HVAC contractors paying Google for leads have a new reason to answer the phone.
Beginning October 1, Google says some missed Local Services Ads calls during a business's listed operating hours will count as chargeable leads.
According to an email sent to advertisers and confirmed by Google to Homepros, a missed call can be billed when the caller remains connected for more than 20 seconds.
You May Pay Even If Nobody Answers
That is the part contractors need to understand.
Under the updated system, Google does not necessarily need the contractor to actually speak with the potential customer for the interaction to qualify as a paid lead.
If the customer calls during listed business hours and remains connected long enough, the call can be chargeable.
Google says the change is intended partly to address spam and robot-call abuse while rewarding companies that respond consistently.
Missed Calls Just Became More Expensive
For HVAC businesses, this changes the economics of call handling.
A missed lead has always carried an opportunity cost.
Now it can potentially carry an advertising cost too.
If a company pays to generate the call but nobody answers, it could:
- Lose the job.
- Still pay Google for the lead.
That makes call-center performance even more important.
HVAC Has an Answering-Speed Problem
Emergency home-service customers often call multiple contractors.
If the AC is down during a heat wave, many homeowners are not waiting hours for a callback.
The first credible contractor who answers can win the job.
That makes:
- Call routing
- After-hours coverage
- CSR staffing
- Overflow systems
- AI answering
- Accurate listed business hours
increasingly important.
Google's latest change effectively puts a price tag on poor responsiveness.
For HVAC companies spending heavily on LSAs, answering the phone is no longer only a sales issue. It is becoming an ad-spend issue too.
