Call-only Google Ads campaigns directly connect brands with their audience through phone calls. This strategy is especially useful for local businesses, high-value purchases, and fostering trust connection with your audience.
Ever bought a big-ticket item online?
While ecommerce giants like Amazon make it easy, 44% of customers still prefer to make a phone call during the research phase. Another 30% are ready to make high-value purchases directly over the phone.
Enter Google Adsâ call-only campaign type, a speedy advertising tactic to connect you with audiences over the phone and boost conversions.
In this guide, Steven Dang, growth and strategy VP at HawkSEM, breaks down the call-only campaign type, which businesses benefit most, and how to use it to maximize ROI.
With a similar look and feel to regular search ads, Google Ads call-only ads include a call button. (Image: Adobe)
What is a call-only campaign in Google Ads?
Call-only ads appear on the Google search network and let you target browsers on devices that make calls, encouraging them to take immediate action by calling (and interacting with) your business.
Rather than clicking on a link to visit a landing page, they get an instant connection to your business.
Think of it as a turbocharged version of a traditional Google Ad, where the primary goal is to get on the phone with your audience ASAP.
When someone submits a relevant search, these ad types appear with a Google call-forwarding number. From there, your prospect clicks the ad to call, connects with you, and Google records the call.
The Google Forwarding number allows you to track the adâs performance and details from the call, like the date and time the conversion occurs. Plus, you can set up an ad schedule to only show your call ads during business hours, so you never miss a potential customer.
Most pay-per-click (PPC) ads link to a landing page, where audiences can submit personal details like their phone number or email address. Here, you can bypass those steps and talk directly to your audience.
Hereâs what a call ad includes in its structure:
- Business name
- Business phone number
- Two headlines of 30 characters each
- Two description lines of 90 characters each
- Your website URL (also known as a final URL)
- Display path (two 15-character segments)
- Verification URL
These ads capture audiencesâ attention with a prominent call-to-action (CTA) button that encourages them to call.
Those who want more info can find the âvisit websiteâ option below the ad. Sometimes, you might also see a Google Ad to a regular landing page with the phone number button included at the bottom as an ad asset.
How to set up a call-only campaign
Ready to get more customer calls? Hereâs how you can set up your first call-only campaign:
1. Enable call reporting
So, how does Google know to record data from your call ads? One initial step is to enable call reporting.
Hereâs what you need to do:
- Log into your Google Ads account
- Click the Admin icon
- Click Account Settings
- Go to âCall Reportingâ
- Click âOnâ
Once you complete these steps, youâll be able to report calls from call-only ads, call assets (ad extensions), and location assets (phone number). When you track customers and have their contact information, you can understand which calls translate into revenue.
What if you start to notice a bunch of new calls from spammers who hang up immediately? Or a potentially interested audience that finds out your business isnât the right fit due to budget or preferences? Thatâs where your definition of a conversion comes into play.
2. Set up conversion call tracking
For your call-only ads to work, you need to initiate conversion tracking. This will help you monitor details from callers, and what calls came from which ads. Google Ads offers five different types of conversions you can implement with phone calls, including calls and clicks from call ads.
The most relevant is the conversion calls from call ads. These are the calls that your audience makes after being exposed to your call ads.
You can toggle a minimum call length (for example, two minutes or more) to count as a conversion. If youâre curious about audiences who make it to your website, you can also track clicks from call ads, even if they donât call the number on your ad.
Conversion tracking set-up
To implement conversion tracking:
- Log into your Google Ads account and click the âGoalsâ icon
- Select âConversionsâ from the drop-down menu, and click âSummaryâ
- Click âNew Conversion Actionâ
- Select âPhone Callsâ
- Click âCalls from ads using call extensions or call-only adsâ and âNextâ
- Then click the drop-down menu âGoal and action optimization,â then âPhone call leadâ and âConversion action optimizationâ as âprimary actionâ
- Name your Phone Call conversion(make sure to keep it under 100 characters)
- Add a monetary value to your conversion based on how much you estimate a phone call is worth
- Set the Count to âOneâ to count each unique phone call conversion
- Set a call length (in seconds) that would equal a conversion
- Select a conversion window between 1 to 60 days under âClick-through conversion windowâ
- Check âAccount-default conversion goalsâ to include data for conversion actions under the Conversions reporting column
- Select your attribution model, which describes when each conversion activates (before a conversion, first click, or multiple clicks)
- Select âCreate and Continueâ
These initial steps ensure all your calls are recorded for you to analyze later. Next stop? Campaign execution.
3. Create a new campaign
Youâve set up your foundation, and now itâs time to hit go on your first call ad campaign.
To get started:
- Login to Google Ads
- Go to your Campaign screen
- Click the plus sign (+) to create a new campaign
- Select the campaign and ad group for the ad, and click âOKâ
- Add relevant information in the edit panel, including the phone number and description
- Choose âLeadsâ as your goal
- Click âContinueâ
But just like search campaigns, youâll need to continuously fine-tune your call-only campaigns to keep them fresh and optimized.
How to optimize call-only campaigns
The customer calls are rolling in, but how do you make sure youâre getting the most ROI for your ad spend?
You could partner with an award-winning Google Ads agency and enjoy an average 4.5X of ROI like our clients do here at HawkSEM.
Dang shares these best practices for marketers to get started with call campaign optimization:
- Add call assets
- Schedule your ads
- Retarget calls that didnât convert
- Target call-focused keywords
- Track key metrics
1. Add call assets
Call assets provide more information about your business, its offerings, and the benefits of choosing you over your competitors. Here are some you should consider including in your ads at no extra cost:
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- Location extensions
- Callout extensions
- Structured snippets
- Sitelinks
- Lead forms (if youâd also like to gather leads)
- Promotion extensions (if applicable)
- Price extensions (if applicable)
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2. Schedule your ads
Potential customers want to speak to someone when they make a call, not your companyâs voicemail box. Thatâs why ad scheduling is so important, so you can ensure someone is available to take their call when they reach out.
You can schedule calls at certain days or hours of the week to align with your business hours.
To do this:
- Go to âAd Scheduleâ under Audience, keywords, and contentâ in your Campaign settings
- Select your ad campaign
- Select specific dates and times to show your ad
- Click âSaveâ
Curious to know more about ad schedules? Check out more details on Googleâs ad scheduling webpage.
3. Retarget calls that didnât convert
Sometimes, customers need a warm-up before theyâre conversion-ready. It might take a second phone call, or a few more personalized ads after an initial phone call for them to make a purchase. If your audience doesnât convert after that first phone call, take it as an opportunity to nurture a warm lead.
Retargeting ads use more persuasive, personalized copy to convert quality leads upon multiple interactions with your brand.
Dang says all interactions should be tagged so that users who donât call are added to a retargeting list. And for those that show unique intent?
âWe can bucket call campaign users into their own retargeting list and retarget them separately, but only if we regard call only users as being substantially different in nature and intent than our web lead users,â says Dang. âWe can also use different call metrics to further segment our call users. For example, users with a call duration of at least 60 seconds could be bucketed differently than users with a call duration of at least 120 seconds.
4. Target call-focused keywords
Keyword research is just as important for call-only ads as regular PPC ads and SEO. If customers want to make a call, theyâll likely type in purchase-intent keywords like:
- Open now: This might mean your audience is eager to make a purchase as soon as they type in their search query
- âNear meâ or any city, region, or neighborhood: Location-targeting keywords signify that your audience seeks a nearby service, like âGreek restaurant near me.â
- âBuy:â If you sell more expensive items, a customer might be more inclined to make a purchase over the phone
So, which type of keywords work best for call-only campaigns?
âAt the end of the day, high quality, high intent, bottom of the funnel keywords should work best,â explains Dang. âIn some cases, we may want to add qualifiers that signal immediacy (ârepairman nowâ, âquick turnaroundâ, âfast response timeâ) or proximity (ânear meâ, âaround 92683â, âin my areaâ); but in general, the keywords for call only campaigns and search campaigns should not vary greatly.â
4. Track key metrics
Phone off the hook? Chances are, your call-only ad is working. But when it comes to performance, quality of results are just as important as quantity. Dang says these important metrics will help you assess success in your campaigns:
âFor call only ads, we may only want to track or record calls over 30 or 60 seconds as a conversion or lead,â says Dang. âWe should look at the different call segments in order to glean additional insights about our calls. These include call status, caller area code, call type, and call duration.â
Why are call-only ads so effective?
Letâs face it: we live in a mobile-first world. If businesses donât cater to the mobile market, theyâre unlikely to gain as much exposure as their competitors do on an online advertising platform.
People browsing the Internet increasingly make purchases on mobile devices, with roughly two-thirds of online shopping orders made through a smartphone.
What makes call-only ads so effective is that Google provides a no-friction way for customers to reach you. With call-only, you shorten your funnel and reduce the number of clicks. This lets you connect with your audience precisely when theyâre ready to engage â not an hour or a day later, as often happens with landing page forms.
Mobile audiences searching for businesses see a phone number as they review the text ads and organic results. (Image: Adobe)
Benefits of this campaign type
Call-only campaigns can offer instant value for businesses that use them. They help you offer a prompt response and personalized touch that sets you apart from your competitors. This approach lets you lock in leads before prospects consider a rival business.
Hereâs a snapshot of what you can achieve with call-only ads:
Stand out in the SERP
Mobile customers who search for businesses see a phone number as they review the text ads and organic results. When they see the phone number (and CTA), they may prefer to take this more direct route to accomplish their goal.
The speed and ease of making calls directly (rather than fumbling around on a website) appeals more to searchers who like to get answers quickly and easily.
Forge a human connection
The best ad copy is personalized and engaging, but nothing trumps the human touch of a voice-to-voice phone call.
At least, thatâs true for the 80% of customers who prefer to talk to a live customer service rep over online text or chatbots.
Connect with high-intent searchers
People who contact businesses through call-only ads normally have a strong intent to purchase. This makes them more valuable than prospects from other types of ads that target keywords with low buying intent.
Who should use Google Ads call-only ad campaigns?
Any business that engages with leads over the phone or in-person would benefit from using call-only ads. For example, a store might run a branded call campaign to ensure that potential customers can call for open hours, directions, or item availability.
Additionally, any business that provides urgent, last-minute services can benefit from call campaigns.
The good news is, this urgency can create lasting returns. Dang elaborates:
âEven if average [cost per click] or [cost per lead] come in higher for call only ads, the return for this type of campaign could still be higher if it generates higher quality or higher revenue leads,â says Dang. âFor businesses where call leads tend to be of greater importance (maintenance and repairs, HVAC, contracting jobs, installation, custom orders, B2B, etc), we should not let higher CPCs or CPLs deter us.â
Here are some industries that gain most from call-only ads:
Real estate firms
A Google Ads call-only campaign can help you generate high-quality leads for property sales. When prospects search for real estate-related terms in your area and call your agency, theyâre often serious about exploring listings. It also helps you save time and effort from sifting through less-committed leads from landing pages.
Travel agencies and tour operators
Travel and tourism is a booming industry, and many travelers are interested in going on tours. Call-only ads are a perfect way to give these travelers the information they need over the phone, answer their questions, and help them find the right tour or package.
IT and computer repair
Almost every business relies on technology, which inevitably leaves room for technical issues. When IT problems arise, businesses want an immediate response and solution. Call-only ads allow you to do just that, offering prompt and personable customer service when prospects are most in need.
Restaurants and hotels
Similar to tour agencies, the hospitality industry can use call-only campaigns to boost bookings. In hospitality, customers often have questions they want immediate answers to, such as âIs there a table available for 7:30 PM tonight?â or âDo you have a double room with a view available this weekend?â Calls give you the chance to answer those questions and secure a booking before the competition does.
Emergency trade service providers
Have you ever needed to call a plumber in a pinch? You probably called the first one you saw in the search engine results page (SERP). And since your sink was clogged, you didnât mind paying the extra fee. In fact, you were stoked they were available on short notice.
But things like address, pricing, and more in-depth detail about a home issue are often easier to discuss over the phone. If all parties are happy, the scheduled appointment follows. Trades that do well with call-only campaigns include plumbers, home contractors, electricians, locksmiths, and auto repair shops:
Image: Google
When you make your trade business available for phone calls, you can build rapport with new customers and quickly let them know your availability to fix their vehicles.
Dentists, orthodontists, and doctors
When it comes to health, people donât want to have to click through endless pages on your website to find answers. Fevers, coughs, or food poisoning are all ailments that urge us to get on the phone to find a solution ASAP.
Dentistry and orthodontist services might also see urgent phone calls for chipped teeth or broken fillings. And even for more routine checkups that arenât as urgent, theyâre still high-cost services, meaning many prospective customers are more comfortable arranging it over the phone than online.
Legal services
Thereâs a reason why lawyers get the big bucks. Most of us arenât suited to take appropriate legal action in a fender bender, child custody case, labor issues, and more.
Thatâs why call-only campaigns are especially convenient (and popular) for legal services.
Since every case is so unique and subjective, and could potentially affect your finances or freedom, itâs natural to want to get on the phone for a consultation instead of trying to figure things out solo:
Image: Google
The takeaway
Call-only ads are a fast-track to customer engagement, increased conversion rates, and amped-up revenue. However, staffing your business to handle customer calls while managing the rest of your digital marketing strategy is no cake walk.
A more efficient approach?
Enlist a Google Ads company with decades of experience to manage the intricacies for you. Our skilled PPC strategists are experts in all things Google Ads and leverage insights from our proprietary tech, ConversionIQ, to strategize the best possible ROI from your marketing assets.
Ready to say hello to call-only ads? Weâre just a phone call away.