Google Ads, Call-only ad, is it fine or more doubtful?

Google Ads drive users from the Internet to web pages. User from the Google search result page can be moved even directly to a particular product. For example, a marketer can connect an exact product sub-page address with a product name and exact model for a search term. This is the most common use. However, there is another way.

Google provides another option: Call-only ads.

Instead of forwarding the user to the web-page we can give him a possibility to make a call. This ad is shown only at a smartphone or other device able to make a call.

A case study from us bellow will let you know about:

• What reason makes this option suitable for you. When you should use it?
• Is it fine, great or a waste of money and time?

Story entry point

This spring friend told me that we will be helping a travel agency. The goal is to help them sell more offers during summer. Summer is important for travel business. He said also that the budget is more or less zero. I said, great, this will be a valuable experience. The client was a little different, a little unique as it was a pilgrimage agency and not so regular travel agency. Web page engine was made in Joomla. Tidy but with some missing ingredients. I was a lite uncertain taking in hands Joomla as I know only WordPress. Nevertheless, the dice were cast.

I connected the Google Search Console and Google Analytics. There was no measurement for any metric before. Agency did not know how many users were coming over the page. It’s 250-300 users per week, 1000-1200 monthly. They had an only web page and SEO service from an SEO agency. From that time we got knowledge if SEO is getting better or not so much. The second idea for the use of Google Analytics was to measure the Conversion Rate (CR). We decided to set up a call for mobile and form contact for desktops as a conversion goal. That was the only reasonable option as the agency website was a blog without any store, missing a buy functionality. I was waiting for conversion metrics. We did this with WordPress before, however, we had a problem with that for Joomla. No money means no time to fix that. We asked staff to ask customers during contact to get the source. Everyone was asked from where did they find out about offer or company. We discover that website Conversion Rate was very poor. There was almost no calls or emails from website contact form. We could spend more money on SEO or for ads within google ad services. If we will get more users for more money will not pay off. Website Conversion Rate was a serious problem. The budget was very small and we were running out of time. Summer sale rush period was closer with every day. Increasing conversion takes more time and it’s a cost as well. That was difficult. No money and not to much time.

Story takes action

Lack of resources can be balanced with creativity. We think out that using ads with call-only option is good for us. We can redirect potential clients to call us and talk instead of taking them to the web page with poor Conversion Rate. Google describes call-only option down here: About call-only ads.

We set up Google Ad with max ROI strategy. This means min. budget and most valuable clicks from users with higher Conversion Rate. I will explain this in another article. In short explanation, you put a price into the text of an ad or picture and set not high bid for the ad to get a good balance. When the price is well known in the text of the ad, it will bring only users able to give this price if offer fits them. Second thing was to take specific long term keywords for customers in late buy stage.

Campaign from the beginning of April 2019 to end of May 2019 took 130 clicks and there were 6.103 impressions. So 6.103 show ups to 130 click gives us Click Through Rate (CTR) equal to 2.13%. CTR is low but remember, we are targeting for more valuable traffic with higher Conversion Rate. Those users are with higher CR. We spent 230 PLN which is 31 EURO or 34 USD. That gives us Cost per Click (CPC) equal 1.77 PLN which is 0.42 EURO or 0.47 USD. Call-only ads are usually more expensive than traditional. Good statistics for Google Ads metrics as a campaign run. Very good, if not leave comment bellow.

Everything was looking promising, very promising. Unfortunately, staff from agency reported no calls from the campaign. What a great fail! What happened then? Why?!

• Google displays Call-only ad on devices able to make a call. That is expected for us as a Google Ads customer.
• Google does not track a moment after which the user clicks the advertisement. Google charges the after click. The user on his device, f.e. a smartphone is displaying a phone number to make a call. User is used to be taken to a webpage. User is not used to seeing a phone number to make a call.
• the user eventually leaves the process at this point. No one had called to the office. Users habits are stronger than anyone thinks. That is probably the fail reason in this particular case study.

Users pessimistic journey from search results to not make a call

Bellow you can see users pessimistic journey from search results, through add click, to not make a call finally. Google as we can read at About call-only ads charges as for this: Clicks on the call button or headline are charged at a cost-per-click (CPC) based on the bid that you set in your account.

Conclusion after shallow analyze, first analyze

Remember to think beyond tools, analytics and think also about the world outside the Internet which is human domain and their habits. Agency staff reported me no calls. Call-only option shown me that Call-only option is doubtful and problematic.

Conclusion after deep analyze, second analyze

After shallow analyze I discovered that I was wrong and not so deep with this topic as I should. Google since October 2018 tracks calls from search results! You can read about in details at Analyze call reporting data.

Google Ads panel provides us report with full call-out data at ad phone number. You can find it in the Google Ads panel at Reports (1), Predefined reports (2), Extensions (3), Call details (4) as shown by the picture below.

Now we can see exact call time after a click. There is column call status for calls Missed and Received. We have a column with a duration of the call in seconds.

I found out that for 130 clicks I had 29 calls. This means that Conversion Rate after click to make a call is 24%. Wow! Agency reported me no calls. There were calls. 29 calls total, 5 of them picked up. This means that for truism 2019 Call-only ad had click to phone 24% rate for Poland. Google Ads name this parameter as Phone-Through Rate (PTR). It is the number of phone calls received. Google takes this as a phone to impressions, but I calculated 24% for a phone to clicks. I’ve paid 1.77 PLN which is 0.42 EURO or 0.47 USD for ad click as I mentioned earlier. However, the real price for a call received is more a not every click means call. The real price for me for a call received was 7.9 PLN which is 1.86 EURO or 2.07 USD. You can include PTR and call details related parameters to any Google Ad report column for other reports as well.

Finally

The Google Ads Call-only option is fine. I requested agency why there was nobody to pick up the call for 24 (29 – 5) calls! Person with phone was out of the network range during pilgrimage trip? That was so great lost and understanding about Call-only option for me for the first analyze check. Just have in mind that you are charged for click and not every click means call received.

Tips for you

• think if Call-only ad is suitable for your case as I mentioned about Conversion Rate for clients web-page
• optimize your ad with max ROI strategy f.e. price in the text of an ad
• optimize price for the bid within the ads exchange market
• measure PTR and real price for calls received not for clicks only
• double-check client what he is saying with Google Ad Call details report

Good luck