How to Track Google Ads Calls From Your Website
Google Ads Call Tracking
Google Ads call tracking allows you to measure how many calls are generated from your Google Ads campaigns. After a prospect clicks on your ad, Google will dynamically swap out your real website number with a toll-free Google number.
If the lead then calls this ‘tracking’ number, Google will match that phone call to the exact keyword and ad that generated the call.
You can even track users who have visited your website from Google Ads and called your business number from a different device!
In this article, we’re going to break down how to track Google Ads calls from your website. Before completing the steps below, ensure that you have Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics already installed on your website.
How does Google AdWords call tracking work?
You need to add a piece of ‘calls from website’ code to your website.
Without this code prospects will see your existing work number.
With code, prospects will see a unique number that re-directs back to your business number in a split second.
This unique number will display on your website for that specific individual until you specify otherwise (default 30 days).
This script will only run when users visit your website through Google Ads. If a user visits your website through any other means your number will remain unchanged.
How to Set Up Google Ads Calls from Website Conversion Tracking
Step 1:
First, you need to create your conversion tracking code within Google Ads. Simply navigate to the Conversions section as seen below:
Step 2
Click + to add a conversion action & select ‘Phone Calls’ – ‘Calls to a Phone Number on Your Website’. Name this, “Calls from Website”
Step 3
Now you can adjust:
- How long a phone call needs to be before being counted as a conversion
- If you’d like to count multiple calls from the same person, or just one
- Your attribution model
You will also see some additional information labelled ‘Tag Setup’.
Select ‘Install the Tag Yourself’.
Step 4
You then need to ensure that the ‘Global site tag’ is installed on the website, you will only ever need to do this once & if you already have this code on your website please feel free to skip this step.
Copy the code provided within Google Ads and create a simple tag & trigger in Google Tag Manager, this should match the below screenshot:
Tag Type = Custom HTML
Trigger Type = All Pages
Save and publish this tag once completed.
Step 5
Enter your business phone number into the ‘Phone Snippet’ code within your conversion in Google Ads.
Make sure that your phone number appears exactly the same as on your website. For example, if your phone number is 1800 999 999 but, on the website, it appears as 1800 9999 99 your code will not work because the number layout doesn’t match. Also, be wary of mobile or state number prefixes such as (07) or +61.
Copy the code generated within Google Ads and create a ‘Tag & Trigger’ in Google Tag Manager. This should match the below screenshot:
Tag Type = Custom HTML
Trigger Type = Window Loaded
Save & Publish this tag once completed.
Step 6
Once you have completed the above steps and published these changes live, it’s important to test and ensure the code is firing correctly.
Simply add the following after your current page URL:
#google-wcc-force
You will need to then hit enter twice and this will reload the page with the image below displayed.
Hit “Force” and this will enable the script to run.
If you have successfully followed the above steps your numbers on the website should appear replaced with 9’s.
You can now sit back while your ‘Calls from Website’ conversions import into Google Ads!
Want to drive and track prospects calling you straight off your Google Ads? Read our article on how to drive leads with the Google Ads call extension.
We also offer more complex custom tracking solutions to allow for in-depth reporting and data-driven marketing decisions. Alternatively learn more about our pay per click and other paid media services for campaigns that deliver tangible results.