CPG Solar: Google Local Services Ads live one day after onboarding

At a glance

Trade

Solar installation

Region

San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, CA

Started with DG

September 7, 2026

What we run

Google Local Services Ads, Google Business Profile, Yelp ads

Their tools

Their own developer runs the website. Their team calls leads back

Where they started

Here is where CPG stood in September 2026.

• Yelp ads were already running at $5 a day.
• 19 Google reviews at 5 stars.
• A directory audit showed listings with an old address, duplicates and wrong details.
• Google Maps rankings averaged 17th to 19th for solar searches, near the top only close to the office. A few miles out, in Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Burbank and Woodland Hills, CPG dropped past 20th.
• ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok and Meta AI didn't list CPG in their top 20 for any of the searches we checked.

What we did, in order

1. September 7, 2026

   Onboarding call. DG added as a manager on the Google Business Profile.

   Why: Access first, then changes.

2. September 8, 2026

   Local Services ad went live.

   Why: One day after onboarding. The first lead, for solar panel installation, called on September 9.

3. September 10, 2026

   Renamed the profile CPG Solar and submitted the ad phone number update.

   Why: The name and number customers see should match everywhere.

4. September 18, 2026

   Raised Yelp from $5 to $60 a day, solar only, aimed at nearby cities. Updated the Yelp category, service area and profile.

   Why: Put the Yelp budget on the work CPG wants.

5. September 28 to 30, 2026

   Submitted Google's identity check through Evident, opened a support ticket when it stalled and escalated it to our Google LSA rep.

   Why: It is the last step in LSA verification.

6. September 29, 2026

   Rebuilt the Google Business Profile: main category set to Solar energy company, 30 services each with its own description, a new description, text message and social links, 21 photos optimized and the first Google post.

   Why: The profile is what shows in the map pack for solar searches.

7. September 29, 2026

   Mapped where CPG shows up in Google Maps for 5 solar searches at 169 points across the Valley, and checked 5 AI assistants for the same searches.

   Why: This is the starting line every later month gets measured against.

8. October 1 to 5, 2026

   Replied to 4 new reviews and the older unanswered ones, 9 replies in all. Published Google posts 2 and 3 and scheduled 5 more through October 17.

   Why: Keeps the profile active while the rebuild settles in.

9. October 7, 2026

   Delivered the 30-day report and a lead tracker, and reviewed the website's pages, titles and schema for their developer.

   Why: The website is theirs. The map gains outside the office area depend on it.

Results

This is a setup story. The pieces are in place. The outcome numbers aren't there yet, and the setbacks below say why.

• Local Services ad live 1 day after onboarding. First lead 2 days after.
• 8 LSA leads from September 7 to October 6, 2026, with 1 marked booked.
• First connected, charged LSA lead on October 5, at $160.63.

What took longer or didn't work

• Google sent 9 LSA calls in the first 30 days and 1 was answered, an 11% answer rate. The goal is 85% or more.
• Google paused the ad from September 11 to 16 while it checked the new name and phone number.
• The Evident identity check was still pending on October 7, after we escalated it to our Google rep.
• Yelp switched the solar category back to Roofing on September 29.
• The website and the ad used different phone numbers, and the profile showed open 24 hours on weekdays, so Google could send calls when no one was there.
• Search Console wasn't connected yet, so there was no website search data.