BREAKING: Google Expands Use of Local Service Ad Data

Lunch Hour Legal Marketing

Just when you thought you understood Local Services Ads (LSAs), Google changes the game. Gyi and Conrad sound the alarm on the latest shift in LSA terms—and this one’s a doozy. Google now claims the right to tweak, repurpose, and plaster your ad content wherever it wants. Cool cool cool… unless you’re a lawyer who cares about things like client confidentiality and ethics.

Is this a harmless update? A marketing landmine? Or just another “oops, didn’t read the fine print” moment? The guys debate what opting in *really* means, how it could affect your firm, and why blind trust in Big Tech is looking less like a best practice and more like a liability.

Insight from Anthony Higman on LinkedIn

Takeaways:

• Google’s changing the rules on LSAs—again.
• Your ad content? They can now modify and use it freely.
• Ethics red flag: This could compromise client confidentiality.
• Most lawyers have no idea this is happening.
• Opting in might mean opening a can of worms.
• Google’s rollout? Vague at best.
• Legal marketers are losing faith.
• Ad performance and trust are both on the line.
• Law firms must weigh ethical risks before opting in.
• Transparency isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Chapters

00:00 – Breaking News: Google Drops LSA Bombshell

01:12 – What Google’s New Data Policy Really Means

06:00 – The Opt-In Confusion (and Consequences)

11:00 – Google’s Data Grab and Pricing Power Play

17:15 – AI, Ethics, and the Future of Legal Ads