5 Best Practices For Creating And Optimizing Google Call-Only Ads

Google is continuously adding new features to its mobile ads. First, there’re call extensions, then it added a call tracking feature to allow tracking from websites and post-landing pages, and now there are call-only ads.

In making call-only ads, Google is only following the feedback of its mobile users

• 82% of mobile users prefer shopping from their mobiles. Hence it pays good results to keep your ads before the potential customers

• 70% of mobile users call businesses directly from the search results

What is call-only ads?

These ads appear on mobile search results but are limited to devices capable of making outgoing calls. The objective of the call-only ads is to make it convenient for users to make calls.

How to create Google call-only ads campaign?

For example, as soon as a viewer taps on the phone number given on a call-only ad, his mobile phone dialer opens with that number to make it convenient for the user to simply tap the call button to make a call.

Google Ads Call Only Case Studies

Call-Only Ads Example

Benefits / Advantages of Call-Only Ads

• In this ad format, the Phone Number is at the top of the ad
• Eye-catching prominent call button
• Clicks equal to call (NOTE: this does not mean you will get 100% call conversion. But very possibly more than 60% conversion, if you hire a good call-only ads consultant
• Bids for calls instead of website clicks
• Capability to Create More Targeted Ads

But the biggest advantage of call-only ads is their high conversion rate and revenue. According to an estimate, the conversion rate of call-only ads is 10x higher than all digital-based leads.

Businesses that qualify for Call-Only Ads:

• Provide quick service like towing service provided as emergency help in breakdown situations
• Businesses that get more leads from mobile searches like students looking for private tutors
• Businesses whose clients prefer speaking to real persons instead of going through text matter

Any business that provides service over the phone should go for call-only ads because providing a quick calling feature will encourage the targeted users to make calls.

Flexible Call-Only Ads

Google Call-Only Ads are flexible advertisements with business phone numbers figuring on the top of the advertisement followed by a short but crisp description about the business advertised through the ad. The earlier business name was kept at the top with the phone number, but Google changed the setting to allow more focus on the call-to-action button by shifting the business name to the description from February 2019. The ad has more space for CTA or important business details to prompt viewers to tap on the CTA to start their buying journey.

Best Practices For Creating And Optimizing Call-Only Ads

While it isn’t difficult to set a call-only ads campaign using Google’s guide, you should know about the best practices that can increase the visibility of your ads and make it more convenient for the targeted audience to contact your business at times of need.

Google has a detailed guide on setting call-only ads, but it is more technical hence gives little information on the best practices that can help your call-only ads stand apart from others. Since it is paid advertisement, you should be serious about the call-only ads to get maximum return on your investment.

1. Write eye-catching an Google call-only ad copy

Call-only ads allow only a limited number of texts in the description, and for this reason, it becomes most important to take full advantage of the allowed characters to describe your business in such a manner that the viewers have a complete understanding of what you do, benefits of your services, and the cost of service. Encourage people to call your business to talk to a real person and make sure that the person responsible for attending the customer calls can satisfy customer queries to generate hot leads that convert into business.

2. Include location targeting and call-centric keywords

Including location targeting in the ad will benefit in directing the customers to a nearby location. It is beneficial, especially for local businesses. You can use a local phone number for location targeting that connects the callers to their nearest stores. Similarly, call-centric keywords can help boost traffic and sales. These keywords could include locations like city name and street, or match what users are looking for. And you can use a leading keyword research tool to locate keywords or phrases that appeal to high-intent users.

3. Ad scheduling

Call-only ads will generate leads over the phone, but it is half the job done because the responsibility of completing the sale process depends on your team responsible for attending customer calls. In case the team is too busy to take new calls, and you will miss the leads. But there is little need to harass your callers or embarrass your team when you have the option of scheduling the calls. Activate ad scheduling to show ads only when you or your team can take calls. In this way, you won’t miss a single lead from interested buyers.

4. Use call tracking to improve performance

Monitor whether all clicks are leading to calls. If not, then understand that the viewers are changing their opinion from click to call. And you can find the reason in your ad copy. It shows that your business description isn’t giving a complete insight into your service. Or the keywords included aren’t matching with the search results. A change in the description can give favorable results.

If lesser calls are converting into leads, you need to check the call quality, duration of the calls, and time of the call to find the best time when calls convert into leads and locate the factor that is preventing the callers from becoming your customers. Here you can employ the Google call tracking feature or use a third-party tool that can give insights on customers’ calls.

5. Retargeting callers

Use insights from call reporting to select audiences for retargeting. The data received from the call tracking tool will allow a good understanding of what the callers were looking for and why you missed those leads. Also, you can prepare a strategy to retarget and convert those unconverted calls into leads. Since your overall marketing strategy now depends on call-on ads, you shouldn’t have much difficulty in retargeting the unconverted callers.

Before arriving at any conclusion on Google call-only ads, check what your competitors are doing

The competition on the web is the highest, and businesses are employing all possible methods to grab the attention of digital customers. If your competitors are making use of call-only ads, you should learn from them and start a campaign of call-only ads to become visible for mobile users looking for the business you are doing. Since your competitors are running call-only ads, it shows that they are getting customers, but you are missing those valuable leads.

NOTE: Call ads are available only for campaigns on the Search Network.

Google call-only ads campaign structure

* double-width languages are languages that use double-width characters, like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Final Thoughts

Google Call-Only Ads provide an opportunity to capitalize on mobile users whose number is growing with each passing day. With call-only ads, you can offer the targeted audience exactly what they are looking for and make it convenient for them to connect to your business by simply making a call during business hours.

If you provide round-the-clock services like AC repair, plumbing, electric job, packer and movers, medical service, or any service that you think your customers could require any time of the day, you must invest in call-only ads. Join hands with a certified Google ads consultant for running successful call-only ad campaigns.