# Investigate a drop in Local Services Ads leads Canonical page: https://agents.paretoid.com/workflows/investigate-a-drop-in-local-services-ads-leads/ Category: Google Ads Practice relevance: cross-practice. A general operational method. Review the stated tool and jurisdiction limits before use. Jurisdiction/provider scope: Compare equivalent reporting periods and separate a measured lead decline from possible causes. Status: Proposed / not tested. The public source describes the problem. Documentation supports only the stated method components; no result from this recipe has been verified. Verification: Source methods and reported problems have been reviewed. We have not run the adapted workflow. The sample below describes expected behavior on synthetic data, not a customer result. ## The problem Compare equivalent reporting periods and separate a measured lead decline from possible causes. Why it matters: A sudden lead decline does not by itself explain what changed. Equal-period reports and configuration evidence help the firm investigate before increasing spend or assuming a particular cause. ## Sources and evidence - pain: [Pain evidence: Public discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/LawFirm/comments/1jml5lb/lsa_tanked_looking_for_other_digital_marketing/) original post 2025-03-29. A small-market PI lawyer reports LSA leads declining from over 30/month to one while considering raising the budget. Older first-person pain; no cause established. - method: [Method: Local Services Ads reports](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226265?hl=en) Reports include charged leads, lead types, spend, credits, and date filters. Check current migration guidance and account/region eligibility before relying on a particular UI. - method: [Method: Local Services Ads reports · supporting guide 2](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en) Additional official capability reference. The complete adapted recipe has not been tested. Source checked: October 15, 2026. Pain accounts are self-reported. Documentation supports components; this adapted recipe and prompt have not been tested. ## Suggested approach Start when: Weekly report or firm-set decline threshold 1. compare equal-length periods, lead types, credit statuses and available configuration/change evidence 2. Keep source references and report unknowns instead of filling gaps. 3. The responsible reviewer checks the report before any separately approved action. ## What you need - Existing authorized access to the correct source account and records; no new login, credentials, installation or permission grant is included. - Responsible lawyer/operations reviewer approves scope, definitions and any later action. - AI optional; use only approved minimized data and retain originals separately. - Use synthetic inputs first. Keep real data in firm-approved accounts and processing, with appropriate access, confidentiality and retention controls. Aliases alone do not anonymize records. Never paste credentials, API keys or unnecessary client details. ## How to use Documentation-checked component path; proposed workflow, not tested - Legacy Reports is documented as a view, not a universal CSV export. Migrated pay-per-lead UI/export schema was not verified here. Access and setup: - The live account, entitlement, exact headers, records and field coverage have not been observed. ### 1. Identify the account’s reporting version first Tool: Local Services Ads / Google Ads Location: Existing LSA inbox banner or redirect; account migration notice Read the current account notice and preserve the observed interface/version. Legacy and migrated reports must not be silently combined. If migrated, obtain the actual current reporting menu and historical evidence from the account owner. Expected output: Legacy/migrated status and historical coverage note. Next step: Use the legacy capture below only while that inbox exists; otherwise retain a current-UI verification blocker. Check before continuing: Migration is phased. Google says historical LSA performance reports will not migrate, advises screenshots if needed now, and describes a historical download as forthcoming. No assumed downloadable archive. Execution status: Public official documentation checked 2026-10-15; no login, export, live query, import, installation, configuration, message or client workflow was executed. Step documentation: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en ### 2. Capture the actual legacy report and status evidence Tool: Local Services Ads Location: Lead inbox > menu > Reports; menu > Profile & Budget; Google Ads > Campaigns > Change history For two equal-length comparable periods, manually preserve report totals, displayed lead types, charges/credits, dates and screenshots. Read ad status, schedule, hours, service areas and budget indicators without editing. Expand relevant existing change-history entries manually. Expected output: Report/settings evidence packet with captured values and source images; not a fabricated CSV. Next step: Transcribe reviewed aggregate figures into Periods and observed changes into Changes. Check before continuing: A point-in-time setting does not prove historical state. An ad failing to appear in one personal search does not prove non-delivery. Execution status: Public official documentation checked 2026-10-15; no login, export, live query, import, installation, configuration, message or client workflow was executed. Step documentation: https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226265?hl=en https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12491365?hl=en https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7435507?hl=en https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2454137?hl=en ### 3. Make the checked, minimized handoff Tool: Excel / source-record reviewer Location: Restricted original workbook > separate analysis workbook > Scope worksheet Create period rows only from captured figures; keep charged leads, all leads and credited leads distinct. Include migration, timezone, current-period incompleteness and missing historical settings in Scope. Keep untouched original exports/screenshots and the identifying source map in restricted firm storage. Build a separate minimized analysis file; do not hide raw client data on another tab. Include the complete Scope/coverage note in the AI-visible workbook or prompt. Use aliases and administrative metadata only. Unknown is not zero, false, completed or absent. Expected output: Periods(period_alias,start,end,lead_metric,lead_count,spend,credits,currency,source_ref); Changes(change_at,setting,old_value,new_value,source_ref) Next step: Format each approved range as a named table. Carry source-row references and coverage into the analysis workbook. Check before continuing: Every field has an observed source or an explicit missing reason; staff assignments are marked editorial, not native. Execution status: Public official documentation checked 2026-10-15; no login, export, live query, import, installation, configuration, message or client workflow was executed. Step documentation: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/merge-queries-power-query https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226265?hl=en ### 4. Ask AI to inspect the checked inputs Tool: Excel Copilot, optional Location: Analysis workbook > Copilot icon at lower right > Chat only Open the minimized workbook containing the named tables and Scope. Paste the exact prompt; if unavailable, perform the same rule checks manually. Prompt: ```text Use Periods, Changes and Scope. Verify equal duration, same account, timezone and metric definitions. Compute observed count/spend differences; identify whether lead mix, credits or a migration/reporting break coincides. Separate documented changes from hypotheses and provide the smallest read-only check for each hypothesis. Missing old settings or unobserved platform changes remain unknown. Do not name a cause without evidence, recommend an automatic budget increase or change ads. ``` Expected output: Factual anomaly brief with discriminating checks and coverage blockers. Next step: Copy checked results into a new Review sheet, retaining source references and unresolved blockers. Check before continuing: A spend or budget association is not causal proof; no fabricated historical series. Execution status: Public official documentation checked 2026-10-15; no login, export, live query, import, installation, configuration, message or client workflow was executed. Step documentation: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/copilot/get-started-with-copilot-in-excel ### 5. Human review and final action Tool: Responsible firm reviewer Location: Internal Review worksheet / review document Marketer verifies the arithmetic and checks documented alerts/changes. Save the brief and decide which further account evidence is needed. Expected output: Reviewed explanation hypotheses and next checks. Next step: Any appeal, support message, budget, bid or targeting change requires separate approval. Check before continuing: Migrated-account reporting remains blocked until actual current menus/schema are verified. Execution status: Public official documentation checked 2026-10-15; no login, export, live query, import, installation, configuration, message or client workflow was executed. Step documentation: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585?hl=en https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/12491365?hl=en ## What you will get lead-decline-review.csv: period, observed_metric, comparator, difference, coverage, possible_explanation, next_evidence_check ## Human review and limits No automatic budget increases, account appeals or support submissions. Volume is not lead quality, and unobserved platform changes cannot be diagnosed with certainty. The assistant drafts or reports only. Check source records and review the output before a human performs any separately approved send or change. No automatic legal decision, money movement, account connection or publication is included. What to measure: In a synthetic pilot, count correctly found exceptions, false alarms, and unresolved inputs. No time or cost saving is assumed. ## Original prepared-input schema lsa-periods.csv: period_start, period_end, lead_id, lead_type, charged_amount, credit_status, currency changes.csv: change_id, changed_at, setting, old_value, new_value; scope.txt: timezone, reporting coverage, account migration status Synthetic example input: ```text P1/P2: equal periods with lower lead volume P3: partial reporting period C1: setting changed near the decline ``` Expected synthetic output: ```text P1/P2: observed difference with denominators P3: incomplete comparison C1: possible explanation, not a proven cause ``` Failure check: No automatic budget increases, account appeals or support submissions. Volume is not lead quality, and unobserved platform changes cannot be diagnosed with certainty. ## Starter files Native blank scaffolds and original synthetic examples may use different schemas. Follow NATIVE-INPUT-MAPPING where supplied. These files do not connect accounts or install automation. - [Download starter kit](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03-starter-kit.zip) — All inputs, synthetic examples and review notes in one ZIP. No automation is installed. - [Start here: get the sources and prepare the review](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/START-HERE.txt) — Documentation-checked acquisition, explicit manual mapping, exact prompts and human review limits - [Input template: lsa-periods.csv](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/lsa-periods.csv) — Header-only input template; preserve exact names and order - [Synthetic input: lsa-periods.csv](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/lsa-periods-example.csv) — Fabricated sample rows for an offline manual trial - [Input template: changes.csv](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/changes.csv) — Header-only input template; preserve exact names and order - [Synthetic input: changes.csv](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/changes-example.csv) — Fabricated sample rows for an offline manual trial - [Output template: lead-decline-review.csv](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/lead-decline-review.csv) — Header-only output template; preserve exact names and order - [Expected output: lead-decline-review.csv](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/lead-decline-review-example.csv) — Hand-authored synthetic expected result; not an executed workflow result - [Policy/input template: scope.txt](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/scope.txt) — Required source/policy preparation scaffold; not populated with firm instructions - [Synthetic policy/input: scope.txt](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/scope-example.txt) — Fixture-only context; not an approved production policy - [Synthetic fixture expectations](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/fixture-expectations.txt) — Acceptance targets and failure checks; no claim of workflow execution - [Review prompt](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/starter-prompt.txt) — Copyable offline review prompt; no executable automation - [Setup and prerequisites](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/README.txt) — Recipe-specific setup, evidence sources and usage boundaries - [Native input scaffold: Periods](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/native-periods-template.csv) — Empty editorial table for Periods; populate from verified source evidence after reviewed mapping; not a native export - [Native input scaffold: Changes](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/native-changes-template.csv) — Empty editorial table for Changes; populate from verified source evidence after reviewed mapping; not a native export - [Native input scaffold: Scope](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/native-scope-template.txt) — Approved text input for Scope; complete from verified evidence and include in the AI-visible packet - [Native input mapping and scope guide](https://agents.paretoid.com/assets/starter-kits/g03/NATIVE-INPUT-MAPPING.txt) — Old-file-to-native-input compatibility map, acquisition requirements, privacy and blocking gates ## Optional original prepared-input prompt Destination: Your firm-approved AI assistant · prepared files This original prompt uses its own prepared-input schema. Do not mix it with native-step tables without the supplied mapping. ```text Compare these equal-length Local Services Ads reports. Identify when lead volume changed, whether spend or lead mix also changed, and whether reporting or configuration changes could explain it. Separate observations from hypotheses; give the smallest checks that distinguish them. Do not increase budgets, promise recovery or label a cause without evidence. INPUTS lsa-periods.csv: period_start, period_end, lead_id, lead_type, charged_amount, credit_status, currency changes.csv: change_id, changed_at, setting, old_value, new_value; scope.txt: timezone, reporting coverage, account migration status OUTPUT lead-decline-review.csv: period, observed_metric, comparator, difference, coverage, possible_explanation, next_evidence_check Use only these synthetic or firm-approved inputs and preserve source row/page IDs. Keep missing or conflicting evidence unresolved. Return a draft for the named reviewer. Do not send messages, connect accounts, change records or permissions, move money, or make legal decisions. Keep source files unchanged. List missing prerequisites before continuing. ``` Proposed / not tested · editorial prompt Published by Law Firm Agents. Proposed adaptation; not tested. Not legal advice.