How are Google’s Local Services Ads Changing?
Beginning Oct. 20, 2025, Google will consolidate all current trust signals for Local Services Ads into a single Google Verified Badge.
Verified Badge Phase-Out: How Google’s Changes Impact Your Practice
The Google Verified Badge phases out existing verification indicators:
- Google Screened, shown as a green checkmark, indicated a business had passed Google’s background checks, license verifications, and (where required) individual practitioner screenings.
- Google Guaranteed, shown as a green shield, certifying a business had passed Google’s screening and verification process, and qualified for Google’s money-back guarantee.
Here’s What’s Staying in Google’s Local Services Ads
Google’s rigorous screening process (background checks, licensing validation, National Provider Identifier or NPA, and insurance verification) remains intact. The difference is that all this flows into one badge.
The Top Benefits for Dental Practices from Google’s LSA Update
- Instant Patient Trust
The Google Verified Badge is a simple, powerful signal that tells patients your practice is legitimate and trustworthy, making it easier for them to choose you over the competition. - Seamless Setup
Already verified with Google? You’re all set. Practices currently in the system will automatically receive the Google Verified Badge, with no extra paperwork or hassle. - Ongoing Trust Assurance
Keeping your license and documents up to date ensures your badge stays active while also continuously reassuring patients that your practice meets the highest professional standards. This translates into more clicks, more calls, and more booked appointments. - Stand Out from Competing Practices
Not every dental office will maintain their verified status. By keeping your badge current, you’ll clearly differentiate your practice and capture patients who might otherwise hesitate or choose an unverified competitor.
How to Use the New Google Verified Badge to Attract More Patients
- Review your Local Services Ads profile/profiles to ensure your verification is up to date.
- Set reminders for periodic compliance reviews to ensure continued eligibility.
- Update any relevant marketing material to reflect the new Google Verified Badge.
- Consistently acquire more patient reviews. The more you grow your number of positive reviews, and the more current they are, the more your ads will be made visible and the more you build trust assurance through your star rating. If you don’t know how to start planning for acquiring more reviews, download our free eGuide The Power of Online Patient Reviews: A Guide for Dental Practices, which walks you through:
- Why patient reviews are important to attracting new patients
- Why volume and timeliness matter
- How and when to ask for patient reviews
- Solutions to collect reviews that aren’t time consuming for your staff
- Tips for encouraging patients to leave reviews when you ask them
- Managing and responding to review and following HIPAA compliance requirements
- Dealing with negative reviews
>> Get your free eGuide
Top Benefits of Local Services Ads for Your Dental Office
If you haven’t tried Local Services Ads to increase appointments before, they offer a variety of benefits:
- High visibility: Google places Local Services Ads at the top of Google search results (above traditional Google paid ads and organic search results) with your practice name, verification badge, and contact information. This means your practice stands out from nearby competitors when local patients search for dental services—thanks to prominent trust signals like your Google Verified Badge, patient reviews, and star rating.
- Immediate contact: Rather than generating clicks to your website and hoping patients contact you for an appointment, patients can take immediate action (call, message, or book an appointment) from the Local Services ad.
- Tailored reach: If your practice offers specific services like dental implant services, emergency appointments, sleep apnea, etc., Local Services Ads can be tailored so you receive inquiries for the services that you have listed.
Can Someone on Your Dental Team Manage Google LSAs for You?
Yes, dentists don’t have to manage Local Services Ads themselves. According to Google, trusted team members like your practice manager or marketing coordinator can manage any part of a Local Services Ads account and its campaigns. That means you can delegate the day-to-day tasks while keeping everything running smoothly and aligned with your goals.
How Much Time Should Your Dental Team Spend on Managing Local Services Ads?
Managing Local Services Ads doesn’t have to be a heavy lift, especially compared to other types of digital advertising. Most dental practices find that once everything is set up, they only need to spend about 4-6 hours a month reviewing ad performance, responding to messages or calls, checking ad details, staying on budget, and get new patient reviews consistently. If your practice has the Google Verified Badge, you’ll also want to set aside a little time to stay on top of Google’s compliance requirements to keep that trust signal active.
We Make Managing Google LSAs Easy for Dental Practices
As one of the first dental marketing partners to offer Local Services Ads for dentists, we’re here to make the process easy and effective. We’ll help you create ads that reflect your services, attract the right patients, and align with your practice goals. From setup to ongoing optimization, we handle the details—including everything needed to keep your Google Verified Badge in good standing—so you and your team can stay focused on delivering outstanding patient care.
Talk to an expert today.
Schedule your free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about Local Services Ads for dentists, which can help you to connect with more patients and keep your chairs full.