How to Rate and Dispute Leads in Google Local Services Ads

This article explains how to tell the difference between a valid and an invalid lead in Google Local Services Ads (the badge program now called Google Verified, formerly Google Guaranteed), and how to report invalid leads so your WolfPack specialist team can dispute them with Google on your behalf. It's for any client running Local Services Ads through WolfPack's Lead Center.

Why Rating Your Leads Matters

Google charges you for every lead Local Services Ads sends you, even leads that were never a real sales opportunity. When you rate a lead as invalid, your WolfPack specialist team disputes it with Google and works to recover the ad credit for that lead. Consistently flagging invalid leads also helps train Google's system to send you fewer leads like them in the future.

What Counts as an Invalid Lead

Leads must be from the last 30 days and meet one of the conditions below to qualify for a dispute.

Category	What qualifies
Solicitation	Contact from the wrong number; someone trying to sell you something; a job applicant
Spam	A pre-recorded call or automated message; contact that isn't from a real person
Location not served	The customer's location isn't on your profile and you declined the job
Service not offered	The customer asked for a service type not on your profile and you declined the job; or the caller wanted a physical store or product rather than a service
Duplicate lead	The same customer calls again within 15 days about the same job, and you were charged for both

Heads up: this applies to both phone leads and message leads. Flag either kind the same way.

Examples of Valid Leads

Not every lead that doesn't turn into a sale is invalid. These are still considered valid, ratable leads:

Received outside business hours: the call came in after hours but was still a real inquiry.
General advice requests: the customer asked for advice on a related service.
Cancellations: the customer booked, then canceled.
Research calls: the customer was researching projects or pricing rather than ready to book.
No response to your callback: you called back and the customer didn't answer.
General vs. specific service: your profile lists a general service, but you don't offer the specific variant the customer asked about.
Temporary capacity issues: you're temporarily unable to provide a service that's listed on your profile.
Law vertical general leads: for law-related profiles with general lawyer leads enabled, those leads are valid.

How to Report an Invalid Lead

Open the lead (phone call or message) in your WolfPack Lead Center.
Type "invalid lead" in the lead's notes section with a short description as to why.
Leave it there. Your WolfPack specialist team searches for invalid leads every 7 days and disputes them with Google on your behalf.

Important: As of July 2024, this dispute process is automated on WolfPack's end once a lead is flagged. You don't need to submit anything to Google yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to dispute leads with Google myself? No. Once you flag a lead as invalid in the Lead Center notes, your WolfPack specialist team handles the dispute with Google.

How far back can I flag a lead? Leads must be within the last 30 days to be eligible for a dispute.

What if the same customer calls twice about the same job? If it happens within 15 days and you were charged for both calls, flag it as a duplicate lead.

Can I dispute a message lead? Yes. Message leads are rated and flagged the same way as phone leads. Type "invalid lead" in the lead's notes and your specialist team will handle the dispute.

Questions?

If you have questions about a specific lead or the dispute process, reach out to your WolfPack specialist team through the Customer Portal or by replying to any email from the team.