When an agency manages Google Local Services Ads for five or more businesses, onboarding needs a repeatable process. The right phone number must reach the right team. Each client needs an accurate report. A new account manager needs to understand what is connected and what still requires attention.
If you are comparing multi-account LSA software, ask vendors to demonstrate the differences between a single-business setup and an agency portfolio. Can a team member see which accounts need attention? Does every record stay with the correct client? Can onboarding pause for one business without leaving the others unclear?
Use this checklist to define the pilot, responsibilities, and evidence you need before a wider rollout.
Establish a clear status for every client account
Ask for an agency view that identifies the client account, connection state, last successful refresh, and unresolved work. A portfolio-wide lead total cannot tell an account manager which client needs attention today.
Separate readiness to advertise from readiness to use the software. Google says screening requirements vary by business category and location. A connected account may still have an unresolved Google requirement; an active advertiser may still have unfinished software setup. Check Google's verification guidance.
Assign an owner to each outstanding item. Check whether the team can distinguish an account awaiting client input from one with a broken connection. Neither should appear simply as an account with no leads.
Confirm account ownership and authorized access
Create an account inventory before connecting anything. Record the business name, Google customer ID, relevant manager account, business location, primary agency contact, and client-side decision-maker. Keep login credentials out of that inventory.
Google supports role-based account access and explains that manager accounts are set up and changed through Google Ads. Its documentation also distinguishes account access from payments-profile access. Review Google's account-access guidance.
Ask the vendor which permissions each function requires. Viewing a report and changing a campaign are different responsibilities. Confirm how clients authorize access, what your staff can see, and who can approve actions affecting the account.
Request a demonstration of client separation using authorized demo accounts. An agency administrator may need a portfolio view; a client user should see only the information intended for that client. Include report links and exports in the check, not just the dashboard.
Map every lead to the correct business
For each pilot account, document the intended destination of phone, message, and booking leads that are supported in that account. Record the client's service hours, escalation contact, CRM destination, and any existing response automation.
Then ask the vendor to demonstrate how it identifies the originating Google account and routes the inquiry. Do not rely on a business name alone when clients have similar names or several locations.
Check for overlapping workflows. If the client's existing CRM sends an immediate reply, another responder could send a second message. Agree on which system owns the first response and when a person takes over.
Use a vendor-supported test environment where available, or inspect authorized existing records with unnecessary personal details removed. Do not generate fake consumer leads through live ads simply to test onboarding. Any live workflow changes should have a named approver and a rollback plan.
Require acceptance evidence for each account
Use an account-by-account acceptance record rather than one “agency connected” checkbox. For each business, verify:
- The Google account identifier, location, and CRM destination match.
- The correct team can access the account without seeing unrelated client data.
- Supported lead types appear in the agreed destination.
- An authorized team member can identify the owner of an unresolved inquiry.
- The first report uses the agreed dates, definitions, and source records.
- A connection problem produces a visible issue with an assigned response owner.
If the vendor proposes self-service onboarding, have an ordinary agency user attempt the supported process. Record which steps they finish independently, where assistance is required, and how an interrupted setup resumes.
This test is more useful than accepting the label “self-service.” It also helps you write the internal instructions that the next employee will need.
Test portfolio differences before expanding
Choose a small authorized set that reflects meaningful differences in your portfolio, such as a phone-heavy business and a business using message leads. Include different routing or CRM requirements when those differences matter. A successful demonstration on one account does not establish that every client configuration works.
Capture a baseline of the existing process: setup effort, manual reporting work, outstanding follow-up, and known data gaps. During the pilot, record the same measures and document any support intervention.
Evaluate the operation separately from advertising results. A short test can establish whether a connection works and the right person receives an inquiry. It cannot establish that the software caused a ranking improvement or long-term revenue growth.
Ask what happens when one client's authorization expires or that client leaves. The team should have a documented process for identifying the affected account, contacting its authorized owner, and preserving the agreed records. Confirm how disconnection and export work without assuming every account shares the same lifecycle.
Get the commercial scope in writing
Ask for the total cost at your actual client count, including setup, users, usage-based charges, integrations, support, and any reporting or branding options you require. Confirm what changes when you add or remove a business.
Keep three columns in your evaluation notes: available and demonstrated, available with conditions, and not available today. Put proposed features in the last column until they can be verified.
Approve expansion when your acceptance criteria are met and the ongoing responsibilities are clear. If a required workflow remains unresolved, narrow the rollout rather than assuming the issue will disappear at scale.
Evaluate LSA Command against your agency workflow
Ready to assess your portfolio? Book an LSA Command agency walkthrough. Bring your client count, CRM, and the account structure for one representative client. Work through the handoff that is hardest to manage today, and confirm what the current setup process would require. Do not share passwords or unnecessary customer details.
Agree on who handles setup questions and ongoing issues; the LSA Command support page is an existing contact destination. Make the decision against your checklist, with the same evidence standard you would use for any tool entrusted with client work.