How to Grade Your LSA Leads to Improve Lead Quality
If you are running Google Local Services Ads and not consistently grading your leads, you are likely dealing with poor quality, wasted spend, and unpredictable results.
Knowing how to grade your LSA leads is one of the simplest ways service-based businesses can improve lead quality, lower costs per lead, and get more value from their advertising space. This process helps Google understand which customer inquiries turn into real jobs and which ones do not.
Over time, that feedback improves campaign performance across local services ads, search ads, and even how your ad format shows up for relevant queries.
In this guide, we will break down exactly how to grade individual lead interactions inside your LSA profile, why submitting feedback matters, and how this habit supports a more transparent LSA experience for local businesses.
Why Grading Your LSA Leads Impacts Lead Quality
Grading your leads from Local Service Ads tells Google what a qualified lead looks like for your business. This applies whether you operate from one location or multiple locations, and whether you serve residential or commercial customers.
When advertisers submit clear feedback, Google can better match your ads to the right searcher’s job type, service area, and intent. That improves quality match and reduces wasted spend from irrelevant calls.
This is not busywork. It directly impacts key metrics like:
- Lead quality
- Cost per lead
- Campaign performance
- Lower costs over time
In an ever-evolving marketing environment, feedback is how advertisers influence outcomes inside Google Ads, Local Services, and beyond.
Where to Find the Lead Inbox in the LSA Dashboard
Inside your LSA profile, all leads live in one place.
To access them:
- Open the left-hand menu.
- Click Leads.
- Review every individual lead generated by Google.
Each entry includes call details, messages, timestamps, and access to recordings. This data connects directly to your business details, business hours, service area, and Google verified badge status.
Because this inbox contains customer information, the team member handling it should understand expectations around accuracy, privacy, and consistency.
When Most Businesses Actually Do This (Daily vs Batch)
Most local businesses do not grade leads live.
- Some do it at the end of the day
- Others handle it the next morning
- Lower-volume advertisers may batch once a week
In most cases, dispatch or admin teams handle this task instead of the owner, and that setup works well.
How to Grade a Single LSA Lead
1. Open the Lead and Review the Details
Open one individual lead from the inbox. If you did not take the call yourself, click “Show recording” and listen carefully.
Call recordings help determine if the lead matches your services, location, and expectations. They also reveal patterns in how calls are handled, which impacts conversions and future performance.
This applies across Google Ads, Local Services Ads, and other ad types.
2. Click “Rate this lead” and Fill in the Fields
Once reviewed:
- Click Rate this lead
- Choose a rating
- Add notes if helpful
- Mark booked if the job or estimate was scheduled
- Add email if used in your process
This is how advertisers actively shape Google’s understanding of lead quality.
Key Nuances That Affect Lead Quality in Google Local Services Ads
You Can’t Grade Every Lead Right Away
Some leads cannot be rated immediately.
- Uncharged leads are already filtered by Google
- Leads in review must wait until the review ends
You can always come back and rate them later. Being consistent matters more than doing it fast.
Don’t Choose the Middle Rating
Avoid neutral feedback whenever possible.
Clear signals lead to better results. This applies across PPC campaigns, Google Ads benchmarks, and Local Services Ads.
What to Select When a Lead Is Good vs Bad (And What to Fix Next)
If It’s a Great Lead: Choose “Very Satisfied” + the Right Reason
When a lead is strong, choose Very Satisfied and select one reason:
- It converted into a booked customer or client (on the spot, they converted).
- It could convert to a booked customer or client soon.
- It is relevant to the service the business provides, or
- It's for a service that generates high value for the business.
These options help Google align ads with relevant queries, voice search behavior, and user intent. Use “Other” only when needed.
If It’s a Bad Lead: Choose “Very Dissatisfied” + the Exact Problem
Select the most accurate option:
- It's not located in the service area for the business.
- It's for a service the business does not provide.
- The person calling was not ready to book services.
- It is spam.
- It is a duplicate lead.
- It is a person seeking employment.
What to fix next:
- Update service area settings
- Adjust services offered
- Continue marking duplicates
- Monitor trends over time
If a lead is a bad fit because it’s outside your service area or for a service you don’t offer, that’s a signal to review and update your industries, service areas, and job types so Google has clearer boundaries on who to send your way.
If you’re noticing confusion around how or when people reach out, it also helps to revisit Google’s guidance on how Local Services Ads connect you with customers and how intent and visibility play a role.
Once submitted, the system records the feedback and closes the loop.
How Often to Grade Leads (And Who Should Own It)
Best practice:
- Daily grading for higher volume
- Weekly grading for lower volume
Dispatch or intake teams usually own this. Over time, recordings become a training tool that improves call handling, booking rates, and customer experience.
If you’d like to walk through LSA optimization, benchmarks, or budget planning together, you can book a call with me and let’s get you set up the right way.Next Steps to Improve Local Service Ads Lead Quality
Here is the simple workflow:
- Review each individual lead
- Listen to calls
- Submit clear feedback
- Fix patterns as they appear
If you want more leads, lower costs, and better performance from Google Local Services Ads, this habit matters.
At Digital Harvest, we help service-based businesses navigate Google Ads, Local Services, Google Business Profile optimization, Google reviews, and the Google Guarantee as part of a blended search strategy. Contact our team to get started.