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As of March 2024 we have renamed Apexchat to Blazeo. We are excited to share the next part of our journey with our customers and partners.

Why the name change?

The name ApexChat implies that we are primarily a chat company, which is no longer true. Now we have many offerings, such as call center services, AI, Appointment setting, SMS Enablement, Market Automation, and Sales acceleration (Q2 2024), that go beyond chat. The new name will not only allow us to convey the breadth of our offering but will also better convey our company’s mission and values.

Why Blazeo?

Blazeo, which is derived from the word Blaze, evokes a sense of passion, speed, and energy. A “Blaze” is captivating, illuminates, and represents explosive growth. Blazeo encapsulates our mission to ignite such growth for our customers and partners by delivering innovation with passion, speed, and energy.

WEBINAR: Register for the Live Demo on How To Use AI Agents To Capture More Leads

Fix Paused Google Local Services Ads: 5-Step Rescue Plan

Mariam Hameedi July 28, 2025 6 minute read
Fix Paused Google Local Services Ads: 5-Step Rescue Plan

Has your phone stopped ringing? Are your Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) suddenly… dead?

You’re not alone. On July 22, 2025, Google flipped a switch — and if you didn’t act fast, your LSAs likely paused without warning. The result? Zero leads, confused teams, and partners wondering where the calls went. To make things more complicated, Google also changed how message leads are priced.

Let’s fix all that in five straightforward steps. Whether you're a solo contractor or running a multi-location operation, this guide will walk you through how to turn your LSAs back on and adapt to Google’s new pricing model — fast.

Step 1: Accept the New 2025 Terms (Get Un-Paused)

This is the simplest step — but the one most people are missing.

Here’s what to do:

  • Visit ads.google.com/localservices and log in.
  • Look for a red banner at the top saying “Accept new 2025 Additional Terms.”
  • Managing multiple locations or working inside an MCC? Make sure you’ve switched into the specific account first.
  • Click the link, check the box to accept the new terms, and hit Accept.

Local Services Ads - Settings: Accept

Google updates account status roughly every five minutes. You’ll know you’re good to go when the Status column flips from Paused to Eligible.

Pro tip: Keep a second tab open and refresh it every few minutes until you see the green badge.

No banner?
Try this path instead: Settings → Billing → Terms. You’ll find the acceptance button hiding there.
Still nothing? Confirm you’re logged in as an Admin — only Admin users can accept terms.

Step 2: Verify You’re Eligible — and Test If It’s Live

Green badge ≠ green light. Just because your ad is marked Eligible doesn’t mean it’s visible to customers.

Here’s how to verify:

  • On your LSA dashboard, click Preview Ad to view how your ad appears in a mock search.
  • Now open an incognito browser window on mobile and search for your service — e.g., “plumber near me.”
  • Google geotargets LSAs heavily, so try standing in or near your service ZIP for the most accurate results.
  • If your business card appears, tap the phone icon. See if the call reaches your main line or IVR.

Local Services Ads - Eligible Preview ad

Also read: What’s a Good ROI for Google Ads? Tips to Boost Performance

Nothing showing up? Run through this checklist:

  1. Expired documents? Upload updated insurance or licensing info.
  2. Suspended billing? Double-check your payment method.
  3. Low ad rank? Let’s fix that next in Step 3.

Step 3: Boost Your Ad Rank to Leapfrog the Competition

Google assigns every LSA profile a live ranking score out of 100. This score determines whether (and how often) your ad shows up.

You control three major factors:

1.  Reviews & Ratings (~40 points)

    • If you’re below 4.0★, you’re essentially invisible.
    • Ask at least 3 happy customers for reviews today.
    • Use the built-in request feature from your LSA dashboard to make it easy.

2. Response Time (~35 points)

    • Google rewards speed. Aim for under 30 minutes.
    • Don’t ghost spam leads — mark them as Not Interested instead. That still counts as a response.
    • Enable call forwarding after hours to ensure someone always picks up.

3.  Complaint Rate (~25 points)

    • Only dispute truly invalid leads. Too many disputes can hurt your trust score.

Quick win challenge:

Push your rating up by +0.2★ and get your average response time under 15 minutes this week — it could push you two spots higher overnight.

Step 4: Adapt to the New Value-Based Message Pricing

Until now, message leads were the budget-friendly option — often half the cost of a call. That’s changed.

Google quietly updated LSA pricing mid-July. Here’s what to do:

  1. Go to Reports → Spend by Lead Type → Lead Cost.
  2. Export your lead data from last month and compare it with this week’s.
  3. Look closely at the cost per message lead (CPL). You’ll likely see a jump — in some verticals, it’s up by 15–35%.

What services do you offer?

Now decide:

  • Stick with message leads?
  • Lower your bids?
  • Turn them off entirely? (Settings → Lead Types → Uncheck Messages)

Watch your new Effective CPL:

Calculate it by dividing your total spend by total leads. If that number crosses your profit threshold, take action.

Real example:
An HVAC contractor in Phoenix noticed their CPL message climb from $24 to $28 overnight. They dropped their bid by 10%, and the CPL stabilized at $25 the next day.

Also read: Why Your Leads Aren’t Converting—and How to Fix It Fast

Step 5: Use Google’s New Intent Labels for Smarter, Faster Follow-Ups

Here’s the biggest opportunity most advertisers are missing.

Google now tags each lead with intent signals, like:

  • Quote Requested → Hot buyer ready to talk numbers
  • Messaged Other Pros → You’ve got competition

Here’s how to act fast:

  • Download your lead data daily (CSV), or better yet, connect a webhook via tools like Zapier or Make into your CRM.
  • Auto-assign “Quote Requested” leads to your top closer — and commit to a 5-minute response SLA.
  • Set up automated emails or texts to the “Messaged Other Pros” group — but follow up personally within 30 minutes.

Why?

Speed kills the competition. Studies show contacting leads within 5 minutes boosts conversion rates by up to 400% compared to a 30-minute wait.

Ready to Supercharge Your LSA Results?

If your Local Services Ads are back but you’re still not seeing the leads convert, it’s time to level up.

At Blazeo, we help service businesses go from lead drought to lead dominance using smart automation, lightning-fast follow-ups, and real-time voice AI. Whether it’s qualifying leads, cutting CPL, or closing faster—our tools do the heavy lifting so your team can focus on what they do best.


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Want your LSA leads to convert 4x faster?

Let’s make it happen.