Call tracking for Google Ads: Stop losing high-quality leads

Transcript

Louis

If you’re watching this on video, you might be wondering why there’s a small army of teacups behind me with funny strings sticking out of them. So next summer, me and my partner Angharad are getting married after 20 years together – in my parents fields. 

And she just had a crafts weekend with her bride squad making home made candles for the tables – infused with citronella to keep the bugs away.

Anyway – I was speaking to my dad yesterday about the evolution of email. He started his career in a world of inbox and outbox trays.

Where you’d receive written memos into an inbox tray on your desk and if you wanted to send a memo to someone else, you’d write one up, put it in your outbox tray and a clerk would come round to deliver it for you.

Back then you wouldn’t receive 100s of memos a day. But nowadays , since the advent of email, and especially instant messaging, it’s become a lot easier to send a message to someone. So we do it way more often.

Maelien:

The other thing that   was much more common back then was picking up the phone. And I think, because we do it a lot less often now, we don’t pay as much attention to it as marketers. 

The interesting thing for me, is that every time I run a discovery call with a new client, I’ll ask them what their lead to close rate is from their web forms, and answers will typically range between 10% and 20%. 

But then when I ask them what their close rate on inbound calls is, it’s almost always at least double that, maybe even triple.

Louis:

Yeah pretty much without fail, inbound phone calls will be the next top converting channel after trusted referrals. So this is what we’re going to be talking about on today’s episode.

A number of years ago, I worked on a campaign targeting senior professionals in the legal industry. It’s worth mentioning that the objective of the campaign was to drive applications for a job vacancy. So the conversion was a pretty high commitment.

But it was a really well set up google search ads programme. Conversions were all being tracked properly. Keywords were all high intent, there was decent search volume and the landing page was good.

But over time, the client got more and more concerned.

Because there were barely any submissions from the application form.

And it seemed really strange because from the data all the signs were suggesting that people should be converting.

And so on on a call, I thought to ask if anyone had been phoning in? And they said yeah the phones have been really busy. And that was the penny drop moment for me.

People wanted to speak to someone on the phone before making a decision.
So would convert on the call rather than filling in an application form.

The lead form was seen as too high commitment when they still had a lot of questions to ask about the role.

And that was a big learning for me. Because if the ideal people want to talk to someone on the phone – that should be treated as the primary conversion over a web form.

Maelie:

Yeah so inbound phone calls are massively underrated. And also when so many businesses are hiding phone numbers on their website and trying to move away from taking phone calls – it can also be an opportunity.

Talking specifically about Google Ads – 

You can run call ads that display a phone number instead of a web link. Call ads are actually being phased out, and it’s estimated that you won’t be able to create new ones after February 2026 and they’ll stop running a year later. 

They can be hit or miss but if you’re going to try it – try it now.

You can use call assets, which used to be called call extensions And also 

Google actually has free call tracking technology called Calls From Website Conversions – where, like the name implies, you can use it to track phone calls from your website. 

You set it to fire on all pageviews and if it recognises that a click came from Google Ads, it will dynamically replace the number people see on the site with a tracking number.

As a quick tip – we actually make phone numbers unclickable on our landing pages. 

The reason being that if someone dials the number they see on the page, it will be tracked. But if they click to call, it will dial the number hidden behind the link – which will be the original one, not the tracking one – so the tracking doesn’t work.

Remember the aim is to track completed calls – not just clicks on a phone number. 

At Web Marketer, we actually don’t use click to email or click to call tracking as primary conversions, because a surprisingly small percentage of people who click actually follow through and make a call or send an email.

On that note – it’s also worth mentioning that we typically see that the quality of inbound calls are much higher, when someone calls from the website than when they call from an ad too – but it’s not always the case.

When you’re setting up calls from website conversions, you can set the minimum duration that a call needs to last before it gets counted as a conversion. 

We set it to 60 seconds by default. But if you find yourself needing to increase the quality of the calls, you can set the threshold higher. We’ve set it as high as 5 minutes before, to ensure that we’re only hunting out the best quality enquiries.

There’s also a little known setting in Google Ads where you can enable phone call recording. Phone calls get stored for 30 days so you can listen back to gauge the quality of the calls and make changes as needed.

To enable this, head to account settings and then Call reporting.

Louis:

So yeah tracking calls at the ad conversion level is really important.

But it’s also just the first step, because doing this fixes one knowledge gap — and then also opens up a couple more.

You can now see which ads, keywords and campaigns are driving longer, higher-quality calls. But you still don’t know what happens next. 

You can’t look at your CRM and see which deals came from phone calls generated by ads or whether they turned into customers.

Some clients try to bridge that by using dedicated phone numbers for their ads. This gives a great additional level of insight, but it still needs someone to log things manually in the CRM.

For other clients – we export a weekly call-details report from the Google Ads report editor. This goes into a shared google sheet and clients run through it to update deal sources in their CRM. This gives more visibility again, but it’s still a manual job – and it only covers Google Ads.

The best setup we’ve found is using 3rd party call-tracking software.

We use CallRail at Web Marketer, and loads of our friends in the industry swear by WhatConverts – and there are loads of other options out there too.

Maelien:

Let’s unpack that a bit. With call tracking software, talking very simply – you’ve got two options:

• You can create dedicated numbers to track each marketing channel individually
• And you can use dynamic tracking on your website to measure the source of calls from ads AND organic traffic without creating additional numbers

With both options, you can create new deals and update deal sources in your CRM – although sometimes you do need a little bit of help from automation tools like Zapier.

All of this gives you a triple threat:

• Call conversion data in your ads platforms
• Call events by traffic source in your Google Analytics
• And inbound phone call deals, by source, in your CRM

Louis:

So, as always let’s wrap up with the key takeaways.

• Inbound calls are often your highest-converting lead source after referrals, so they deserve to be tracked properly
• Use Google’s free Calls From Website conversion tracking to measure inbound phone calls as conversions – and set your call duration threshold to target quality.
• Run call detail reports and enable call recording for more insights on the phone calls you’re getting from your ads
• To get the most insight for the least work, bring in third-party call tracking software

The real value isn’t just knowing how many people called it’s being able to measure the full journey from click to phone call to closed customers.

Maelien:

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review — it really helps us out.
And if you’d like us to cover a specific topic, head to webmarketeruk.com/topic and let us know what you’d like us to run through.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you on the next one.

If you’re running Google Ads campaigns and scratching your head over why your leads aren’t adding up to the revenue you expect, you’re not alone.

Picture this: you’ve got a solid ad setup, keywords on point, and a landing page that’s converting… or so you think.

But then, the phone starts ringing off the hook, and those calls?

They’re turning into deals faster than your web forms ever could.

The catch?

If you’re not tracking them properly, you’re basically flying blind, wasting budget on underreported ROI, and letting high-quality leads slip through the cracks.

In this post, we’re diving deep into call tracking for Google Ads, how to set it up right, avoid common pitfalls, and connect those inbound calls straight to your CRM for real business insights.

We’ll keep it practical and straightforward, no jargon overload, just actionable advice drawn from real-world experience.

This is based on insights from Episode 18 of the B2B Performance Marketing Podcast, where we break down why poor tracking setups are costing you big time.

Let’s get into it and turn those mystery calls into measurable wins.

If you’ve ever felt like your ad spend is vanishing into thin air without clear results, this is for you.

We’ll cover everything from the basics of why calls matter more than you think to advanced integrations that save you hours of manual work.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to track phone calls from Google Ads, filter for quality, and link them to closed deals.

Stick around, and let’s fix those tracking gaps together.

Why B2B marketers should care about call tracking

Running a B2B operation, especially if you’re an SME dealing with high-intent leads, means every interaction counts.

Phone calls?

They’re often the unsung heroes.

Think about it: when a potential client picks up the phone, they’re not just browsing; they’re ready to talk details, ask questions, and move toward a decision.

But here’s the rub: most B2B marketers aren’t tracking these calls effectively, leading to massive gaps in understanding campaign performance.

For small to medium businesses relying on paid search, poor call tracking setups mean you’re underreporting conversions and missing out on optimizing for what really drives revenue.

You might see a spike in traffic from Google Ads, but if those visitors call instead of filling out a form, poof, gone from your data.

This post will walk you through the risks of ignoring this, how to fix it with Google’s built-in tools, and when to level up with third-party software.

By the end, you’ll have a clear path to stop losing those golden leads and start linking ad spend directly to closed deals.

Calls aren’t just conversions; they’re high-converting ones

Let’s start with a stat that might make you rethink your lead gen strategy: inbound phone calls often convert 2–3 times better than web forms.

Yes, you read that right.

In our discovery calls with clients, we always ask about close rates.

Web forms? Typically 10-20%.

Inbound calls? Double or triple that, without fail.

Why?

Because calling shows higher intent. People want answers now, not later via email.

Yet, so many B2B businesses hide their phone numbers or push everything to forms, thinking it’s more efficient.

Big mistake.

Calls are underrated goldmines, especially after trusted referrals. But without proper inbound call tracking for B2B marketing, you’re not seeing the full picture.

Your Google Ads might be driving killer traffic, but if those leads convert over the phone, your ROI looks lacklustre.

Most setups are incomplete, relying on manual logs or ignoring calls altogether, leaving blind spots in your data.

Take it from us: treating calls as a core channel changes everything.

It’s not just about counting conversions; it’s about understanding their true value and bridging the gap to actual sales. In the episode, we dive into how this plays out in real campaigns.

For instance, businesses that prioritise forms might see decent numbers, but they’re overlooking the calls that close faster and with less nurturing.

And with tools available today, there’s no excuse not to track them.

Imagine running a campaign where forms are trickling in, but your sales team is swamped with calls. Without tracking, you might pause the ad,s thinking they’re underperforming.

We’ve seen it happen.

Proper tracking reveals the truth: those calls are your high-quality leads.

So, if you’re flying blind, it’s time to light up your dashboard with call data.

Why Google Ads call tracking isn’t enough

Google offers some handy tools for call tracking, but let’s be real, they only solve part of the puzzle.

Their “Calls From Website Conversions” feature is a great start. It dynamically swaps your site’s phone number with a tracking one for visitors from Google Ads, so you can attribute calls back to specific campaigns, keywords, or ads.

But here’s where it falls short: issues like click-to-call links can break the tracking.

If someone clicks a linked number instead of dialing it manually, it dials the original number, not the tracked one.

We’ve seen this tank attribution accuracy.

Plus, short calls (wrong numbers or quick hang-ups) can inflate your conversion numbers if you don’t set filters.

Manual workarounds help a bit.

Some clients use dedicated phone numbers for ads, which gives insight into call sources. Others pull weekly call detail reports from Google Ads and manually update their CRM.

It’s better than nothing, but it’s time-consuming and only covers Google Ads, ignoring organic or other channels. Without full integration, you’re still guessing on revenue impact.

And a heads-up: call ads are on their way out.

You won’t be able to create new ones after February 2026, and they’ll stop running a year later. Time to pivot to call assets and website tracking.

Google’s setup is free and easy, but it leaves gaps.

For example, you get call counts, but not the full journey to sale. That’s where things get tricky: your CRM stays disconnected, and you’re left with partial insights.

We’ve worked with clients who thought their campaigns were bombing based on form data alone.

Once we added call tracking, the picture flipped. But even then, without deeper integration, they were doing extra manual work to connect dots.

It’s doable, but why settle when better options exist? Let’s talk about stepping it up.

How to track phone calls from Google Ads properly

Ready to roll up your sleeves?

Setting up Google Ads call tracking is straightforward and free.

Start with “Calls From Website Conversions” in your Google Ads account.

Enable it to fire on all pageviews. It’ll recognise ad clicks and insert a dynamic tracking number.

Key tip: Set a minimum call duration threshold to filter for quality. We default to 60 seconds, but bump it to 5 minutes if you want only serious inquiries.

This weeds out junk calls and focuses your data on leads that matter.

Another gem: Enable call recording in Google Ads.

Go to Account > Settings > Call Reporting, flip it on, and you’ll have 30 days of recordings to review.

Listen back to gauge call quality: were they sales-ready or just tire-kickers?

This informs ad tweaks without guesswork.

Pro move: Make phone numbers unclickable on landing pages. It ensures dialing triggers the tracked number. And remember, calls from websites often beat ad-direct calls in quality, as site visitors have engaged more deeply.

Run regular call detail reports via the Google Ads report editor. Export to a sheet, review sources, and spot trends. This setup gets you tracking phone calls from Google Ads reliably, but for full power, you’ll need more.

Let’s break it down step by step.

First, log in to Google Ads and navigate to Tools & Settings > Conversions. Create a new conversion action for website calls. You’ll need to add a bit of code to your site: Google provides it. Test it out by clicking your ad and calling the number; check if it registers.

Common pitfalls?

Forgetting to verify the setup or ignoring mobile users, who are big on calls.

Also, if your site has multiple numbers, ensure they’re all covered.

We’ve helped clients who missed this and lost half their data.

Once set, monitor for a week and adjust thresholds based on your call patterns.

If most good calls last over 2 minutes, set it there.

This isn’t rocket science, but it does require attention to detail.

And while it’s powerful, it stops at ad-level insights. To tie it to revenue, we need to go further.

Go beyond: Use call tracking software that connects to your CRM

Google’s tools are solid for basics, but to connect phone calls to CRM from ads?

That’s where third-party software shines.

Tools like CallRail (our go-to at Web Marketer) or WhatConverts integrate seamlessly with CRMs like HubSpot, automating what used to be manual drudgery.

How it works: You can use dedicated numbers per channel or dynamic insertion for website calls. Either way, it tracks the source (ad, keyword, organic) and pushes data straight to your CRM.

New call?

It creates or updates a deal record automatically. Add Zapier for extra automation, and you’ve got a seamless flow.

Benefits?

Triple visibility: conversion data in ads, events in Google Analytics, and sourced deals in CRM.

No more blind spots: you see the full journey from click to close.

For B2B, where sales cycles are longer, this links ad spend to revenue without extra work.

We’ve seen clients transform their reporting.

Manual sheets? Gone.

Now, they optimise based on real outcomes, not just call counts.

Take CallRail: It offers dynamic number insertion, so every visitor sees a unique number tied to their session. Calls get logged with details like keyword and ad group.

WhatConverts does similarly, with strong multi-channel tracking.

Choose based on your stack: both play nice with HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.

Setup takes an afternoon: Sign up, add your numbers, and integrate via API or Zapier. Test with a call, watch it pop into CRM.

The real win?

Automation frees your team for selling, not logging.

If you’re manual now, calculate the hours saved: it’s huge. Plus, with recordings and transcripts, you can analyse calls for sales training.

It’s not just tracking; it’s intelligence.

Inbound call tracking for B2B marketing: Real-world examples

Let’s bring this home with a story from our legal industry client.

We ran a Google Ads campaign for job vacancies: high-commitment conversions.

The setup was spot-on: intent keywords, good volume, solid landing page.

But form submissions? Crickets. The client was worried.

Then we asked: “Any phone calls?”

Turns out, the lines were buzzing.

Prospects preferred talking before applying: forms felt too final with unanswered questions.

Lesson learned: For some audiences, calls are the primary conversion. We shifted focus, tracked them properly, and suddenly ROI made sense.

Another client used manual tracking: dedicated numbers and spreadsheets.

It gave partial insights, but automation with CallRail closed the loop.

Calls from ads now auto-populate CRM deals, showing which campaigns drive real business.

In B2B marketing, treating inbound calls as top-tier leads pays off.

Hide your number?

You’re missing opportunities. Embrace tracking, and watch your funnel tighten. We’ve seen it in e-commerce hybrids too. Calls for complex products convert better.

One more: A service firm saw calls surge post-ad, but without tracking, they credited organic.

Proper setup revealed 70% from paid search.

They doubled down, boosting revenue 25%. Real stories like these show the impact: no theory, just results.

Best call tracking software for Google Ads: What to consider

Choosing the best call tracking software for Google Ads?

Focus on features that fit your needs.

Dynamic number insertion is key.

It swaps numbers based on the traffic source for accurate attribution.

CRM integration? Non-negotiable for B2B; look for native ties to HubSpot or Salesforce.

Reporting and call recording are must-haves.

You want dashboards showing call sources, durations, and outcomes. Top picks: CallRail excels in ease and integrations; WhatConverts shines for multi-channel, including organic and social.

Consider pricing. Starts at $50/month, scales with volume.

Free trials let you test. Look for AI features like call transcription for sentiment analysis. Avoid overkill if you’re small; start simple.

We’ve tested many. These two stand out for reliability. Pair with Google Ads for a powerhouse setup.

FAQs

Q: What is the best call tracking software for Google Ads?
A: CallRail and WhatConverts are top-rated tools for tracking inbound calls and integrating with CRMs like HubSpot.

Q: How do I track phone calls from Google Ads?
A: Use Google’s “Calls From Website Conversions” feature, set a call duration threshold, and avoid click-to-call links for reliable tracking.

Q: Why is call tracking important for B2B marketing?
A: Inbound phone calls often convert 2–3x better than web forms, so tracking them helps attribute ROI and improve campaign optimisation.

Q: Can I connect phone calls from ads to my CRM?
A: Yes. Use third-party call tracking software and automation tools like Zapier to link calls directly to CRM records.

Q: What’s changing with Google Ads call ads?
A: Call ads are being phased out by 2026, so marketers should explore alternatives like call assets and website call conversions.