How much does it cost to be on Google? Being on Google is free. A Google Business Profile costs $0. Getting more calls from Google costs money. Local Services Ads charge per lead, about $43 to $76 a lead in September 2026. Google Ads charge per click, about $8.33 a click for home services. Local SEO averages about $1,557 a month.
Updated October 2026Tell us your trade and town. We'll reply with which option fits and what it should cost.
There are four: a free Google Business Profile, Local Services Ads, Google Ads and SEO.
| Item | Google Business Profile | Local Services Ads | Google Ads | SEO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your free listing on Google Maps and Search | The "Google Verified" ads at the top of the page | Text ads that show when people search | Work that gets your site and listing ranking without paying per click |
| How you pay | Free | Per lead (a call, message or booking) | Per click | Monthly fee |
| Typical cost | $0 | $42.73 to $75.84 a lead, by spend level (Sep 2026) | $8.33 a click, $90.92 a lead (home and home improvement average) | $1,557 a month average for local SEO |
| When it starts | After verification. Google reviews take up to 5 business days | After Google's screening and verification | Most ads are reviewed within one business day | No fixed timeline. It depends on your site, your listing and your competition |
| Who it fits | Every local business | Trades Google lists for LSAs (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing and more) that answer the phone fast | Owners who want calls now and can track which clicks book jobs | Owners who want calls that keep coming without a per-click bill |
Costs are national averages. Your trade, city and season change them.
We check your website, Google listing, calls and tracking against the top 3 businesses near you. You get a score and the top 3 fixes, free.
Google charges nothing to create or keep a Business Profile. It is the listing that shows your hours, reviews, photos and phone number on Maps and in the local results.
The profile is free. Keeping it working takes time: posts, photos, answering reviews, fixing wrong edits. You either do that yourself or pay someone to do it.
Verification can take a while. A postcard code usually arrives within 14 days, and Google's review after that takes up to 5 business days.
Our Local SEO plan includes Google listing management and review requests at $1,497 a month for one location.
More detail: How much does a Google Business Profile cost?
Local Services Ads cost $42.73 to $75.84 a lead in September 2026, according to SearchLight data from 948 contractors.
Local Services Ads sit above the regular ads and carry the Google Verified badge. You pay when a customer contacts you through the ad. You do not pay for clicks.
What contractors paid in September 2026 (SearchLight data, 948 contractors):
A lead is a contact. It may or may not book. In the same data, 41% of graded LSA leads could not have booked at all (wrong service, hang-ups, robocall menus). How fast you answer decides a lot of what you get for the money.
Google is moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads. The first US home-service advertisers began moving in August 2026, and more follow in late 2026. You still pay per lead, and the ads show in the same places.
More detail: How much do Local Services Ads cost? · Local Services Ads for contractors · Our Google Ads and LSA management
Google Ads cost $8.33 a click and $90.92 a lead for home and home improvement businesses, according to LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks.
Google Ads show when someone searches words you bid on. You pay each time someone clicks, whether they call or not.
LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks for home and home improvement:
You set the budget. Google spends it. $10 a day works out to about $304 a month, using Google's own 30.4-day math.
Tracking which clicks turn into booked jobs is what tells you if the spend is working. For one outdoor construction company in North Florida, we tracked more than $2.7 million in booked jobs in 12 months.
Our plans are a monthly fee plus your ad spend. Growth Engine runs Google Ads and Local Services Ads from $6,500 a month plus ad spend.
More detail: How much do Google Ads cost? · Google Ads management
Local SEO averages $1,557 a month, according to Ahrefs' survey of 439 SEO providers.
SEO is the work that gets your website and Google listing to rank in the free results and the map pack. You pay a monthly fee for the work.
In Ahrefs' survey of 439 SEO providers:
SEO takes longer to start than ads. Once you rank, Google does not charge you for the clicks.
Our Local SEO plan is $1,497 a month for one location. It includes Google listing management and review requests.
More detail: How much does SEO cost? · SEO services
Every figure below is a national average from the source named in the row.
| Option | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | $0 | |
| Local Services Ads, under $2,000 a month in spend | $42.73 a lead (Sep 2026) | SearchLight |
| Local Services Ads, over $50,000 a month in spend | $75.84 a lead (Sep 2026) | SearchLight |
| Google Ads, home and home improvement | $8.33 a click, $90.92 a lead (2026) | LocaliQ |
| Google Ads, all industries | $5.42 a click, $66.69 a lead (2026) | LocaliQ |
| Local SEO, all providers | $1,557 a month | Ahrefs |
| Local SEO, agencies | $1,819 a month | Ahrefs |
| Local SEO, freelancers | About $1,150 a month | Ahrefs |
Start with the free Google Business Profile, then add paid options as you need calls.
Yes. A Google Business Profile is free to create and keep. It puts your business on Google Maps and in local search results. You only pay if you choose ads or hire someone to manage your listing or SEO.
In September 2026, contractors paid $42.73 a lead when they spent under $2,000 a month and $75.84 a lead when they spent over $50,000 a month, based on SearchLight data from 948 contractors. Your trade and city change the price.
LocaliQ's 2026 benchmarks put the average cost per click for home and home improvement businesses at $8.33 and the average cost per lead at $90.92.
Local Services Ads charge you when a customer contacts you, and they show the Google Verified badge. Google Ads charge you for each click on your ad, whether or not the person calls.
Ahrefs' survey of 439 SEO providers found local SEO averages $1,557 a month. Agencies averaged $1,819 a month for local SEO. Pinnacle's Local SEO plan is $1,497 a month for one location.
You can create a Google Business Profile in minutes. Google then verifies it. A postcard code usually arrives within 14 days, and Google's review takes up to 5 business days after you finish the steps.
Google says most ads are reviewed within one business day. Your ads can start showing once they are approved.
No. Your Google Business Profile is what puts you on Google Maps, and it is free. Paid Local Services Ads and Google Ads can also show on Maps, but those are optional.
You choose. Google Ads uses an average daily budget. $10 a day is about $304 a month, because Google caps the month at 30.4 times your daily budget. On a single day Google can spend up to twice your daily budget.
No. Google says its calls will never ask you to sign up for a service, pay money or give personal information. If a caller says your listing will be removed unless you pay, hang up and report it to Google.
No. Your Google Business Profile and the reviews on it are free. Google does not charge you to reply to reviews or add photos.
In the 2026 data on this page, the average Local Services Ads lead cost less than the average Google Ads lead for home services. The two numbers come from different studies, so test both in your own market and compare cost per booked job.
We check your website, Google listing, calls and tracking against the top 3 businesses near you, and show you the top 3 fixes.
Tell us about your business. We'll reply with a straight answer and a quote.
Here's a little more about how we operate. Got a more specific question? Feel free to get in touch.
Here's a little more about how we operate. Got a more specific question? Feel free to get in touch.
