New Google Home Services Ad Format Puts Lead Qualifiers Up Front

Google is testing a new, smaller format for Home Services Ads (HSA).

Instead of featuring a few providers and links to more results, the new format asks users to enter their ZIP code and the type of job they need completed before showing the list of service providers available for that kind of work in the area.

The initial ad format for HSAs featured individual service providers and took up significant real estate, as seen below.

The latest version, first reported by Mike Blumenthal, is an interesting departure from the original larger, more visual format. For the service providers, the new version may provide better-qualified leads and improve the user experience by filtering their choices up front. However, it’s far less eye-catching than similar style ad units Google uses for its Compare products for auto insurance and credit cards, which include partner logos and credit card images.

Like those Compare ads, though, the new HSA format takes users off the SERP to a separate page of listings.

Home Services Ads launched in the San Francisco and Silcon Valley areas in July and are currently open to locksmiths, plumbers, house cleaners and handymen via AdWords Express.