According to one recent study, about 8 out of every 10 consumers in the United States search for a local business online every week. Not only that, but as many as 32% of people say that they look up information about local businesses online at least once a day – if not more.
Indeed, there has been a 500% increase in searches with terms like “Near me” over the last few years – and smartphones are a big part of the reason why. If every smartphone sold to customers has a GPS chip inside it, then “near me” becomes hugely relevant. So if someone were looking for a specific type of business that is very close to their physical location, it probably means that they’re ready to buy. Therefore, catering your online marketing to these specific customers is a great way to increase visibility and generate sales almost immediately.
But what does that mean for a service-based business like a moving company? Obviously, competition in any one particular area is fierce and there are a lot of similar organizations that are vying for the top spot in the Google search results. How do you attract the right type of attention in a way that breeds trust and credibility at the same time?
Enter: Google Local Services Ads, otherwise known as LSAs for short. Local Services Ads are a form of paid advertising that appears at the very top of Google search results when someone searches for a service in a specific area – like “movers near me” or “moving company in Austin.”
Unlike traditional Google Ads, LSAs show your business’s name, star rating, location, and a “Google Guaranteed” badge (if applicable). What makes LSAs especially appealing is that you only pay for qualified leads, not just clicks.
So whether you’re new to the world of Google Local Services Ads or are an experienced pro trying to make sure that your moving company stays on top of the search engine results pages as 2025 ticks on, there are a number of trends that you need to be aware of moving forward.
More Categories, More Coverage
Perhaps the biggest trend in terms of Local Services Ads that your moving company should be aware of has to do with the expanded categories and coverage options that are now offered. Think of Local Service Ads a bit like your Google Business Profile. When “Google My Business” (as it was formerly called) originally launched, it lacked many of the features that we now take for granted today.
When Google first launched Local Services Ads, they were limited to a small number of service categories and geographic locations. Fast-forward to 2025, and the coverage has significantly widened, especially in the home services space, including the moving industry. Not only are traditional moving companies now eligible, but more specialized categories are being added, such as commercial moving services or residential moving services. You could even get creative and experiment with things like senior relocation assistance, packing and unpacking services, storage pickup and delivery, and more.
Customers often search for very particular moving needs like “office movers near me” or “same-day movers.” Being listed under multiple LSA categories increases your chances of appearing in those targeted searches. Needless to say this is a welcome change, especially for service areas where competition is fierce.
Spotlight Those Reviews and Ratings
Unlike traditional ads where users have to click through to learn more, Google Local Services Ads show potential customers your rating before they even engage with your business. Why does this matter? Because the more reviews you have, and the more ratings you get, the more your LSA visibility increases.
Not only that, but customers are just far more likely to call a moving company (or any other business) if it has strong, recent reviews as opposed to negative reviews or no reviews at all.
Google’s algorithm prioritizes businesses that not only have high ratings but are also actively generating fresh reviews. This means that having a few old five-star reviews won’t cut it – you need a steady flow of new ones to stay competitive. This is one of the many new opportunities that you have to do that, and it would be a shame to overlook it.
Mobile Optimization Matters
Another major Google Local Services Ad trend to be aware of has to do with the fact that mobile optimization is no longer just for websites. At this point, about 61% of ALL website traffic is being generated by mobile phones. The same number of people have a higher opinion of mobile-friendly websites than they do non-mobile-friendly ones. Both of those things should paint a pretty clear picture about how important this all is.
So what does that mean for Local Services Ads? Your communication process, follow-up speed, and even how your ad appears must cater to a mobile-first audience. People are often making quick decisions while on their phones. If your LSA profile is vague, lacks photos, or doesn’t list clear hours or services, they’ll scroll right past you.
Make sure that your business profile includes a click-to-call phone number that’s actively monitored. Set up instant message notifications for LSA inquiries so you can reply quickly – don’t forget that Google tracks your response time, which can affect ad placement. Also include short, benefit-driven descriptions in your profile that are easy to read on a small screen. All this will make a massive difference.
The Results Speak for Themselves
At this point, you have to ask yourselves – what actual impact will these Google Local Services Ads trends have on your moving company? Is it worth the effort to understand this side of your business, or is it ultimately time that could be better spent focusing on the customers themselves?
In no uncertain terms: you should begin to see the positive momentum build for your moving company right away, starting with better lead quality. Moving companies report that leads from Local Services Ads tend to convert at a higher rate than leads from traditional PPC ads. Why? Because LSA users are ready to act. They’re not just browsing – they’re booking. They’re firmly in decision-making mode, and this is your chance to take advantage of that.
This, in turn, segues into another one of the major benefits – a significantly improved return on investment when it comes to your marketing budget. Even if a lead doesn’t convert immediately, the contact info and interest level are much stronger. This means that over time, you’re almost certainly going to be paying less for each new customer you bring in than you otherwise would be.
Over time, you begin to build more trust and credibility for your moving company – something that helps separate you from every other similar organization out there. The “Google Guaranteed” badge that comes with Local Services Ads is a huge trust signal. It means Google has verified your business license, insurance, and background checks (if applicable). For customers choosing between similar moving companies, this can be the deciding factor.
This also levels the playing field, finally giving smaller, local moving companies like yours a chance to get to the top of the search results without spending an arm and a leg to do it. This is something that was once dominated by big brands and aggressive ad budgets. Your success depends more on service quality and reputation than spending power.
In the end, Google Local Services Ads are no longer just a “nice to have” element for service-based businesses like a moving company – they’re quickly becoming essential for any moving company serious about growth in 2025. With trends like those outlined above, Local Services Ads are evolving fast. Thankfully, the playing field is still relatively new, and movers who jump in now can still carve out a dominant position.
If your business isn’t leveraging Google Local Services Ads yet, there’s never been a better time to start. Your future customers are already searching – you just need to show up. If you’re not present at the moment when your customers are making decisions, rest assured that they will buy from your competitors. Now is the time to get in front of that so that you can enjoy all the benefits of this process with as few of the potential downsides as possible.
To get additional insight into even more of the latest trends for Google Local Services Ads and the impact they can have on your moving company, or to get answers to any other questions that you may have in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. You can also click here to attend a Surefire Local demo so that you can see how easy it is to manage your Google Local Services Ads, as well as a myriad of different other types of content, from one straightforward place.