How Do You Follow Up on Google Local Services Ads and Nextdoor Leads? (Before They Call the Next Guy)

A lead pops up on your phone. Google Local Services Ads, or a Nextdoor message, or someone asking around on a neighborhood Facebook group. You reply. Then nothing.

These leads feel different from a referral. The person did not pick you. They picked a list, and they're working down it. Whoever answers first and keeps showing up usually gets the job.

Here is how to follow up on them without wasting the lead.

Why these leads go cold so fast

The customer sent the same request to three or four businesses. That's how these platforms work. Google shows them a few names. Nextdoor shows them a thread with ten replies.

By the time you answer, two other contractors may already have texted. The customer is not ignoring you on purpose. They just have a pile of messages and a busy day.

So speed matters, and so does the second and third touch.

Reply in minutes, not hours

If the lead comes in during working hours, answer within 5 to 10 minutes. Most of these customers are still holding their phone. Waiting until the evening puts you at the bottom of the pile.

If you can't call, send a short text. Keep it plain:

"Hi Sarah, this is Mike from Mike's Plumbing. Got your request about the water heater. Can I call you in 10 minutes, or is text easier?"

Asking how they want to talk is a small thing. It gets more replies than a long pitch. For more on speed, see how fast should a contractor respond to a new lead.

The follow-up schedule that works for platform leads

These leads are shorter-fuse than a normal quote. Tighten the gaps.

• Minute 5 to 10: first reply, ask how they'd like to talk.
• Same day, a few hours later: one short check-in if no answer.
• Day 2: a text with one useful question about the job.
• Day 4: offer two times for a visit or a call.
• Day 8: a polite last note that leaves the door open.

That's five touches in about a week. After that, stop. If they never reply, mark it dead and move on. The plan in how many times should you follow up on a quote covers where to draw the line.

What to say in the later texts

Don't just write "checking in." Give them a reason to answer.

Day 2: "Quick question so I can give you a real number. Is the unit in the garage or the basement?"

Day 4: "I have openings Tuesday and Thursday this week to take a look. Which works better?"

Day 8: "Last note from me. If you still need this done, I'm around. If you found someone, no hard feelings."

That last text works more often than you'd think. People feel bad about ghosting. A kind exit gives them an easy way to reply.

Track which source is paying you back

Each lead costs you something, either a per-lead fee or your own time. If you only chase them half the time, you're paying for leads you never really worked.

Keep a simple note of where each lead came from and whether it turned into a quote and a job. After a month you'll see which source is worth it. The math in cost per lead versus cost per job won shows how to read it.

The part that slips

The first reply you'll probably handle. You're holding the phone. It's the day-2, day-4 and day-8 texts that disappear when you're on a job.

QuoteChaser sends those follow-ups for you, by text and email, in your voice, inside quiet hours. When a lead answers, it pings you right away so you jump in at the right moment.

Join the QuoteChaser waitlist and stop paying for leads you never finish chasing.