Auto repair case study · Marysville, Ohio
More than 100 customers a month calling, at under $20 a lead
Griffin Automotive Solutions came to us in late July 2026 with no Local Services Ads account. Their first charged leads arrived in mid-August. Since then they have taken more than 100 a month, almost all phone calls, at under $20 a lead. Every one of those calls is a chance at an $80 diagnostic fee before a single repair is booked.
Where they started
Griffin Automotive Solutions is an independent auto repair shop in Marysville, Ohio. Good work, a solid local reputation, and no presence in the Local Services Ads carousel at the top of Google. When someone in Union County searched "auto repair near me" or "brake repair Marysville," the first businesses they saw with a phone button were Griffin's competitors.
Auto repair is one of the Local Services Ads categories most shops have never heard of. Most owners assume the ads are only for plumbers and roofers. They are not, and in a smaller market that means fewer shops competing for the top spot.
What we did
Every step, start to finish. The owner did not have to learn the platform.
Set up to pass verification fast. Google needs a certificate of insurance, the business licence, and a background check on the business and its owner before a single ad runs. We built the account so everything Google checks was ready and consistent from day one, along with Business Profile access and billing. It passed verification quickly and started generating the right leads straight away.
A service area drawn around where customers actually drive. Nobody tows a car 40 miles for a brake job. We set the area around Marysville and the towns whose drivers realistically choose a shop there, rather than casting a wide net and paying for calls from people who will never show up.
Job types matched to the bays. Local Services Ads charges per lead for each job type you enable. We switched on the work Griffin wants more of: brakes, diagnostics, oil changes, AC repair and transmission work. Nothing they do not do.
Phone first. More than nine in ten leads were phone calls. For an auto shop that is the right mix: someone with a check engine light wants to talk to a person and book a time, not fill in a form. The calls cluster first thing in the morning, at lunch and right after work, which tells you how high the intent is.
Every lead heard, every day. We listen to Griffin's calls and rate every lead, daily, not once a month. Google stopped taking manual lead disputes in 2024. It now reviews every lead itself and credits the ones it judges invalid, and the ratings you give leads are how it learns what invalid looks like for your business (Google's help page on automated credits). Two things it no longer credits at all: calls for a job type you do not offer and calls from outside your service area. You pay for those now, which is why the job types and the service area have to be right before anything else.
The numbers
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Account opened | Late July 2026 |
| First charged leads | Mid-August 2026 |
| Leads since mid-August | More than 100 a month |
| Phone calls vs messages | More than 9 in 10 are calls |
| Average cost per lead | Under $20 |
| Ad impressions | 41,098 |
| Shown above the organic results | 96% of impressions |
| Shown as the very first ad | 69% of impressions |
| Diagnostic fee per car booked | $80 |
Lead counts and impression figures are from the Local Services Ads account, 29 July to 29 October 2026. Cost per lead and the diagnostic fee are as reported by Griffin.
Cost per lead only means something next to what the work is worth. Griffin charges an $80 diagnostic fee the moment a car comes in, so one booked diagnostic covers at least four leads before any repair is even quoted. The repair that usually follows is worth far more.
Why it worked
Nothing clever. The account was set up to pass verification quickly and generate the right leads from the start. The service area matched how far people will actually drive for a repair. The job types matched what the shop wants to book. And every lead is heard and rated daily, so the account keeps learning what a good call looks like.
The result is an ad that shows above the organic results 96% of the time it appears, and as the very first result 69% of the time, for under $20 a call. For a local shop, that is the difference between being found and being skipped.
We are incredibly proud of the results driven by 5for5. Our phones are ringing with new business every day.
Griffin Automotive Solutions, Marysville, Ohio
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Common questions about Local Services Ads for auto repair
Do Local Services Ads work for auto repair shops?
Yes. Auto repair is an eligible Local Services Ads category, and far fewer shops use it than trades like plumbing or HVAC. Griffin Automotive Solutions in Marysville, Ohio pays under $20 per lead and shows above the organic results 96% of the time its ad appears.
How many reviews do I need for Local Services Ads?
There is no fixed number. What matters is how you compare with the other businesses competing for the same searches. In a smaller market like Marysville, fewer reviews can win. In a big metro you may be up against shops with several hundred.
What is a good cost per lead on Local Services Ads?
It varies by trade and market, and there is no published benchmark. Our own clients pay about under $20 (auto repair, Ohio), $28 (landscaping, Ohio), under $50 (funeral home, Illinois) and $54 (painting, Houston). A good cost per lead is one that is small next to the value of the job it turns into.
Why are my Local Services Ads leads so expensive?
Lead cost depends on your trade and market, and on how many leads are wasted on the wrong jobs or areas. Google no longer credits leads for job types you do not offer or areas you do not serve, so a loose setup costs real money. Before judging the price, compare it with your average job value. Griffin pays under $20 a lead and earns $80 on every diagnostic it books.
Should I increase my Local Services Ads budget?
Only if the budget is actually running out. If spend is below budget, more money will not buy more leads, because the problem is eligibility or ranking. If you are hitting the cap every week and the leads are good, raising it is the simplest way to grow.
Are Local Services Ads better than Angi or HomeAdvisor?
Local Services Ads leads go to you alone, from someone who searched Google and chose to call you. Shared lead platforms often sell the same request to several businesses. For established shops with good reviews, Local Services Ads are usually the better use of the same budget.
Is there an agency that can fix my Local Services Ads?
Yes. 5for5 sets up and manages Local Services Ads end to end: verification, service area, job types, daily lead rating, and the move into Google Ads. Our founder Ken Waks was the first Operations Analyst on Google's Local Services Ads team. Book a call and we will audit your account first.