Google Tests a Bigger Local Services Ad

TL;DR: Google appears to be testing a larger Local Services Ads format, with a bigger listing image and an expanded highlight box under the main ad. It was spotted by one outside advertiser and covered by Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable, but Google hasn't announced or commented on it, and it isn't confirmed as more than a limited test. It would be a display change, not a ranking change, and there's nothing to opt into. The useful move is keeping your photos and profile current.

Google is testing a Local Services Ads format that takes up more space in search results, with a larger listing image and a more prominent highlight box underneath the main ad. This was spotted and screenshotted by an outside advertiser, not announced by Google, and as of this writing there's no confirmation it's rolling out beyond a limited test.

Here's what I could verify, what's still unconfirmed, and what it would actually mean for your account if this becomes the standard LSA format.

What's actually confirmed

Anthony Higman, founder of Adsquire, posted a screenshot on X showing a Local Services Ads listing rendering with a larger image and an expanded highlight box below the main listing, compared to the current, more compact format. Search Engine Land covered the same design change, and Search Engine Roundtable published a detailed write-up on it on September 24, 2026.

What both sources agree on:

The image on the listing is larger than the current LSA format.
There's an expanded highlight box beneath the main listing, showing more than the current compact version does.
It was spotted by one advertiser, not confirmed as live broadly.
Google has not publicly commented on this specific test.

What's not confirmed

I want to be straight about the limits of what's out there right now, since it's genuinely thin beyond those points above:

Which categories or markets it's showing in. Neither source specifies whether this is limited to certain service categories (plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and similar are the categories most commonly cited as LSA's biggest verticals generally, but that's not the same as confirming this specific test is limited to them).
Whether it affects every LSA slot or just the top one. A screenshot shows one listing rendering large; it doesn't tell you whether every provider shown would get this treatment or just whichever one ranks first.
Permanence. Google runs SERP layout tests constantly, and a large share of them get reverted without any announcement. There's nothing here indicating this is a confirmed rollout, a percentage of traffic, or a timeline.
Whether it's connected to the LSA-to-Google Ads migration. Higman's own take, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable, is that this looks like Google putting more resources into LSA as a format around the same time it's folding LSA into Google Ads (I've covered that migration in detail in LSA to Performance Max: what's changing in 2026). That's a reasonable read given the timing, but it's his interpretation, not something Google has stated. Treat it as informed speculation, not confirmed motive.

If you're reading this more than a few weeks after publication, it's worth checking whether the format is still showing at all. Google SERP tests come and go quickly, and this one hasn't been confirmed as anything more than that yet.

What this would mean for you if it sticks

Assuming the format expands or becomes permanent, here's what's actually worth thinking about, and what isn't.

It doesn't change how you rank. A bigger ad unit is a display change, not a ranking change. Bid, responsiveness, review volume and rating, profile completeness, and messaging availability are still the inputs Google uses to decide who shows up and in what order. I go through the actual ranking factors, straight from Google's documentation, in how Local Services Ads ranking actually works. Nothing in this test changes that list.

It probably raises the stakes on your photo and profile completeness. If Google is giving the top listing a bigger image and more room to show information, a thin or outdated profile becomes more visible for it, not less. This is the same advice as always, just with more on the line: current photos that actually show your work, and a complete profile, are worth checking now rather than after a layout change makes the gap obvious. That's one of the items I flag in Local Services Ads mistakes that waste your budget.

It could compress everything below it. If one LSA listing gets meaningfully bigger, something on that results page gets pushed down: other LSA listings, regular Search ads, or organic results. That's a real dynamic worth watching if you're running LSA and Search ads together, which I cover in Local Services Ads or Search Ads: which first, but it's not something you can act on yet since the scope of the test isn't confirmed.

There's nothing to opt into or out of. This is a server-side layout test. You can't request it, and there's no setting in your account tied to it.

What to actually do right now

Not much, and that's the honest answer. There's no toggle, no bid adjustment, and no setup change tied to this test. The one useful thing to do is keep your profile in the shape it should already be in, current photos, complete service categories, fast response times, since that's what would matter more if a bigger unit becomes the norm, and it's already what matters most under the current format regardless.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a confirmed Google feature or just a test? It's a test. It was spotted by one outside advertiser and shared on X, then picked up by Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable. Google has not announced it or confirmed how broadly it's running.

Will my Local Services Ads listing look different because of this? Maybe, if you're in whatever slice of accounts or searches this is testing against, but there's no way to check for it or turn it on. If your listing looks different than usual, this test is one possible explanation, not the only one.

Does a bigger ad unit mean better ranking? No. This appears to be a display and layout change, not a change to the factors Google uses to decide who ranks where. Bid, responsiveness, reviews, and profile quality are still what determines that.

Should I change anything in my account because of this? Not based on what's confirmed so far. The one thing worth doing regardless of this test is keeping your photos current and your profile complete, since that's already a ranking factor and would matter even more if a larger format becomes standard.

Is this related to the LSA to Performance Max migration? Possibly, based on the timing and one commentator's read that Google is investing more in the LSA format around the same period it's folding LSA into Google Ads. Google hasn't confirmed a connection either way, so treat that as a reasonable guess, not a fact.

Watching for changes like this and adjusting your Local Services Ads setup accordingly is part of what Local Service Ads management covers on an ongoing basis, not just the initial approval and setup.