Canadian marketers that want to make inbound calling Google AdWords campaigns are now getting access to a tool already available in the U.S.: call forwarding.
Research has shown inbound calling is still a preferred way for many people to interact with a company, and tracking those calls generated from a marketing campaign is crucial to marketers getting a full picture of the effectiveness of their digital marketing campaigns. According to research from DialogTech, calls from mobile sources are on the rise, with landing pages and mobile searches generating the most inbound calls. And according to research from Google, 61 per cent of mobile searchers say it’s extremely important to them to be able to call a business when they’re ready to make a purchase.
Google forwarding numbers will help Canadian marketers measure the calls they receive through their Google Search ads. When Google forwarding numbers is enabled with call extensions and call-only campaigns, a unique phone number will be dynamically assigned to the ad and, when it’s called, AdWords will route the call to the company’s business number. Information on caller area code, duration and other details will be available to marketers for analysis. And as many people would rather call a local number, a local number will be displayed with the ad where available.
“While call extensions and call-only ads are very effective, many customers also call your business after clicking through a Google ad and learning more about the products and services you offer on your website,” said Amit Agarwal, product manager for AdWords with Google, in a blog. “Website call conversions is a powerful tool that dynamically inserts a Google forwarding number on your website to identify and measure the calls that occur after a Google ad click. When someone clicks on your website’s phone number or dials it directly from their phone, you can attribute the call and call value back to the keyword and ad that drove the customer.”
Google forwarding numbers also allows marketers to assign a conversion value to calls or categories of calls – for example, calls lasting over five minutes – which can allow marketers to automatically optimize their keyword bids to drive more valuable calls. Factors such as device, location, and time of day call all me integrated.