Boosted Leads™ vs. DIY
Doing it yourself vs.
running with an operator
Your Google Business Profile is free. Local Services Ads is self-serve. Here's what DIY actually costs you, and when it's the smarter call.
Do it yourself
Free tools, your time
- Google Business Profile is free to claim and free to post to
- Google Local Services Ads is self-serve — you set your own budget
- You keep 100% control of your profile, your voice, your data
- The real cost is your time: hours a week on posts, reviews, and ad tuning
- Learning curve — GBP, LSA, and ad platforms change their rules often
- Response speed depends on you picking up the phone between jobs
Run with an operator
ELIAS + human sign-off
- ELIAS™ monitors your profile, ads, and reviews daily, not "when there's time"
- Every lead gets an instant reply, 24/7 — no missed calls between jobs
- A human approves every move before it goes live; nothing runs unsupervised
- Flat monthly retainer plus ad spend you pay the platform directly
- $997/mo floor, published — no "request a quote" runaround
- Month-to-month after a 3-month minimum; cancel with 30 days notice
The honest cost
DIY isn't free — it's paid in hours
Claiming your Google Business Profile costs nothing, and Google Local Services Ads is self-serve — you can set a budget today. What isn't free is the time: posting weekly, requesting and responding to reviews, watching ad spend, and answering the phone the moment a lead calls. If you're already running a business, that's real hours you don't get back. On platforms like Yelp, ad clicks run $2–$20/click, and it's on you to watch that spend daily.
Figures from public pricing pages and review platforms, compiled May 2026. Pricing changes — verify current pricing with the provider.
When DIY is the right call
We'll tell you straight: if you're a single-truck operation with your calendar already full, or your total marketing budget is under about $1,000/month, DIY is usually the better move right now. Claim your Google Business Profile, post to it weekly, ask every happy customer for a review, and set up Local Services Ads yourself — our Google Maps checklist walks through exactly how. Come back when you're turning away work you'd rather take, or when slow response time is costing you jobs.
Not sure which camp you're in? Get a free audit — it's free either way, whether you end up doing it yourself or working with us.
Ready to hand it off?
Tell us your business and city. We'll audit your market for free and show you what an operator-run pipeline would look like. No pressure.