks (Apr 2025 – Mar 2026).
- Branded vs non-branded matters: branded search clicks (people already searching your company name) are much cheaper than non-branded; trade-level Google Ads benchmarks blend both. Use the SearchLight same-source numbers.
- Stats differ: some rows are medians, others averages; the stat appears in each cell.
- A lead is defined differently by each source; compare cost per booked job where available with the calculator.
Cost per lead by trade
Other local services (not contractors)
| Trade | Google LSA CPL | Google Ads (Search) CPL | Difference (Ads − LSA) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental | $62 medianAdGenius (Sep 29 2026 GLSA national benchmark) · not stated (published Sep 29 2026) ↗ | $72.97 average (Dentists & Dental Services)WordStream/LocaliQ 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks · Apr 2025 – Mar 2026 ↗ | +$10.97 | LSA |
| Legal | $232 averageAdGenius (Sep 29 2026 GLSA national benchmark) · not stated (published Sep 29 2026) ↗ | $131.63 average (Attorneys & Legal Services)WordStream/LocaliQ 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks · Apr 2025 – Mar 2026 ↗ | −$100.37 | Google Ads |
Sources, periods and lead definitions differ and are not blended. Google Ads rows are search campaign averages that mix branded and non-branded traffic.
Same-source check: SearchLight
| Channel | CPL | Cost per booked job | Stat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Local Services Ads (LSA) | $53 | $233 averageSearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Feb 2026 ↗ | average | SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Feb 2026 ↗ |
| Google Search Ads (branded) | $34 | $104 averageSearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ | average | SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ |
| Google Search Ads (non-branded) | $149 | $804 averageSearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ | average | SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ |
| Google Ads (blended) | $104 | $472 averageSearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ | average | SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ |
| Google Performance Max | $72 | $447 averageSearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ | average | SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗ |
SearchLight reports Google LSA at $53 (average; SearchLight Digital, Feb 2026) vs Google Search Ads (branded) at $34 (average; SearchLight Digital, Jan 2026) vs Google Search Ads (non-branded) at $149 (average; SearchLight Digital, Jan 2026) vs Google Ads (blended) at $104 (average; SearchLight Digital, Jan 2026) vs Google Performance Max at $72 (average; SearchLight Digital, Jan 2026).
Related comparisons
- Google Ads vs Google Local Services Ads
- Angi vs Thumbtack vs Google LSA
- Google LSA benchmarks
- Cost per lead by trade
- Cost per booked job calculator
Frequently asked questions
Is Google LSA cheaper than Google Ads for contractors?
Yes: in all 10 contractor trades with both figures, Google LSA's headline cost per lead is lower than Google Search Ads, by $13.78 (House Cleaning) to $109.67 (General Contractor) per lead. Across all home services, LSA is $67 (average; AdGenius, Aug 2026) vs $90.92 for Google Search Ads (average; WordStream/LocaliQ 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks, Apr 2025 – Mar 2026), but in SearchLight's same-source data branded search ($34) beats LSA ($53) while non-branded search costs $149.
AdGenius (Sep 29 2026 GLSA national benchmark) · Jun 2026 – Sep 2026 ↗LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks · Apr 2024 – Mar 2025 ↗99 Calls (LSA CPL by industry, 2025 vs 2026) · Apr 2026 – Jun 2026 ↗LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks · Apr 2024 – Mar 2025 ↗AdGenius (Sep 29 2026 GLSA national benchmark) · Aug 2026 ↗WordStream/LocaliQ 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks · Apr 2025 – Mar 2026 ↗SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Feb 2026 ↗SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗Why is branded Google search cheaper than LSA?
Branded search captures people already searching your business name; non-branded search is the comparable “new customer” search. Google Search Ads (branded): $34 (average; SearchLight Digital, Jan 2026). Google Search Ads (non-branded): $149 (average; SearchLight Digital, Jan 2026). Google Local Services Ads (LSA): $53 (average; SearchLight Digital, Feb 2026).
SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Jan 2026 ↗SearchLight Digital (Home Services LSA Benchmark) · Feb 2026 ↗What does a plumbing lead cost on Google LSA vs Google Ads?
Plumbing: Google LSA $71 (median; AdGenius, Jun 2026) vs Google Search Ads $129.02 (average; LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks, Apr 2024 – Mar 2025), a difference (Ads − LSA) of +$58.02.
AdGenius (Sep 29 2026 GLSA national benchmark) · Jun 2026 ↗LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks · Apr 2024 – Mar 2025 ↗Which trade has the biggest gap between Google Ads and LSA?
The biggest gap (Ads − LSA) is General Contractor: Google LSA $56 (median; AdGenius, Jun 2026 – Sep 2026) vs Google Search Ads $165.67 (average; LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks, Apr 2024 – Mar 2025), a difference (Ads − LSA) of +$109.67. The smallest gap is House Cleaning: Google LSA $33.21 (average; 99 Calls, Apr 2026 – Jun 2026) vs Google Search Ads $46.99 (average; LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks, Apr 2024 – Mar 2025), a difference (Ads − LSA) of +$13.78.
AdGenius (Sep 29 2026 GLSA national benchmark) · Jun 2026 – Sep 2026 ↗LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks · Apr 2024 – Mar 2025 ↗99 Calls (LSA CPL by industry, 2025 vs 2026) · Apr 2026 – Jun 2026 ↗LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Ad Benchmarks · Apr 2024 – Mar 2025 ↗New benchmarks in your inbox
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