Explaining Google Local Services Ads Lead Statuses and Their Meaning
Lead Statuses in Local Services Ads: What Do They Mean?
Google Local Services Ads(GLSA) has a mini built-in lead management system in the backend of their accounts. Calling it a CRM might be a stretch but it's awesome for managing the leads you've generated through the platform, nurturing leads who could be potential customers, communicating with new leads, and disputing out-of-scope leads. But what do these sectioned out areas of leads really mean? Do I really gain anything from organizing them?
Life-cycle of Leads
Each status represents a point in the lifecycle of a lead. Regardless of industry or service, every customer goes through the same stages. New, Active, Booked, Completed, Archived, what do they mean? Each represents a checkpoint in the journey to being a happy client.
Regardless of what types of clients you're looking for, what services you provide, where you're advertising, or the industry you're in, the lifecycle of a lead is ultimately very similar. The lead reaches out to you after finding you, you engage in talks with them about what they could need, you schedule an appointment to see if you can help them, and you do the work they require if they decide to work with you. Each of these stages matches the lifecycle of a typical customer, from lead to past client.
Before we break down those stages and draw comparisons, lets take a look at the odd man out that is the Archived stage. Archived is basically a filing cabinet for leads that haven't converted into actual customers for one reason or another. Archived is a great section for inactive leads, leads you've disputed, and leads you want to point out to Google that weren't applicable for your business. If a breakdown in communication, needs of the lead, or ability of the business to service the client occurs, then the best place for that lead is Archived.
Lets break down each of the other stages:
- New: They find you through the advertisement and are a new lead where you make a first impression.
- Active: You've had a conversation with them and are dialoging about the possibility of working together. Answering questions, clarifying expectations, an possibly arranging an appointment.
- Booked: The customer and you have set up an appointment in person. A great sign in the relationship, but the work is not yet completed.
- Completed: You helped the customer with their needs and completed the job they required 100%. The perfect time to ask for a 5 star review is here so you can solidify their positive experience.
- The final stage but is arguably one of the most important parts is asking for feedback on their experience working with you. It's possible that when a lead you generated through Local Services Ads leaves you a 5 star review, it carries even more weight then a normal 5 star review. So build it into your sales process to solicit those 5 star reviews from happy customers!
Hidden Benefits in Workflows
Creating workflows that allow you to easily handle each lead is key for maximizing your efficiency inside local services ads. For each segmented lead section, have a clear process that you use to put a personal touch from your business to the potential client. Having a thought out plan for reaching out to "Active" leads based on their needs, or sending an email confirming your appointments day and time to "Booked" leads can help improve your conversion rate.
When you categorize your lead correctly, it helps really measure your conversion rate. Separating "Completed" leads from the rest of the lot can help you dial in what your actual percentage of customers who have worked with you through the platform. Moving leads into "Booked" when you actually have a meeting scheduled with them provides indirect data to Google's algorithm supporting your business. You're showing Google that searchers who reach out to you can actually get valid help.
At the end of the day, a big thing to remember about working with Google is their ultimate allegiance. You could say its their shareholders, or the marketers, or business owners who use the platform, but ultimately its the users of Google. The people who actually make Google the most visited website in the world. Google wants the users of their search engine to have the best experience possible. The best experience possible would be easily finding the business/product/service/information they are looking for. Google wants to connect searchers with real solutions. When you mark that lead as "Booked", that means something important for Google's algorithm. When you mark that lead as "Completed", that shows you're servicing Google clients at an expert level. By actively managing the backend of your local services ads account you're showing that you provide a high level of service, welcoming more opportunities for high quality leads from Google.