Where Do People Actually Click on Home Services Search Results?

A data-driven breakdown of LSAs, Google Ads, Map Pack, and organic results, compiled from 30+ industry studies.

When someone in your service area searches for "plumber near me" or "emergency HVAC repair," Google serves them a page packed with options. Local Service Ads at the top. Traditional Google Ads below that. A map with three businesses pinned. Then organic search results. Each section is fighting for attention.

But where do people actually click? And more importantly, where should your business be showing up to capture the most leads?

We dug into more than 30 research studies, industry reports, and data sets from sources like BrightLocal, Backlinko, SparkToro, LocaliQ, WordStream, First Page Sage, and others to answer that question with real numbers. This is what the data says.

The Big Picture: Where Clicks Go on a Home Services SERP

When all major SERP elements are present on a home services search, here is how clicks are distributed based on the best available data:

Zero-click rate is estimated lower for home services than the 58.5% all-search average because home services queries carry high commercial intent that drives action.

The takeaway: The Google Map Pack captures the single largest share of clicks for home services searches. But if you add LSAs and traditional PPC together, paid results account for roughly 20-30% of all clicks. The businesses investing in both paid and organic visibility are covering the most ground.

1. Local Service Ads: 10-15% of Clicks (and Growing Fast)

Local Service Ads sit at the very top of Google's results page for home services searches. They feature a business photo, star rating, and that green "Google Guaranteed" badge. Unlike traditional ads, you pay per lead, not per click.

The caveat is that we often find these leads are more difficult to close. These customers are looking for fast, low-priced service and are typically inclined to request multiple quotes within minutes. While the lead itself might be cheaper, the challenge lies in closing the deal.

What the Data Says

The most comprehensive study on LSA click behavior comes from BrightLocal, which tested over 5,500 real internet users across 10 different home services search scenarios (plumbers, locksmiths, house painters, towing companies, and garage door contractors).

13.8% of all local SERP clicks go to LSAs when they are present

25.3% of all clicks go to paid results (LSAs + PPC combined) when LSAs are present, versus just 14.6% without them

7.4% of all SERP clicks go to the #1 LSA position alone

Source: BrightLocal Local Services Ads Click Study (2018, updated 2025, 5,500+ users, home services-specific)

More recent data from The Media Captain, based on 100+ client accounts, found that 27.78% of users prefer clicking LSAs, making them the second most popular click choice after Google Maps. That is nearly 3x the preference rate for traditional Google Ads.

Source: The Media Captain (2024-2025, 100+ clients)

Reviews Drive LSA Clicks More Than Position

Here is the finding that surprised us most: the BrightLocal study found that a 4.5-star LSA in position 3 earned more clicks (7.9%) than a 3.6-star LSA in position 1 (5.8%). Reviews outweigh ranking position in LSAs.

What this means for your business: Actively generating 5-star reviews is not just a nice-to-have. It directly determines how many clicks (and calls) your LSA generates, regardless of your ad position.

LSA Cost Per Lead by Trade

LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead model, which tends to produce lower cost per lead than traditional PPC for home services:

Sources: Home Service Direct, Talk24, Housecall Pro (2025)

Important trend: LSA costs are rising approximately 20% annually as more contractors adopt them. The average home services lead across all paid channels reached $91 in 2025, up 10.5% year-over-year.

2. Traditional Google Ads: 8-15% of Clicks

Traditional pay-per-click ads appear below LSAs but above the Map Pack. Their click share has been compressed by the introduction of LSAs, but they remain an important piece of the puzzle, especially for businesses that want to control their messaging and targeting.

Click Share Breakdown

From the BrightLocal study, when LSAs are present on a home services SERP:

11.1% of clicks go to traditional PPC ads (down from 14.6% when LSAs are absent)

8.5% of clicks go to the #1 PPC ad position specifically

0.44% of clicks go to PPC ads at the bottom of the page (virtually invisible)

Home Services PPC Benchmarks (2025)

LocaliQ analyzed 3,211 US home services search ad campaigns from April 2024 to March 2025. Here are the key benchmarks:

Source: LocaliQ 2025 Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks (3,211 campaigns)

A notable trend: 88% of home services businesses saw their CTR increase year-over-year, but conversion rates decreased for 10 of 16 subcategories. More people are clicking, but the increasing competition on the SERP makes it harder to convert them. The average cost per lead hit $90.92 in 2025.

3. The Google Map Pack: 33-44% of Clicks (The Biggest Prize)

The local Map Pack (the map with three business listings) is the single most clicked element on a home services SERP. Across every study we reviewed, it consistently captures the largest share of user attention.

42% of searchers click on results inside the local 3-pack (Backlinko, 2023, 454 real users)

44% of local searchers clicked on local pack results (Moz, 2015, landmark study)

126% more traffic for businesses in the 3-pack vs. positions 4-10 (SOCi, 12.9 billion data points)

Source: Backlinko Google User Behavior Study (2023)

Position Matters Less Than You Think

Unlike organic results where position 1 dominates, the Map Pack positions are remarkably close in click-through rate:

Source: RedLocalSEO Google Local Pack Statistics (2024-2025)

The spread between positions 1, 2, and 3 is only about 2-3 percentage points. All three Map Pack positions deliver meaningful traffic, which means getting into the 3-pack at all is the critical milestone.

Star Ratings Create Massive CTR Swings

BrightLocal measured the impact of star ratings on local pack click-through rates:

Source: BrightLocal Review Search Click-Through Study

That is a 39 percentage point swing between a 1-star and 5-star business in the Map Pack. Your review profile is arguably the highest-ROI marketing investment you can make.

Mobile Dominates Home Services Search

76% of local contractor searches happen on mobile devices (Home Service Direct, 2025)

78% of local mobile searches lead to a purchase within 24 hours (Google)

88% of local searches on mobile result in a call or visit within 24 hours

On mobile, the map pack often appears first on the screen, which is why it captures such a disproportionate share of clicks compared to desktop.

4. Organic Results: 20-30% of Clicks (and Getting Squeezed)

Organic results have been losing click share steadily on home services SERPs. On a typical mobile search, the first organic result now appears below the fold, pushed down by LSAs, PPC ads, and the Map Pack. But organic still delivers tremendous long-term value.

Organic CTR by Position

Here is what organic click-through rates look like on a home services SERP where a local pack is also present:

Sources: First Page Sage CTR Study (2025); Backlinko (2023, 4M results)

The critical number: When a local pack is present, organic position #1 CTR drops from 39.8% to 23.7%, a 40.5% reduction. And on home services SERPs, a local pack is almost always present.

The BrightLocal study found that when LSAs are present, 81.2% of users clicked above organic position 2. Only organic #1 maintains significant click share in this environment.

Why organic still matters: Organic position #1 still receives roughly 19x more clicks than the top paid ad (First Page Sage, 2025). The traffic is free, the trust level is higher, and it compounds over time. The challenge is that getting to position #1 requires sustained investment in SEO.

5. The Zero-Click Reality: Not as Bad as It Sounds

You have probably seen the alarming headline: 58.5% of Google searches end without a click. But for home services businesses, the zero-click story is more nuanced than it appears.

The Headline Numbers

58.5% of US Google searches end in zero clicks (SparkToro/Datos, 2024)

~69% zero-click rate when AI Overviews are present (Similarweb, 2025)

360 out of every 1,000 US searches result in a click to the open web

Source: SparkToro 2024 Zero-Click Search Study

Why Home Services Is Different

The overall zero-click rate is inflated by informational searches like "what time is it" or "weather." Home services searches are transactional. People need to take action: call a plumber, book an HVAC tech, get a roofing estimate.

But here is the key insight: many home services "zero-clicks" are actually high-value conversions happening directly on the SERP:

60% of smartphone users contact a business directly using the click-to-call option in search results (Google)

64% of customers use the phone number listed on Google Business Profile panels (Keywords Everywhere)

30-50% conversion rate for phone calls from SERPs, versus just 1-2% for website clicks

The bottom line: For home services, a "zero-click" search often means the customer called you directly from Google. That is a higher-value action than a website visit. The zero-click trend is a real problem for website traffic, but it can actually be a sign of healthy lead generation if your Google Business Profile is optimized with your phone number, hours, and strong reviews.

6. What This Means for Your Business

After reviewing 30+ studies and data sets, three strategic takeaways stand out above everything else.

Reviews Matter More Than Position

Across every SERP element we studied, star ratings override positional advantage. A 5-star business in Map Pack position 2 outperforms a 3-star business in position 1. A 4.5-star LSA in position 3 earns more clicks than a 3.6-star LSA in position 1. If you do one thing after reading this, build a consistent review generation process.

You Need to Show Up in Multiple Places

No single SERP element captures a majority of clicks. The Map Pack gets the most at 33-44%, but that still leaves 56-67% going elsewhere. The businesses that win are the ones showing up in the Map Pack AND organic results AND running LSAs or PPC. That multi-channel presence is what creates the perception that you are the dominant company in your market.

The Window for Free Visibility Is Narrowing

In 2018, BrightLocal found 25.3% of home services SERP clicks went to paid results when LSAs were present. By 2025-2026, paid click share has roughly doubled across service verticals. Google expanded local pack ads by 733% in just three months (November 2025 to January 2026). The trend is unmistakable: Google is monetizing local search more aggressively every year. Organic SEO still delivers incredible ROI, but it is getting harder and takes longer. Businesses that combine strong organic presence with strategic paid campaigns are the ones best positioned for what is coming.

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About This Research

This report was compiled by RedBrick Web Solutions from 30+ industry studies, research reports, and data sources spanning 2015-2026. Key sources include BrightLocal, Backlinko, SparkToro/Datos, LocaliQ/WordStream, First Page Sage, Moz, SOCi, Advanced Web Ranking, Sistrix, Similarweb, Google/Think with Google, Home Service Direct, Housecall Pro, Hook Agency, The Media Captain, Talk24, Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, and GrowthSRC.

Where possible, we prioritized home services-specific data over general search data. The BrightLocal LSA Click Study (2018) remains the only large-scale study measuring click distribution across all SERP elements specifically for home services queries. We have noted the year and sample size of each study throughout so you can assess the data for yoursel