📉 Is More "Volume" Actually Killing Your ROI? The LSA Message Trap

If you’re running Local Services Ads (LSA) in 2026, you’ve probably noticed a shift: Message leads are way up, but lead quality is down.

It’s tempting to think more leads = more business. But in a competitive market, too many "bad" message leads can actually be more expensive than no leads at all.

Why Message Leads Often Underperform Calls:

Low Friction = Low Intent: It’s easy for a "window shopper" to blast a message to five pros at once. A phone call requires effort, which usually means the person is ready to hire now.
The "Ghosting" Rate: Messaging leads have a significantly higher "no-response" rate. Your team spends time chasing them, only to get radio silence.
Ranking Pressure: Google tracks your response time. If you’re flooded with junk messages and don't reply in minutes, your ranking drops—even for the high-quality phone calls you actually want.

🛑 Why Turning Them Off Isn't Always the Answer

Simply toggling off messages can feel like the quick fix, but it can lead to a Higher CPA across the board because:

Ranking Penalty: Google favors "full-service" profiles. Disabling messages can lower your visibility for calls too.
Algorithm Starvation: You lose the data points the AI uses to identify active searchers in your area.

🛠️ The "Surgical" Solution

Instead of a "Total Shutdown," use AI as your LSA Gatekeeper to filter intent in real-time.

💡 The Bottom Line

Stopping the spend feels like saving money, but it usually just starves your funnel. The winner in 2026 isn't the business with the biggest ad budget—it’s the one with the best automated systems to filter the noise.

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