Although most people use Google to find local businesses, calling the business’ phone numbers seals the deal. People who need local services or are looking for specific products locally will likely call the company after checking it out on Google.
This is why Google allows marketers and business owners to connect with their customers using an ad feature called call-only ads or call ads. Let’s find out in this guide what call ads are and how you can use this practical feature to improve your online and local presence.
What are Google Call Ads?
As reported by Digital Authority Partners, aside from searching for information about a business, mobile users also prefer to directly call a company using their smartphones. With the right Google call ads design, all your prospective customers need to do is tap the call button on your Google ad, and they’ll ring you up!
Most Google ads direct to a website URL or a landing page. But with Google call ads, clicking the ad or call button allows the user to call you immediately.
Compared to paid ads, a Google call-only ad has very simple anatomy. It displays your business name, business phone number, and an un-clickable website URL. There is also an 80-character description for your business. This ad may be expanded to contain other ad extensions like location, call-out snippets, and structured snippet extensions.
How Do You Set Up Google Call Ads?
A successful Google call-only ad campaign must be set correctly. You can set this up from your Google Ads dashboard.
- Open your Google Ads dashboard, click the type list, and choose “Ads.”
- Choose “Call-only ads.”
- Click to add a call-only ad.
- Choose the campaign you wish to modify and the ad group for the ad. Click OK to select.
- Include call-only ad relevant information in the edit. Add your phone number and description.
- Activate “Call Reporting.” This allows Google to collect data regarding your call ad’s performance.
- Count the calls as conversions by selecting “Conversion Action.”
There you have it. You have added the call-only feature to your Google ad. Do you have more than one business location? Do these steps for every location to add the call-only ad feature.
How do You Promote Your Call Ads Campaigns?
Now that you know what Google call ads are and how these are set up, let’s focus on how to optimize call ad campaigns. You can use many strategies, but the following are the most effective tactics.
Use the Right Keywords
Just like any search ad, you must use the right keywords to help your prospects find your business faster and better through search. It would be best to conduct thorough keyword research for the terms more likely to encourage phone calls.
Consider keywords with a “near me” or “open now” user intent. People will likely use these phrases to find nearby businesses or businesses currently open for their needs. Some strategies to find good keywords for your call-only ads include:
- Use conversation-like keywords because people on mobiles may be using voice search to find businesses.
- Choose keywords that target people with high search intent. Use Google’s related search suggestions.
- Consider location-based keywords to drive more people to your local business.
- Use the geo-targeting feature to target call-only ads to appear to customers in a specific location only.
Observe The Best Ad Run Times
Think about when to run your ads to get the best results. The timing of your ad might depend greatly on your market’s behavior. For example, the run times for a real estate agency are different from a laundromat.
People looking for local real estate services may call during office hours (9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays to Fridays), while those searching for a nearby self-service laundry station may call anytime Mondays to Sundays.
Study the call peak times and days of your market and check the different consumer behavior trends so you can program when your ads show.
Test Your Call-Only Ad Copies
Testing is a huge part of every call ad campaign. Testing ensures that your keywords target the right people with the highest intent to buy or place an order. Run an A/B test on your ad copies to determine the best-performing ad version. Here are a few tips when testing a call ad:
- Test every element of the call ad copy, including the headlines, length of the copy, description writing style, and the call-to-action (CTA).
- Use power words in your call-only ad copies. Examples are easy, effective, proven, simple, save, and free.
- Test your CTA. Remember, CTAs tell users to call after they read your ad, so make it effective.
Give your test enough time. Allot enough money for your ads and never shut them off too soon. AdEspresso says that test campaigns may need at least two weeks and enough funds for accurate and reliable results.
Monitor Phone-Through Rates
Track your phone-through rate to see if your campaigns are working. Not all clicks will lead to a phone call, but with paid ads, you pay for all the clicks. An automatic dialer will appear once someone clicks on your call ad. They must click the auto dialer to call you.
It would be best if you tracked how many clicks turn into phone calls to ensure your bids are optimized for calls and clicks. If you find a high call abandon rate, your prospects may not be interested in calling you.
Your prospects may only want to view your business online. As a result, you may need to review your call ad copy, keywords, or overall campaign.
Use Google Ads to track your call-through rates. Use forwarding numbers and the call reporting feature in Google to add a phone-through rate column to reports. The phone-through rate is the number of times your business number is called using the call button or via manual dialing.
Final Words
Don’t overlook people who are looking for answers through the phone. They show the highest user intent, and can be your most valuable candidates as they are the most likely to consider your business.
Create effective Google call ads by using these optimization strategies. Test your ad copy constantly to ensure you’re getting the best results. Well-designed call ad campaigns can give you quick and effective results.
Using call ads is just one of the digital marketing strategies you can try. There’s a marketing strategy for every industry. Let a digital marketing expert help you launch the best campaigns.