Google’s Local Service Ads (LSAs) now pay out leads to businesses that have passed only the preliminary onboarding checks, not just the ones already carrying the full Google Guaranteed badge. Google calls this “pre-badge ads,” and it is live in Canada now: a Collingwood plumber or HVAC contractor mid-onboarding can start getting calls instead of waiting weeks with an empty pipeline while the badge finishes processing.
What actually happened?
Search Engine Roundtable spotted updates to Google’s “Getting started with Local Services Ads” help document on August 21, 2026, then emailed Google to confirm them. Google told SER it is still investing in LSAs even as the product migrates into the main Google Ads platform, a transition Google says runs through 2027.
We pulled the live Canadian version of that same help document to check what actually applies here, since Google support pages vary by country. It confirms pre-badge ads for Canada: once a business submits a license or business registration, meets the review requirements for its category, and completes billing setup, its listing starts appearing in Local Services results, ranked below fully badged competitors, while the rest of onboarding finishes. Professional-service categories also need headshots submitted. Pre-badge ads are not available for garage door services, health care verticals, or locksmiths; those categories still wait for the full badge before any leads arrive.
One thing the SER piece covers that does not (yet) apply here: Google also shipped a large expansion of eligible ad categories, breaking generic labels like “Auto repair” into dozens of specific ones. We checked the Canadian category list directly against the US version, and as of August 24, 2026, Canada still runs the same short list it always has: Plumbers, HVAC, Electricians, Roofers, Carpet cleaning, Cleaning, Appliance repair, Junk removal, Lawn care, Locksmiths, Movers, Pest control, Tree services, Water damage, Window cleaning, and Window repair. The granular US expansion has not reached the Canadian document yet.
What this means for Georgian Bay businesses
If you run a plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or roofing business anywhere from Collingwood to Wasaga Beach or Blue Mountain and you are Google Guaranteed already, nothing changes for you. If you are mid-onboarding, waiting on the license check or background screening to clear, pre-badge ads mean that wait no longer has to be a dead zone. Once your license or registration, your reviews, and your billing are submitted, leads can start arriving even while Google finishes the rest.
Locksmiths in the area are the one local trade on Google’s own eligible list that stays excluded from pre-badge ads specifically, so a locksmith mid-onboarding still gets no leads until the full badge lands. Garage door and health care businesses are excluded too, but those are less common among our Georgian Bay clients.
Do not expect a more specific LSA category for your trade any time soon. The category expansion covers things like splitting “Auto repair” into a dozen specialties in the US; Ontario’s list has not changed. Per-lead costs for the trades that do qualify still run in the ranges we track in our Google Ads versus SEO breakdown for Collingwood trades: roughly $40 to $80 for a plumber, $45 to $90 for HVAC, $35 to $70 for an electrician.
What to do
- If your Google Guaranteed badge is still pending, log into your Local Services Ads account and confirm your license or business registration, your reviews, and your billing are all submitted. That is what unlocks pre-badge leads now, not just the finished badge.
- If you run a locksmith, garage door, or health care business, no change: you still wait for the full badge before leads arrive, so keep pushing the standard onboarding checklist to completion.
- If you were holding off on LSAs waiting for a more specific category match for your trade, that expansion has not reached Canada. Use the existing category (Plumbers, HVAC, Electricians, Roofers, and so on) and do not wait on a Canadian rollout date, Google has not given one.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the Local Service Ads move to Google Ads? No. Google is separately migrating LSA management into the Google Ads platform through 2027. Pre-badge ads is a feature change to the LSA product itself, and Google told Search Engine Roundtable it is continuing to invest in LSA features during that migration.
Do pre-badge leads cost the same as fully badged leads? Google’s help documentation does not state a different price for pre-badge leads. Per-lead pricing in Local Services Ads is set by category and location either way.
Does my listing look different to customers with pre-badge ads? Yes. Pre-badge listings still show in Local Services results but rank below competitors who already hold the full Google Guaranteed badge, so full badging is still worth finishing as fast as possible.
When will Canada get the expanded category list? Google has not announced a date. We checked the Canadian help document directly on August 24, 2026, and it still lists the same roughly 15 trade categories it has carried for the past year.
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