Now that you’ve implemented your call ads and are measuring them the right way, you can move on to improving their performance. Use all of the performance data that’s available to you to optimize the impact of your ads. Find out which targeting is effective and then get more of that.

Understand the types of conversions your AdWords campaigns and keywords are driving

If you’re running call extensions you’ll be driving calls alongside other conversion types. It’s important to understand which conversions your different keywords and campaigns are driving.

The trends across the different conversions that you’re driving will influence your strategy. Call-heavy campaigns and keywords may benefit from different bidding and messaging.

Plan on reviewing your campaign performance segmented by conversion type every so often. Know which of your campaigns and ad groups drive calls more frequently than others, and be more aggressive on those terms if calls are valuable to you.

Bid according to the value that calls deliver for you

In order to set the appropriate bids for your call-only ads (or your call extensions), you should understand a call’s value to you. The goal should be to maximize return on investment while driving as many calls as possible.

To understand the value of a call, talk to your teams that answer those calls. Identify typical conversation rates and average order values. If you set up an AdWords-specific number you can track the value of calls from AdWords directly. Think about things like the profitability of your phone call customers and what their lifetime value is. Over time, you can consider implementing a third-party solution that integrates AdWords or Google Analytics with customer purchase data throughout the entire process. That way you can directly connect your bids to the return you see from calls.

If you want the maximum amount of control over your bids for the calls you’re driving, you should use call-only campaigns. Your bids will apply directly to calls and your ads will only show on devices that can make calls. There’s no-bid modifier necessary.

If you’re looking to streamline your bidding, automated bidding can set your bids wherever you’re tracking calls as conversions. The bidding algorithm will predict which impressions are likely to lead to a call or any other type of conversion you’re tracking and set the appropriate bid for that auction. While calls in the Estimated Total Conversions column won’t be factored into Target CPA or Target ROAS strategies, those strategies will account for website call conversions across all devices.

Optimize your website to receive calls

As we’ve mentioned before, give your customers every possible chance to get in touch with you and connect them with a great mobile experience. In addition to setting up your AdWords account for success, you should also optimize your site to drive phone calls. Just a few changes can have a tremendous effect on the number of calls you receive.

Even if you decide to run call-only ads for mobile users, you can still optimize your site to drive more calls. Here are a couple of things that you try to incorporate into your site:

• Have an accessible call button on each page of your mobile site
• Make your phone number clickable on mobile
• On the desktop, sites are sure that your number is featured prominently and isn’t an image – make it easy for customers to copy and paste that number

Optimize your site to receive calls and track the overall call volume that you receive. A call-friendly site may see fewer online conversions, but more quality conversions overall.

How to improve the performance of your call ads

This video references the previous version of AdWords. Learn how to check which version you’re using.

Conclusion

Successful online advertising is more than your website. Many people still want to talk to another person when they’re researching or buying a new product. Using call extensions and call-only ads, you can connect with these consumers and deliver the best user experience at the right time. Identify what your call strategy should be and then do everything you can to drive more calls.