Google LSA Changes in 2025: What Every Plumbing Business Needs to Know

This is Tyler Williams, founder of Mammoth Marketing for Plumbers. If your business depends on Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) to bring in leads, then you need to pay attention to the changes happening right now. Google is tightening up its policies, rolling out new terms, and restructuring how LSAs work. These updates will directly affect how many leads your plumbing business gets from Google—and whether you’ll keep getting any at all.

Let’s break down what these changes are, why they matter, and what you should do immediately to stay ahead.

The Deadline: Accept Google's New Terms by June 5, 2025

If you haven’t already, you’ll soon receive a notification from Google about changes to its LSA terms. By June 5, 2025, you must accept these new terms, or your ads will be pulled.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Google can use your LSA photos, reviews, and other business details across its platforms.

• Google may monitor call and message performance to evaluate service quality.

• If you work with a marketing agency, they can now accept terms on your behalf—but only if authorized.

It’s a clear message: adapt or lose access to this lead source.

Why This Update Matters to Plumbing Companies

You might assume this is just legal jargon, but it has real consequences for your business. If you don’t accept the new terms:

• Your LSAs will stop showing up in search results.

• You’ll lose visibility when homeowners search for plumbers near them.

• You’ll fall behind competitors who are fully compliant and optimizing for the new criteria.

This isn’t just about agreeing to new rules—it’s about adjusting your entire LSA strategy to match how the platform now works.

How Google Ranks LSAs in 2025

A common misconception is that whoever spends the most on LSAs wins. That’s not the case. Google uses a combination of factors to determine ranking.

The top performance indicators include:

1. Review Score and Review Count
Businesses with strong ratings and frequent new reviews rise to the top.

2. Response Time and Consistency
Google measures how quickly and reliably you answer calls and messages.

3. Business Hours
Being listed as “open” when a search happens gives you priority, especially for emergency services.

4. Location Accuracy
Google prioritizes proximity, so your service area and business address need to be accurate and verified.

5. Budget
Your spending does matter—but only after the first four areas are optimized.

If your LSAs aren’t performing, throwing more budget at it won’t help until you’ve addressed these issues first.

Your Google Business Profile Now Affects LSA Rankings

As of late 2024, your Google Business Profile (GBP) must be verified and synced with your LSA account. If it’s outdated or inconsistent, it will impact your ad performance.

Here’s what to review:

• Make sure your GBP is fully verified.

• Check that your service area, phone number, and hours match your LSA profile.

• Add fresh photos and post regular updates.

• Continue asking for reviews directly through your GBP.

If your business profile hasn’t been updated in six months or more, you’re already at a disadvantage.

The Real Value of Customer Reviews

Reviews have always been important, but now they directly impact your lead flow through LSAs.

You need:

• A steady stream of positive, recent reviews

• A rating of at least 4.5 stars

• Responses to every review, especially negative ones

Don’t overthink it. Ask every happy customer for a review, make it easy, and follow up. Automate the process if you can.

The businesses with the most consistent review strategy will see the most consistent lead volume.

Don’t Depend on LSAs Alone

This is the uncomfortable truth: relying entirely on LSAs for lead generation is risky. Google can change the rules at any time—as they just did.

To protect your business, build a diversified digital marketing strategy:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Your website should rank for your services in your city. This is traffic you own.

Google Ads (PPC)
Standard search ads still deliver high-quality leads. Control your keywords, budget, and targeting.

Dedicated Local Pages
Service-specific landing pages for water heater repair, drain cleaning, sewer line inspections, and more help with both SEO and paid campaigns.

Email and Retargeting
Keep your name in front of past customers. The easiest lead is the one who already trusts you.

When LSAs get slow or the algorithm changes again, you’ll be ready.

Action Steps for This Week

Don’t overthink it—just start knocking things off this list:

1. Log in to your LSA account and accept the new terms.

2. Verify your Google Business Profile if you haven’t already.

3. Update your hours, services, and location info.

4. Check your call responsiveness—are you answering or missing leads?

5. Build a consistent process for collecting reviews from every job.

6. Schedule a marketing review if you want expert help making sure your foundation is solid.

Doing nothing puts your business at risk. Taking small, decisive steps now protects your lead flow—and positions you to grow.

Final Thoughts

Google will keep changing the rules. Some businesses will adapt. Others will ignore the signs, lose leads, and wonder what happened.

The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone.

At Mammoth Marketing for Plumbers, we help plumbing companies across the country get more calls, more booked jobs, and more clarity about what’s actually driving results. Whether you need help with LSAs, SEO, PPC, or building a full marketing strategy, we’ve got your back.

If you want to take control of your marketing instead of reacting to Google’s every move, it’s time to make a change.

Schedule a consultation today at TylerWilliams.net and let’s build something that lasts.