Why Answering Your Phone Matters for Google LSAs
Summary: Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) help law firms appear at the top of search results and charge per lead, not per click. But success isn’t just about budget—answering your phone quickly and consistently is crucial for ranking higher in LSAs. Google explicitly factors call responsiveness into ad placement, meaning missed calls can lower your visibility and cost you clients.
Below, we explain how LSAs work, what legal areas qualify, how much they cost, and why picking up the phone matters more than you might think.
At Casegen, we help law firms win the LSA game by picking up calls instantly and performing full legal intakes, ensuring you never miss a lead that could become your next big case.
How LSAs Work for Law Firms
Local Services Ads are Google’s special ad format designed to connect people searching for legal help directly with trusted law firms. When someone searches for terms like “car accident lawyer near me,” Google may display LSAs above all other results.
These local service ads show:
Your law firm’s name
Star ratings and client reviews
A Google Screened badge (for legal professionals)
Your business hours
A direct phone number powered by a Google forwarding number
Instead of paying for clicks, firms pay only when a potential client calls, messages, or books through the ad.
However, the LSA system isn’t purely pay-to-play. Google also considers how your firm handles those incoming leads, especially phone calls.
Why Phone Responsiveness Matters for Google LSAs
Google explicitly states:
“Businesses that respond quickly to customer inquiries and maintain a low rate of missed calls may see better ad rankings.”
— Google Local Services Ads Help
That means answering calls promptly can directly improve your placement in LSAs, helping your firm appear more often and higher on the page—attracting more clients while keeping your cost per lead lower.
Unfortunately, many law firms lose LSA visibility because they miss calls or let calls go to voicemail. Even if you call back later, Google still counts the original missed call against your ranking.
At Casegen, we solve this problem by ensuring calls are answered on the first ring, 24/7. And we don’t just answer the phone—we also perform structured legal intakes, so your team has all the details needed to move a case forward.
How Google Tracks Your Calls in LSAs
Whenever someone clicks to call from your LSA, Google uses a unique forwarding number to route the call to your firm. Through this system, Google tracks:
Whether the call was answered
How long the call lasted
Whether the call went to voicemail
If the call was disconnected quickly
Calls that go unanswered, ring out, or end after a few seconds often signal to Google that your firm is not responsive—which can push your ad further down the list or reduce how often it shows.
Jamie Leach, a Google engineer, noted in a BrightLocal webinar:
“LSA is designed to connect users with businesses most likely to engage. Ignoring calls or letting them go to voicemail is a strong negative signal.”
That’s why instant answer rates matter so much for LSA performance.
How Casegen Helps Law Firms Win with LSAs
At Casegen, we designed our AI-powered legal answering and intake service specifically to help firms:
Pick up calls immediately—no waiting, no voicemail
Perform complete legal intake tailored to your practice area
Collect essential details like:
Accident dates and injury details (for personal injury)
Court dates or charges (for criminal defense)
Divorce or custody details (for family law)
Save all intake data directly into your firm’s CRM or case management system
Provide bilingual support where needed
By ensuring every call is answered professionally and every potential lead gets a thorough intake, Casegen helps you maintain the responsiveness scores Google looks for in LSAs. This can directly improve your rankings and lower your cost per lead.
Practice Areas Supported by LSAs
Not every legal field is eligible for LSAs, but Google’s list has expanded steadily. As of 2025, LSAs support law firms in:
Family Law (divorce, child custody, support)
Different regions may have specific rules, so it’s wise to check Google’s LSA signup page to confirm availability in your area.
What Do LSAs Cost for Law Firms?
LSAs are priced per lead, not per click. Costs vary widely depending on:
Your practice area
Competition in your market
Your responsiveness and reputation
For law firms, typical cost-per-lead ranges look like:
Personal Injury Law: $150–$350+ per lead
Family Law: $75–$200 per lead
Criminal Defense: $80–$250 per lead
Immigration Law: $50–$150 per lead
Bankruptcy Law: $40–$120 per lead
Keep in mind:
Not every lead turns into a client.
Google lets you dispute bad leads (e.g., spam calls, calls outside your practice area).
At Casegen, we help ensure you capture as many of those leads as possible—so your cost per signed case stays low.
Law Firm Q&A About Google LSAs and Call Handling
Does answering your phone influence your Google LSA ranking?
Absolutely. Google uses call responsiveness as a key ranking factor. Law firms that answer calls quickly and engage meaningfully with callers are ranked higher, leading to more impressions and lower cost per lead. Missing calls or letting them go to voicemail can reduce your visibility—even if you’re spending heavily on ads.
At Casegen, we ensure your firm never misses a call by answering on the first ring and performing full intake.
How does responding to calls affect your Local Service Ad visibility?
Google’s algorithm strongly favors law firms that:
Pick up calls live
Speak professionally with clients
Maintain low missed call rates
Even with a large budget, firms that frequently miss calls can see their LSA placements drop. Casegen eliminates this problem by always picking up, no matter the hour.
Is there a difference in the LSA algorithm between answering and ignoring calls?
Yes—there’s a big difference. Answering calls is a positive signal in Google’s LSA algorithm. Ignoring calls—or letting them go to voicemail—hurts your responsiveness score.
Google tracks:
Whether calls connect
How long calls last
Whether calls are dropped quickly
Short calls might not “count” as a valid connection. That’s why Casegen ensures professional, complete conversations every time.
Can returning missed calls help improve your Google LSA ranking?
Returning missed calls is good for salvaging a client—but it doesn’t erase the negative impact of missing the initial call in Google’s LSA system. Google measures your performance on the first contact attempt.
With Casegen, missed calls aren’t an issue because we answer every call live, ensuring your responsiveness score stays high.
Why does Google prioritize fast responses for LSAs?
Google wants users to connect quickly with businesses ready to help. In legal practice, delays can drive a potential client to another firm instantly. Google’s goal is to show ads for law firms who engage immediately.
As a Google engineer put it:
“LSA’s goal is to connect customers to businesses ready to engage. Slow or non-responsive businesses damage user trust, so we rank them lower.”
Casegen is built to keep your firm responsive, professional, and ready for new cases—24/7.
Bottom Line for Law Firms Using Google LSAs
Google LSAs are a powerful lead source for law firms—but only if you answer the phone reliably. With Casegen:
Every call is answered on the first ring
Every lead receives a complete legal intake
Your firm maintains the responsiveness score Google rewards
You avoid wasted ad spend on missed calls
If you’re serious about LSAs, you need to capture every opportunity. Casegen ensures you never miss a client again—and helps your firm rank higher, win more cases, and maximize your return on LSA spend.
Ready to ensure every LSA lead is answered instantly and professionally? Let’s talk about how Casegen can transform your law firm’s intake and boost your LSA performance.
