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Managing Your Google Guarantee Account

Effective account management is crucial for getting the most value from Google Guarantee. This guide covers day-to-day management, handling leads, and optimising performance.

Daily Management Tasks​

Morning Routine​

Check your dashboard:

  1. Review leads from the previous day
  2. Check your current spend vs. budget
  3. Review any missed calls or messages
  4. Check for new reviews or ratings
  5. Review lead quality and mark spam if needed

Respond to leads:

  • Call back any missed calls immediately
  • Respond to messages promptly
  • Follow up on quote requests
  • Update lead status in dashboard

Throughout the Day​

  • Answer calls immediately - Faster response = better conversion
  • Monitor notifications - Set up alerts for new leads
  • Track conversions - Mark which leads become jobs
  • Update calendar - Schedule jobs from leads

End of Day Review​

  • Review total leads for the day
  • Check spend vs. daily budget target
  • Note any issues or concerns
  • Plan follow-ups for tomorrow

Lead Management​

Types of Leads​

Google Guarantee generates three types of leads:

  1. Phone Calls

    • Direct calls from potential customers
    • Usually highest quality
    • Require immediate response

  2. Messages

    • Text messages through Google
    • Can respond via dashboard
    • Often for quote requests

  3. Quote Requests

    • Online form submissions
    • Customer details provided
    • Can follow up via phone or email

Handling Phone Calls​

Best practices:

  • Answer calls immediately (within seconds)
  • Be professional and friendly
  • Listen to customer needs
  • Ask qualifying questions
  • Provide clear information
  • Schedule appointments when possible

Call script tips:

  • Greet professionally: "Hello, [Your Business Name], [Your Name] speaking"
  • Thank them for calling
  • Ask how you can help
  • Listen carefully to their needs
  • Provide relevant information
  • Offer to schedule if appropriate

Handling Messages​

Response time:

  • Respond within 15 minutes if possible
  • Maximum 1 hour response time
  • Faster response = better conversion

Message best practices:

  • Be professional but friendly
  • Answer their questions clearly
  • Provide relevant information
  • Offer to call if complex
  • Include your contact details

Handling Quote Requests​

Follow-up process:

  1. Review the request details
  2. Call the customer within 1 hour
  3. Ask clarifying questions
  4. Provide accurate quote
  5. Follow up if no response

Quote request tips:

  • Respond quickly (within 1 hour)
  • Call rather than email if possible
  • Be prepared with pricing information
  • Ask about timeline and urgency
  • Follow up if you don't hear back

Marking Leads as Spam​

When to Mark as Spam​

Mark leads as spam if they are:

  • Clearly not genuine enquiries
  • Wrong numbers or disconnected
  • Automated calls or robocalls
  • Completely unrelated to your services
  • Obvious scams or fraud attempts

How to Mark Spam​

  1. Go to your Google Local Services dashboard
  2. Find the lead in your lead list
  3. Click on the lead
  4. Select "Mark as spam" or "Not a valid lead"
  5. Provide reason if prompted

Important:

  • Only mark genuine spam
  • Don't mark leads just because they didn't convert
  • Google uses this data to improve filtering
  • Incorrectly marking leads can affect your account

Budget Management​

Setting Budgets​

Weekly budget:

  • Set maximum spend per week
  • Good for testing and control
  • Resets every Monday (or your chosen day)

Monthly budget:

  • Set maximum spend per month
  • More flexibility within the month
  • Better for established campaigns

Monitoring Spend​

Daily monitoring:

  • Check spend vs. daily target
  • Ensure you're on track for weekly/monthly budget
  • Adjust if needed

Budget alerts:

  • Set up notifications at 50%, 75%, and 90% of budget
  • Get alerts when approaching limits
  • Adjust before hitting limit

Adjusting Budgets​

Increase budget if:

  • Leads are converting well
  • You have capacity for more work
  • ROI is positive
  • You want to grow

Decrease budget if:

  • Conversion rate is low
  • Lead quality is poor
  • You're at capacity
  • Costs are too high

Pause budget if:

  • You're too busy with existing work
  • Taking time off
  • Need to reassess strategy
  • Seasonal slowdown

Performance Tracking​

Key Metrics to Track​

MetricWhat It MeansTarget
Leads per day/weekNumber of leads receivedVaries by trade/area
Cost per leadAverage cost of each leadLower is better
Conversion rate% of leads that become jobs25-40% is good
Cost per jobTotal cost ÷ jobsShould be less than 20% of job value
Response timeTime to respond to leadsLess than 15 minutes ideal
ROIReturn on investmentPositive ROI needed

Calculating ROI​

Formula:

ROI = (Average Job Value - Cost Per Job) ÷ Cost Per Job × 100

Example:

  • Average job value: £500
  • Cost per job: £50
  • ROI = (£500 - £50) ÷ £50 × 100 = 900%

Target ROI:

  • Aim for 300%+ ROI minimum
  • 500%+ ROI is excellent
  • Below 200% may need optimisation

Performance Reports​

Weekly report:

  • Total leads
  • Total spend
  • Conversion rate
  • Cost per job
  • ROI
  • Best performing services/areas

Monthly report:

  • Trends over time
  • Comparison to previous months
  • Budget efficiency
  • Strategic recommendations

Account Settings​

Contact Information​

Keep updated:

  • Phone number (if it changes)
  • Email address
  • Business address
  • Website URL

Update immediately:

  • Changes affect your ads
  • Incorrect info loses leads
  • Google may need to re-verify

Service Areas​

Review regularly:

  • Which areas generate leads
  • Which areas convert best
  • Remove unprofitable areas
  • Add new areas as you grow

Services​

Keep current:

  • Add new services as you offer them
  • Remove services you no longer provide
  • Update service descriptions
  • Ensure accuracy

Troubleshooting Common Issues​

No Leads Coming In​

Possible causes:

  • Budget too low
  • Service area too small
  • Poor profile optimisation
  • High competition
  • Low search volume

Solutions:

  • Increase budget
  • Expand service area
  • Improve profile (photos, reviews)
  • Check competitor positioning
  • Review service descriptions

Too Many Leads​

Possible causes:

  • Budget too high
  • Service area too large
  • Very competitive keywords
  • High search volume

Solutions:

  • Decrease budget
  • Narrow service area
  • Be more selective with services
  • Set daily lead limits (if available)

Poor Lead Quality​

Possible causes:

  • Service descriptions unclear
  • Wrong service area
  • Too broad targeting
  • Spam not being filtered

Solutions:

  • Improve service descriptions
  • Refine service area
  • Be more specific with services
  • Mark spam leads correctly
  • Contact Google support

High Costs​

Possible causes:

  • High competition
  • Broad service area
  • Many services listed
  • High search volume

Solutions:

  • Narrow service area
  • Focus on most profitable services
  • Reduce budget
  • Improve conversion rate
  • Optimise profile for better ranking

Best Practices Summary​

Daily​

  • ✅ Check dashboard morning and evening
  • ✅ Respond to all leads within 15 minutes
  • ✅ Track conversions
  • ✅ Monitor spend vs. budget

Weekly​

  • ✅ Review performance metrics
  • ✅ Analyse lead quality
  • ✅ Adjust budget if needed
  • ✅ Update profile if needed

Monthly​

  • ✅ Comprehensive performance review
  • ✅ Strategic adjustments
  • ✅ Budget planning
  • ✅ Service area review

Getting Help​

Google Support​

Common Support Topics​

  • Account verification issues
  • Lead quality concerns
  • Budget and billing questions
  • Technical problems
  • Policy questions

Next Steps​