Local Services Ads are seeing another wave of quiet testing — and this round touches visibility, credibility signals, and user navigation.
None of these updates have been formally confirmed, but patterns across multiple markets and practice areas suggest active experimentation inside LSAs.
Here’s what we’re seeing.
1. “No Address” LSAs
Some LSA profiles are now appearing without a visible address, despite:
- A connected Google Business Profile
- Active reviews displaying
- Verified status intact
The removal appears consistent across geographies and verticals.
What This Could Mean
Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin clarified that when setting up an LSA account, if the advertiser ticks the setting indicating that the location is not a place people can visit, the address will not show on the LSA profile.
If users see a wider mix of firms outside strict proximity, hiding the address reduces friction or hesitation around distance.
“Nothing says local like hiding the address.”
Our Take
LSAs were built on proximity and trust — hyperlocal visibility backed by verification. Removing the address de-emphasizes geography and moves the focus toward availability and credentials instead.
That could benefit firms expanding reach.
It could also dilute true “local” competition.
2. The 20-Pack Is Back
Google had recently experimented with limiting visibility by:
- Showing a 2-pack
- Offering an 8-pack
- Adding a “Less Personal Injury Lawyers” button
This effectively restricted users from easily accessing the full 20-ad list.
That experiment appears to have been rolled back.
Users can once again click into the full 20-pack on desktop and mobile.
Our Take
Limiting expansion into the 20-pack would have concentrated exposure among top-ranked profiles. Reversing this suggests Google may not have liked the engagement or monetization data.
For competitive verticals like personal injury, restoring the 20-pack increases opportunity — but also reinforces how volatile LSA display mechanics can be.
Visibility inside LSAs is not static. It’s constantly being tested.
3. New “Qualifier” Labels Being Tested
Google is now testing rotating badges such as:
- “Passed License Check”
- “Passed Background Check”
- “Has Business Insurance”
- “Number of Recent Bookings”
Here’s the issue:
Every advertiser on the LSA platform had to pass these requirements.
These aren’t differentiators. They’re baseline qualifications.
Yet Google appears to be surfacing different qualifiers on different profiles to measure which phrasing drives user preference.
Our Take
This kind of experimentation creates artificial differentiation.
If all providers passed the same checks, selectively highlighting certain ones on certain profiles subtly influences user perception — even though the underlying credentials are identical.
We understand testing UX variations.
But LSAs aren’t organic search results. These are paid placements affecting real businesses’ lead flow.
Rotating credibility signals at scale, without advertiser control, raises legitimate fairness concerns.
What ADSQUIRE Is Doing
We are actively monitoring all three developments across client accounts.
Address Visibility Monitoring
- Tracking profiles where addresses are hidden
- Comparing performance impact
- Evaluating correlation with expanded service areas
20-Pack Position Strategy
- Monitoring ranking volatility
- Optimizing for both pack visibility and deep-list performance
- Tracking lead quality from expanded listings
Qualifier Impact Analysis
- Documenting which badges appear on which profiles
- Measuring click and booking behavior tied to specific labels
- Identifying patterns in Google’s rotation logic
Proactive Optimization
- Strengthening review velocity
- Enhancing service area strategies
- Tightening intake response speed
- Maximizing booking signals where visible
Bottom Line
LSAs continue to be one of the most powerful — and most unstable — local advertising products in the market.
Hidden addresses.
20-pack reversals.
Rotating credibility badges.
None of these tests are super disruptive individually. But together, they reinforce one reality: LSAs are actively being experimented on.
For law firms and service providers, this means constant vigilance. Visibility can shift based on UI testing alone — not just performance metrics.
At ADSQUIRE, we treat LSAs as a dynamic ecosystem, not a static placement. We monitor changes early, adapt quickly, and protect our clients from volatility wherever possible.
Because when platforms test at scale, strategy matters more than ever.
