CALL TRACKING

Google Ads Call Tracking Setup

We set up Google Ads call conversions for call assets, website calls and click-to-call taps, with duration thresholds and optional call tracking platform integration. For businesses whose best leads pick up the phone instead of filling in a form.

SERVICE SNAPSHOT
Best for

Local services, healthcare, legal and home service businesses that rely on phone calls

What you get

Free 30-minute tracking audit • No obligation

THE PROBLEM

Phone Calls Are Often Your Invisible Conversions

When phone calls are not tracked, the campaigns that drive them look unprofitable, and Smart Bidding pulls budget away from the searches that make your phone ring.

Calls Missing From Reports

Visitors who read the site and dial the number from a desktop or another phone leave no trace in Google Ads.

Every Tap Counted

Tracking only click-to-call taps counts accidental taps and hang-ups the same as a real booked job.

No Link to Call Outcome

Without a call platform or CRM link, a short wrong number call and a long sales call carry equal weight.

WHAT WE IMPLEMENT

The Call Conversions We Configure

We cover the three ways Google Ads can see a call: calls from ads, calls from your website and taps on phone links, each with its own conversion rules.

01

Call Asset Conversions

Calls from ads counted as conversions once they pass a minimum duration you define.

02

Website Call Conversions

Google forwarding numbers swapped onto your site so calls from ad visitors can be attributed.

03

Click-to-Call Tracking

tel: link clicks tracked in GTM as a secondary action for mobile engagement reporting.

04

Duration Thresholds

Call length rules set per action so short or accidental calls do not count as conversions.

05

Call Platform Integration

CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics or similar tools connected to import qualified calls with GCLID.

06

Call Reporting Setup

Call details reporting enabled so caller area code, duration and campaign are visible.

HOW IT WORKS

How a Phone Call Becomes a Conversion

A forwarding number links the call to the ad click, and a duration rule or call outcome decides whether it counts.

01
Ad Click

Visitor arrives from a Google ad

02
Number Swap

Google forwarding number shown on site

03
Phone Call

Visitor calls the displayed number

04
Duration Check

Call length compared to your threshold

05
Call Conversion

Recorded in Google Ads for the campaign

WHAT'S INCLUDED

What's Included in Call Tracking

Clear deliverables, documented and validated before handover.

Phone Number Audit

We find every place your number appears on the site and in your ads and check how each is tracked.

Call Conversion Actions

Separate actions for ad calls, website calls and taps, with clear primary and secondary roles.

Number Swap in GTM

The website call conversion snippet deployed through GTM with the right number format for replacement.

Live Call Testing

Test calls placed through ads preview and site visits to confirm swapping, forwarding and recording.

Call Platform Connection

Where you use a call tracking tool, we connect it to Google Ads and align the conversion rules.

Call Tracking Documentation

A reference of each number, action and threshold so changes to your phone system do not break tracking.

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

From Audit to Validated Data

How a Call Tracking project runs, step by step.

01

Audit

Audit phone numbers, call assets and existing call conversions

02

Strategy

Set call actions, duration thresholds and which calls drive bidding

03

Implementation

Configure call assets, number swapping and tel link tracking

04

Testing

Place test calls to confirm number swap and call recording

05

Validation

Review call details reports and conversion counts in Google Ads

PLATFORMS

Platforms and Tools We Work With

The tools involved in a typical Call Tracking implementation.

Google Ads

Call conversions

Google Tag Manager

Number swap snippet

Google Forwarding Numbers

Call attribution

CallRail

Call tracking

CallTrackingMetrics

Call tracking

FAQ

Call Tracking FAQ

Straight answers before you book. Still have a question? Talk to us directly.

What is the difference between call asset and website call conversions?

Call asset conversions count calls made directly from your ad, such as tapping the call button in search results. Website call conversions count calls made to a Google forwarding number shown on your site after someone clicked an ad.

The Google forwarding number only replaces the number for visitors arriving from Google Ads, using JavaScript after the page loads. Your number in the page source and business listings stays the same, which keeps your contact details consistent for search.

It depends on your business. A short call might be enough for a booking line, while a sales call may need several minutes to mean anything. We look at typical call lengths with you and set a threshold that filters out wrong numbers and hang-ups.

Not always. Google forwarding numbers cover many accounts at no extra cost. A tool like CallRail adds recordings, call scoring and multi-channel attribution, which is useful if you want to import only qualified calls.

Yes, when a call tracking platform or CRM records the outcome. Those qualified calls can be imported into Google Ads as offline conversions, tied to the ad click through the GCLID captured by the call tool.

READY TO FIX YOUR DATA?

Stop Guessing. Start Measuring.

Get a professional review of your tracking setup and discover where your marketing data may be leaking.

Free 30-minute review • No obligation

Scroll to Top