Google's October LSA Change Will Bill Missed Calls During Business Hours

Google is set to make changes to its Local Services Ads (LSA) program on October 1, 2026. According to Google's notice to advertisers, a missed call during business hours can be charged as a lead if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds. This change will affect businesses that use phone menus, with the timer starting only after the caller presses a key.

The update aims to 'reward businesses that provide excellent responsiveness,' but advertisers must prepare without knowing how many missed calls will be billed. CallRadius, a managed Google LSA service, has published five steps for advertisers to take to limit charges: checking business hours, finding out when calls go unanswered, reviewing call routing, watching charged leads closely in October, and rating questionable leads promptly.

'A business can't fix a gap it can't see,' said Doug Brown, founder of CallRadius. 'This change turns an unanswered phone into a line item.' The company's AI management system records every lead, including those that go unanswered, allowing managers to identify coverage gaps and work with businesses to close them.