In October, Google put a notice in the Local Services Ads dashboard: featured professionals are going away, and headshots are now optional. If you run LSA for an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical shop, you probably lost less than you think. Here's what changed and where to put an hour this week.
The short version: Starting in October 2026, Google Local Services Ads no longer show featured professionals, and headshots are optional and won't affect ad serving. Google says the rest of the ad, including photos and reviews, isn't changing. For HVAC, plumbing, and electrical shops, standing out now comes down to real business photos, a steady flow of reviews, and an accurate profile.
Running it yourself? The checklist below is for you. Want help? LSA is part of our Google & Meta ads for home services work.
What Google changed (and what it didn't)
The in-account notice says:
"Starting in October, featured professionals will no longer show on your ads. Headshot is optional and won't affect ad serving. The rest of your ad, including photos, reviews, and more, won't change."
PPC advertiser Anthony Higman spotted it in his Google Ads account and shared a screenshot. Both Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land reported it on October 19, 2026. Higman said he'd noticed LSA listings without headshots a couple of weeks earlier.
What "featured professionals" were
Featured professionals let a business show individual people inside its ad. Search Engine Land's example: "individual professionals, such as lawyers." Higman's reaction: "Big LSA change for lawyers."
Is it in Google's help docs yet?
Not fully. On October 19, Search Engine Roundtable noted that the notice's "learn more" link went to a help page that didn't mention the change. When we checked on November 9, Google's Getting started with Local Services Ads page still mentioned featured professionals and headshots for professional categories. For now the in-account notice is the clearest statement. Check what your own account shows.
Does this matter for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical shops?
For most trade shops, it's a small change. The coverage frames it as a legal-vertical story. For a trade shop it means one less setup task (no headshot needed to run) and no spot in the ad for individual techs. Your business photos still have a spot.
Will it change my leads?
Google hasn't said. Search Engine Land put it plainly: Google "hasn't explained whether removing featured professionals will influence other aspects of Local Services Ads performance," and advertisers shouldn't assume it will raise or lower lead volume without watching their results.
So don't guess. Google hasn't said whether removing featured professionals changes lead volume, so track your own leads before and after. Write down leads, charged leads, and booked jobs for the past few weeks, then compare over the next few.
What's still on your Local Services Ad
According to Google's Local Services Ads overview, your ad can show your business name, a tracking phone number, your location, reviews from your Google Business Profile with an average star rating, the number of reviews, business hours, the Google Verified badge, photos, and a business bio. Google adds that the formatting "may change from time to time."
Those are your levers. Two of them, photos and reviews, are fully in your hands. For how LSA compares with regular Search ads, see Google Ads vs Local Services Ads for home services.
Photos: show the shop, not a headshot
Google's performance tips say high-quality photos "can help you stand out on Google and get more leads." Its suggested subjects are your team, your work, and your equipment. Photos are reviewed before they publish, and your ad may also use images from your Google Business Profile.
What gets LSA photos rejected
Google's Local Services Ads photo guidelines don't allow:
- Off-topic images that don't relate to your business or services
- Another business's watermark
- Phone numbers anywhere in the image, including on vehicles, uniforms, or storefronts
- Email addresses
- Street addresses, office or home
- Out-of-focus or blurry shots
- Bad lighting, low contrast, or poor exposure
- Screenshots
- Duplicates of photos you've already uploaded
That phone-number rule is the one most likely to catch a trade shop. Wrapped trucks and branded shirts are exactly what you'd want to show off, and they often have your number on them. LSA photos can't show phone numbers, including on trucks, uniforms, or shop fronts. Shoot the angle where the number isn't visible, or pick a different shot.
File specs: JPEG, PNG, BMP, or ICO, at least 640×640, 10 MB max, and up to 100 images per account. Since August 2, 2026, AI-edited or AI-generated images aren't allowed in the EU or New York state. Google also says it's phasing out some of these restrictions and will send notice first, so check the page before a big upload.
No personally identifying photos
Google's wording: "no personally identifying photos should be uploaded." We'll leave it at that and follow the rule as written.
A trade shot list (our recommendation)
Our list, not Google's. Real job photos beat stock:
- A clean install: new condenser on its pad, a finished water heater, a tidy panel
- Before and after of a repair
- The crew in front of a truck, framed so the phone number doesn't show
- An organized van interior or equipment
- The team at the shop
If your trucks, shirts, and site don't look like one company yet, that's brand work, and it pays off everywhere, not only on LSA.
Reviews: still the biggest thing you control
Google's reviews help page is direct: "Star ratings and number of reviews affect how your business is ranked within Local Services Ads. Providers with higher star ratings and more reviews stand out and typically book more jobs."
Google says star ratings and number of reviews affect how your business ranks within Local Services Ads.
A few practical details from Google:
- Google recommends 5 or more reviews, and some business types may need 5 to show at all
- Reviews are managed in your Google Business Profile, not your LSA account
- Your review link is in LSA under Business Verifications, then the Google Business Profile tab
- Reviews follow Google Maps' user-contributed content policies
A simple review habit (our recommendation)
Ask when the job is done, text the review link that same day, and have the owner reply to reviews, good and bad. Stay inside Google's review policies.
Profile, responsiveness, and budget: the rest of the stack
Google's business guide to Local Services Ads lists the factors that decide when you show: proximity to the customer, reviews, responsiveness, Google Business Profile quality, and bid mode. On responsiveness, Google says "improving your response rate can help improve your visibility." (Related: when Google's AI calls your shop.)
Profile accuracy
Check your services, service area, hours, and bio. Use callouts like "free estimates" only if true. Hours matter more now. Since October 1, Google charges for some missed calls during business hours when the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds, and business hours come from your Google Business Profile. List the hours someone actually answers.
Budget and bidding
Google recommends the "Maximize leads" bid strategy over "Max per lead." We won't give you a budget number on a blog page. Size it from the jobs you can take, and judge it on booked jobs, not leads. The framework is in marketing budget for a home service company.
Your 30-minute LSA checkup
- Open LSA. Read the notice and confirm nothing is flagged on your profile.
- Take any headshot task off your to-do list. It's optional.
- Upload 5–10 real job, team, and equipment photos that meet Google's rules: no phone numbers on trucks or shirts, no addresses, sharp and well lit.
- Check that your Google Business Profile photos look current, since LSA may pull from them.
- Count your reviews and check your rating. Set up a same-day review ask.
- Check services, service area, hours, and bio for accuracy.
- Check your bid mode and budget against booked jobs, not leads.
- Write down today's leads, charged leads, and booked jobs so you can compare in 30 days.
How JMCG helps
We set up and manage Local Services Ads as part of our Google & Meta ads work, and our brand & creative work covers the real-photo side. Everything is built for home service companies, measured on booked jobs, with no long-term contracts.
FAQ
What happened to featured professionals on Local Services Ads?
Starting in October 2026, featured professionals no longer show on Google Local Services Ads. Google announced it through an in-account notice, reported on October 19, 2026 by Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land. The feature let businesses, mostly law firms, show individual professionals in their ads. Google says the rest of the ad, including photos and reviews, isn't changing.
Do I still need a headshot for Local Services Ads?
No. Google's notice says a headshot is optional and won't affect ad serving. For HVAC, plumbing, and electrical shops, a better use of the time is uploading real photos of your team, your work, and your equipment, and building a steady flow of reviews. Both still show on your ad.
Will this change hurt my LSA leads?
Google hasn't said whether removing featured professionals affects lead volume or other performance. Don't assume it will go up or down. Write down your leads, charged leads, and booked jobs from the past few weeks, then compare over the next few weeks. Your own numbers will tell you more than a guess.
What still shows on a Local Services Ad?
According to Google's Local Services Ads help, the ad can show your business name, a tracking phone number, location, average star rating and number of reviews, business hours, the Google Verified badge, photos, and a business bio. Google notes the format may change from time to time. Photos and reviews are the two you control most directly.
What photos are allowed on Local Services Ads?
Google suggests photos of your team, work, and equipment. It rejects off-topic images, other businesses' watermarks, phone numbers anywhere (including on trucks and uniforms), email and street addresses, blurry or badly lit shots, screenshots, and duplicates. Files must be JPEG, PNG, BMP, or ICO, at least 640×640, 10 MB max, with up to 100 images per account.
How do reviews affect Local Services Ads ranking?
Google says star ratings and number of reviews affect how your business ranks within Local Services Ads, and providers with more and better reviews typically book more jobs. Google recommends 5 or more reviews, and some business types need 5 to show. Reviews are managed in your Google Business Profile, not the LSA account.
Want a second set of eyes on your Local Services Ad?
Tell us your trade and service area. We'll look at your photos, reviews, profile, and budget against booked jobs and tell you what we'd fix first.
Book a free consultation · Or see how we run Google & Meta ads for trades.
