Advertisers have been notified that, starting October 1, 2026, missed calls from Local Services Ads during business hours will be charged as valid leads if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds.
The policy also states that any follow-up calls after the initial interaction that meet criteria will incur charges.
Besides this, Google is implementing mechanisms to prevent spam and abuse that might affect call charges.
In addition, if a call-receiving setup requires pressing a key to route customers, the 20-second timer will start once the customer presses that key. Advertisers will not be charged for missed calls where users do not navigate through the menu options.
Ginny Marvin, the Google Ads Liaison, clarified that follow-up calls will only incur a charge once within 15 days of the initial interaction, provided they meet the valid lead criteria.
This update was reported by Barry Schwartz.
