Many local businesses get most of their Google Ads customers by phone, yet the account shows very few conversions. Without accurate tracking, Google’s automated bidding optimises for the wrong things and you cannot tell which keywords are worth paying for.
The three types of call to track
- Calls from ads: people tapping the call button directly in the ad (call assets).
- Calls from the website: people who clicked the ad, visited the site and then called.
- Clicks on a phone number: taps on click-to-call links on your website.
Most accounts only track one of these, or none.
Step 1: Set up call conversion actions
In Google Ads, create conversion actions for calls from ads and, where available for your account, calls to a Google forwarding number on your website. Set a minimum call length (for example, 60 seconds) so wrong numbers and quick hang-ups do not count as conversions.
Step 2: Track click-to-call and WhatsApp clicks
Use Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics 4 events to record clicks on tel: and wa.me links, and import those into Google Ads. Treat them as secondary signals if many clicks do not lead to real conversations.
Step 3: Track forms correctly
Fire the conversion on the thank-you page or a confirmed submission, not on a button click that might fail validation.
Step 4: Choose what to optimise for
Mark the most valuable actions (quality calls, form submissions) as primary conversions. Keep softer signals as secondary so bidding does not chase cheap, low-value clicks.
Step 5: Check it monthly
Compare conversions in Google Ads with what your team actually received. If the numbers are far apart, something is broken again, often after a website change.
Fixing tracking is always the first thing we do in any Google Ads account we manage. If you want us to check yours, ask for a free marketing audit.