Google now charges for calls you miss

As of October 1, a missed Local Services Ads call can cost you money. Here is what changed and what to check this week.

As of October 1, a missed Local Services Ads call can cost you money.

Local Services Ads are the pay-per-lead listings at the top of Google search. You pay when a customer contacts you, not when someone clicks. Until this month, a call nobody answered was generally not a paid lead. That has changed.

What changed

Google sent advertisers a notice with two changes, effective October 1, 2026.

Missed calls. A missed call during business hours is now charged as a valid lead if the caller stays on the line more than 20 seconds.

Follow-up calls. If a first call does not qualify as a paid lead, follow-up calls between your business and that caller can be charged once they meet the lead criteria. Google's Ads Liaison clarified that follow-up calls within 15 days of the first contact are charged one time. After 15 days, a new call counts as a new lead.

Why it matters

A phone that rings out can now cost you twice. You pay for the lead. You lose the job.

Missed calls have always cost revenue. Most owners never measured them, because nothing on the invoice made them. Now there is a charge attached.

Twenty seconds goes fast when the person who answers is on another call or on a job site.

How the rule works

• It applies during business hours. That is the window Google's notice names.
• Phone menus are treated differently. If callers must press a key to reach a department, the 20 second timer starts when they press it. No key press, no charge.
• Spam protection is promised, not explained. Google says it is adding safeguards against robot and spam calls. It has not said how they work.
• Some details are still open. The notice does not say what a missed-call lead costs, how voicemail is treated, or how these charges are reviewed.

What to check this week

1. Who answers when the usual person is busy. One name is not a plan. Know who is second.
2. How fast the phone gets picked up when crews are out. Call your own number at a busy hour and count.
3. Where a call goes when nobody picks up. A caller who waits 20 seconds and reaches voicemail may still be a charge.
4. Whether your listed hours match your answered hours. If the ad says you are open, someone needs to pick up.
5. How many calls you miss. Pull the number from your phone system. You cannot manage a cost you have not counted.

The takeaway

Getting found creates the call. Answering it captures the job.

Answering the phone was always the cheapest way to win work. Now it is also the cheapest way to control ad spend.

Sources: PPC Land, August 25, 2026. Search Engine Roundtable, August 25, 2026, updated August 26 with Google Ads Liaison clarification.

Get Started

Ready to grow your local visibility?

Get a free assessment of your current digital presence and a custom plan to improve it.