Part 2 of a 2 Part Series: Now let’s unpack when message leads aren’t just worth keeping, but high-quality opportunities that convert.
In Part 1 of message leads, we showed that phone calls drive most Local Services Ads (LSA) leads overall, but we also flagged a key nuance:
“LSA behavior varies depending on the service type, urgency of the job, average ticket size, and how customers typically make buying decisions.”
Now let’s unpack when message leads aren’t just worth keeping, but high-quality opportunities that convert.
Why Consumer Intent Shapes LSA Message Lead Value
The type of service someone is searching for dramatically affects how they want to contact a business.
🔹 Urgent services such as water damage or emergency plumbing
People searching terms like “water damage restoration near me now” are typically in crisis. They need help immediately. They’re far less likely to fill out a message form or wait for a response; they want someone on the phone NOW.
➡️ In these cases, message leads often underperform compared to phone calls. The intent is “talk now, solve now.”
🔹 Quote-driven or non-urgent services such as house cleaning or carpet cleaning
For services where people want multiple quotes, compare prices, or schedule at their convenience, messaging becomes more acceptable, maybe even preferred. Some shoppers don’t want to talk right away, and they may start with a message to see what kind of response/time estimate they get.
This aligns with behavioral patterns we see across verticals: LSAs bring in both calls and message leads, but the customer’s mindset matters when deciding how they want to initiate contact.
Real Data From 99 Calls’ Clients About Message Leads by Industry
Our internal data shows a clear quality difference by industry:
The chart above shows the percentage of message leads out of total LSA leads across five different industries for our clients. And the takeaway is clear:
👉 Message lead volume is not evenly distributed. It’s driven by how consumers buy in each industry.
High Message Lead Share: Quote-Driven Services
- House Cleaning (~78%)
- Carpet Cleaning (~68%)
These two industries stand out immediately. In both cases, message leads make up the majority of total LSA leads.
This aligns perfectly with how consumers shop for these services:
- There’s rarely urgency
- Customers want to compare prices
- Messaging allows them to contact multiple providers quickly
- Many prefer not to talk on the phone initially
In other words, a high percentage of message leads doesn’t indicate low intent; it indicates intent to compare. And as our data shows, the quality of those message leads is very strong, especially in house cleaning and carpet cleaning.
Moderate Message Lead Share: Semi-Urgent Services
- Water Damage Restoration (includes Mold Remediation services – ~35%)
Water damage sits in the middle
Some water damage situations are urgent, where customers immediately call. Others are less severe (small leaks, prior damage, mold inspection and remediation, insurance follow-ups), where messaging still plays a role.
This is why we see:
- Fewer message leads than cleaning industries
- But still a meaningful percentage of customers choosing to message first
It reinforces the point that urgency directly impacts how people initiate contact, not whether the lead is legitimate.
Low Message Lead Share: Emergency-Driven Services
- Electricians (~22%)
- Plumbers (~18%)
These industries skew heavily toward phone calls, and the reason is simple:
- Electrical and plumbing issues are often urgent
- Customers want immediate answers
- Waiting for a message response feels risky
The lower message lead percentage here doesn’t mean message leads are “bad.” It means the dominant consumer behavior is calling, which is exactly what you’d expect in emergency-oriented services.
Why This Chart Matters
This data proves an important point for LSAs:
Message lead performance is industry-specific, not a flaw in the lead type itself.
- In quote-driven industries, message leads are a primary conversion path
- In urgent industries, calls naturally dominate
- Turning off message leads doesn’t improve lead quality; it just removes a contact option some customers prefer
Why High-Quality Message Leads Matter, Even If They Don’t Call
Here’s the key point most contractors overlook:
High-quality message leads don’t just add volume, they add real customers, especially in industries where shoppers want flexibility and time to compare.
✅ Lower friction: Messaging lets consumers inquire without pressure.
✅ Broader reach: Some consumers won’t call, but will message, expanding your audience.
✅ Competitive advantage: Businesses that respond quickly to messages often win the job before competitors even pick up the phone.
In LSAs specifically, message leads also help your profile’s engagement data, which boosts visibility and ranking inside the LSA auction. Google rewards responsiveness and engagement across all lead types, not just phone calls.
Where Message Leads Tend to Be Less Valuable
In services driven almost entirely by immediate need, message leads can be lower quality simply because the channel doesn’t match the intent. Examples include:
- Water damage restoration (emergency)
- Emergency plumbing/heating repair
- Urgent electrical services
In these situations, most buyers want someone on the phone NOW, and don’t click “message” because that feels too slow. As a result, the conversion rate on message leads can lag, even if the lead itself is valid. This is why many businesses in emergency response verticals see higher ROI from phone leads.
Why Turning Off Message Leads Is the Wrong Mindset
One of the biggest misconceptions we see with Local Services Ads is that message leads should be evaluated the same way across all industries. They shouldn’t.
Here’s the reality most business owners miss:
Message leads in LSAs do not cost extra to keep enabled.
There is no separate setup fee, no penalty for allowing customers to message instead of call, and no downside to giving consumers more ways to contact you. When message leads are turned off, the only thing you’re doing is limiting how potential customers can reach you.
And that’s where the mindset shift needs to happen.
Let Consumers Choose How They Want to Contact You
Different services attract different buying behaviors. The decision isn’t whether message leads are good or bad; it’s whether your industry naturally produces consumers who prefer messaging.
- In non-urgent, quote-based industries (like house cleaning or carpet cleaning), customers often expect to message multiple businesses to compare pricing, availability, and service details.
- In emergency-driven industries, customers tend to call, not because message leads are low quality, but because urgency dictates behavior.
By keeping message leads enabled, you’re letting the consumer decide how they want to engage, rather than forcing everyone into a phone call funnel that doesn’t match how they shop.
Industry Behavior Determines Message Lead Quality, Not the Feature Itself
Our data makes this clear:
- House cleaning and carpet cleaning produce a high percentage of quality message leads
- Emergency services naturally skew toward calls
- The lead quality isn’t random, it’s industry-specific
That means the smarter question isn’t:
“Should I turn message leads off?”
It’s:
“Does my industry give customers time to message, compare, and decide?”
If the answer is yes, disabling message leads simply cuts off high-intent prospects who would have converted if given their preferred contact option.
Why Leaving Message Leads On Is a Low-Risk, High-Upside Decision
Because message leads don’t add extra cost just by being enabled, keeping them on offers:
- More total lead opportunities
- Access to buyers who won’t call first
- Better alignment with modern consumer behavior
- Improves LSA rankings
- No downside in industries where messaging naturally underperforms
In short, there’s no financial penalty for keeping message leads active, but there is a missed opportunity when they’re turned off in industries where messaging works.
The Takeaway for Business Owners
Message leads aren’t the problem. Misaligned expectations are.
When business owners understand that some industries will always produce higher-quality message leads than others, the decision becomes simple:
👉 Leave message leads on, track performance by industry, and let real consumer behavior guide optimization.
