Google Local Services Ads Are Moving to Performance Max: What SEOs Need to Check
TLDR
Google is migrating Local Services Ads management into Performance Max starting August 2026, changing how budgets, bidding, and reporting work.
Google confirmed it will fold Local Services Ads—the pay-per-lead campaigns linked to the Google Guaranteed badge—into Performance Max, with the first U.S. advertisers migrating in August 2026 and subsequent phases rolling out through 2027. The ads themselves, placements, and pay-per-lead model remain unchanged, but campaign management, measurement, and optimization shift into the Performance Max framework. Advertisers will need to audit settings, budgets, and historical reports before migration, as some account data will not automatically convert and some settings retire entirely; Search Engine Journal reports that CallRail is offering a migration checklist to help agencies and advertisers navigate the transition and protect data integrity.