English Local Service Ads Showing for Spanish Searches on Google

In a previous blog we discussed the difference between Local Search Ads and Local Service Ads, and also how the presence of Local SERVICE Ads prevents the presence of Local SEARCH Ads in search results.

This issue has not been addressed by Google to the best of our knowledge, and numerous attempts to get clarification from them have been futile.

This Problem is Now Affecting Spanish Accounts

Until recently Local Service Ads did not appear in search results for Spanish queries, such as for “Abogado defensor criminal.” This is because Google did not and does not offer an option to show Local Service Ads in Spanish.

Because Local Service Ads did not show for Spanish queries, Local Search Ads DID show and were a significant source of leads for our clients.

Now, however, Google is showing English Local Service Ads for Spanish queries, and therefore Local Search Ads are no longer showing in the same search result. This has created a significant decrease in clicks and calls for our clients.

This is Probably Costing Google Some Revenue

When someone conducts a search on Google in Spanish, he or she expects to see search results that are in the Spanish language. Or at least, people expect to see an indication that the website or service provider is Spanish-equipped.

Neither of these occur for Local Service Ads that show for searches conducted in Spanish. The ads are in English and almost always give no insight as to whether the businesses accept calls in Spanish.

Therefore, it is very likely that users in this scenario are either not clicking on the the LSA ads, or once they do, back out and continue their searches. In either case Google does not make money.

Finally, because the presence of Local Service Ads prevents Local Search Ads from showing, Google does not make money from folks clicking the latter. In our experience, Local Search Ads receive a high click frequency.