In 2015, Google Ads did away with its call-extensions program by introducing new call-only ads. Call-extensions previously treated Pay Per Call campaign efforts as “clicks,” rather than call conversions. With call-only ads available for a while now, it’s important to make the most of this feature in Ads. Here are some basics to help you get started with Pay Per Call campaigns in Google Ads.
How it Works
Google Ads has been a popular platform for digital marketers for years because it helps them build advertising campaigns that target specific ad groups, or blast out their message across multiple platforms. Ads’ adaptation for Pay Per Call campaigns creates call-only campaigns within the system the show only on mobile devices capable of making calls. Each tap on click-to-call buttons or ads generate calls rather than directing viewers to a website.
Easy to Create
To startup a Pay Per Call campaign through Google Ads, all you need is an existing or new account and then you can build a campaign. You simply select call-only ads from the Campaigns tab, and then provide the following simple details to get your ad running:
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Business name and phone number
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Two lines of description text
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A display URL
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Optional verification URL (typically a URL of an existing webpage with your business phone number)
Read More: 7 Google Ads Mistakes to Avoid
Flexible Control
With call-only ads, it’s easy to manage your Pay Per Call campaign in Google Ads. You can share your phone number across ads that are targeted to specific ad groups (based upon specific keywords) or send out ads across a broader campaign. You also have the ability to control when your ads appear with your number, such as only during business hours when staff are on hand to answer phones directly.
Simple to Understand
Billing and reporting on your Pay Per Call campaigns in Google Ads are easy to work with. You’ll get a treasure trove of data on your campaign’s performance like you would with any other Ads campaign, and bidding strategies are similar. Clicks on your Pay Per Call ads by mobile users cost the same as headline clicks in CPC strategies, and you count each call as a conversion.
All you have to do is bid for calls to your business, rather than bidding on clicks to a website. Ideally this means your cost-per-click bid matches the value you place on phone calls from your ad.
Pay Per Call campaigns and Google Ads offer any business a more powerful tool for reaching consumers. All you have to do is take the first steps to launch a new campaign!
Read More: How to Get the Most from Call-Only Campaigns in Google Ads