How to Track Phone Calls from Google Ads (Website Calls, Call Extensions, Call-Only Ads)

Phone Calls Are Still the Highest-Intent Lead Type

For local businesses, service providers, and high-ticket companies, phone calls convert at 10 to 15 times the rate of form submissions. But most advertisers either do not track calls at all, or track them so poorly that the data is useless for optimisation.

This guide covers all three ways to track phone calls from Google Ads, how to set each one up, and how to use the data to improve your campaigns.

The Three Types of Google Ads Call Tracking

1. Website Call Tracking (Call Reporting)

Google dynamically replaces your phone number on your website with a Google forwarding number when a visitor arrives from a Google Ad. When they call that number, Google records it as a conversion and forwards the call to your real number.

What it tracks: Calls that happen on your website after clicking an ad, including calls that happen hours or days after the initial click within your conversion window.

2. Call Extension and Call Asset Tracking

Call extensions show your phone number directly in the ad. Users can call you directly from the search results page without visiting your website. Google uses a forwarding number to track these calls.

What it tracks: Calls that come directly from your ads in search results — users who call without ever visiting your site.

3. Call-Only Ad Tracking

Call-only ads are designed for mobile users and display a click-to-call button instead of a website link. The entire ad drives calls, not website visits.

What it tracks: All calls from call-only ad clicks, tracked as conversions automatically.

Setting Up Website Call Tracking

Step-by-Step Setup

1. In Google Ads: Tools and Settings then Conversions then New Conversion Action then Phone calls then select "Calls to a phone number on your website"
2. Set your phone number in the exact format as it appears on your site
3. Set the Call Length threshold — minimum call duration to count as a conversion. Typically 30 to 60 seconds for lead gen to filter out wrong numbers.
4. Set the conversion window (how long after an ad click should a call count — up to 90 days)
5. Install the call reporting snippet on your site. If you are using the Google Tag already, Google may automatically enable call reporting.
6. Google automatically detects your phone number and replaces it with a tracking number for visitors from Google Ads

Verification

Click on one of your own ads from an incognito window and visit your website. The phone number displayed should be different from your normal number — it will be a Google forwarding number. Call it to test. After 24 to 48 hours, the call should appear in your Google Ads conversion data.

Setting Up Call Extension Tracking

1. In Google Ads: go to the campaign or ad group then Assets then Call then add a call asset
2. Enter your business phone number
3. Set call conversion reporting: enable "Use Google forwarding number" for automatic tracking
4. Choose whether to show the ad during specific hours — recommended: only during business hours when someone can answer
5. In Conversions under Call extensions, set the minimum call duration

Setting Up Call-Only Ad Tracking

1. Create a new campaign then choose Search network then goal: Phone calls
2. At the ad level, create a Call-only ad and enter business name, two headline lines, and phone number
3. Call-only ads automatically create a call conversion when someone clicks to call
4. Set minimum call duration in the conversion settings

Call-only ads only show on mobile devices and always show a "Call" button. They work best for businesses where the primary goal is phone calls, not website visits.

Setting the Right Call Duration Threshold

The minimum call duration filters out wrong numbers, voicemail calls, spam calls, and hang-ups. Recommended thresholds:

• General enquiries and simple bookings: 30 seconds
• Complex service discussions: 60 to 90 seconds
• Emergency services like plumbing or locksmith: 15 to 20 seconds (these calls are decisive quickly)
• Never use 0 seconds unless you want every attempted call counted as a conversion

Smart Bidding for Phone Call Campaigns

Once call tracking is set up and you are getting 30 or more call conversions per month, you can use Smart Bidding strategies:

• Target CPA: Tell Google how much you are willing to pay per qualifying call
• Maximize Conversions: Let Google bid to get as many qualifying calls as possible within budget

Assign a conversion value to calls (average revenue per call multiplied by close rate) to use Target ROAS bidding.

Reporting on Call Conversions

In Google Ads you can see call conversion data at the campaign, ad group, keyword, and ad level. Key reports include:

• Conversion by type: see calls vs form submissions vs purchases
• Phone call details report: view call duration, start time, end time, area code of caller
• Keyword performance with calls: which keywords drive the most calls? Often different from which keywords drive form submissions.

Summary

Phone call tracking in Google Ads is more powerful than most advertisers realise. Done correctly, it gives you visibility into one of your highest-converting lead sources — and feeds Smart Bidding with data to get you more of them at a lower cost.

Need help setting up call tracking for your Google Ads campaigns? Adslytics can configure it correctly from the start.