Which Is Better? Google Ads Call Extensions vs Call Only Ads

If you are a service-based company running Google Ads, you NEED to be running Google Call-only ads. This is because for a service-based Google Ads account through all of 2022: 

My normal search ads generated converted phone calls at a cost / conversion of $28

While my Call only Ads generated converted phone calls at a cost / conversion of only $14

So at half the cost.

One of the main extra benefits is that you are able to see the following:

• What the caller's phone number is
• The time that they called you
• The duration of the phone call
• And what search term they used

 It is important to remember that for success with Call only ads or any Google Search ads, you need to make sure that you are optimising your campaign correctly. If you haven’t downloaded a copy of my Google Ads Optimisation checklist, you can get your copy from the video description below. 

If you need a little more info on both call extensions and call-only ads, here is a comparison:

Call Extensions

Call Extensions are a type of Google Ads extension that allows advertisers to include their business phone number alongside their ad to make it easier for potential customers to call them. Call Extensions can appear in the form of a call button or a phone number alongside the ad on both desktop and mobile devices.

Pros of Call Extensions

There are several pros of Call Extensions in Google Ads, including:

• Increased visibility: Call Extensions can help make your ad stand out from the competition by providing a direct and visible call-to-action. This can be especially valuable for businesses that rely on phone calls as a key source of leads and sales.
• Improved user experience: By including a call button or phone number in your ad, you make it easier for customers to contact your business directly without having to navigate to your website or search for your contact information.
• Higher conversion rates: Phone calls are often considered higher-quality leads than website clicks, as they indicate a greater degree of interest in your product or service. By making it easier for customers to call, you can potentially increase your conversion rates and generate more sales.
• Valuable insights: Call Extensions provide valuable data about the performance of your ad campaigns, including the number of calls received, call duration, and overall call quality. This can help you identify areas for improvement and optimize your ads and targeting to drive better results.
• Flexibility: Call Extensions can be enabled or disabled at any time, giving you greater control over when and how your phone number is displayed to users. You can also choose to display your phone number only during certain times of the day or on certain devices, depending on your business needs.

Cons of Call Extensions

While there are many benefits to using Call Extensions in Google Ads, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider. Here are a few cons to keep in mind:

• Misuse: Call Extensions can be misused by customers who are not legitimately interested in your product or service. For example, some users may call simply to ask for basic information and then hang up without making a purchase. This can waste your time and resources and reduce the effectiveness of your ad campaigns.
• Availability: If your business relies heavily on phone calls for sales and leads, it's important to ensure that someone is always available to answer the phone. If customers are frequently greeted by voicemail or automated messages, this can decrease the effectiveness of your Call Extensions and lead to missed opportunities.
• Limited reporting: While Call Extensions provide valuable insights into call performance, the data is not always as detailed or granular as other types of reporting. For example, it can be difficult to determine how many calls were generated by a specific keyword or ad group.

Call Only Ads

Google call-only ads are a great way to get more calls to your business. They appear only on devices that can make phone calls, and when someone clicks on the ad, they are prompted to call your business directly. This is an effective way to reach potential customers who are ready to take action and contact you right away.

Pros of Call-Only Ads

Here are some of the pros of Call Only Ads in a list format:

• Faster customer connection: Since call-only ads are designed to prompt customers to call your business directly, they can be a faster way to connect with potential customers compared to traditional search ads.
• Higher conversion rates: Phone calls are often higher-quality leads compared to website clicks, as they indicate a greater degree of interest in your product or service. Call-only ads can help deliver high-quality leads to your business efficiently.
• More control over customer experience: Since call-only ads are designed to encourage customers to call your business directly, you have more control over the customer experience. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction.
• Cost-effective: With call-only ads, you only pay for the clicks that result in phone calls. This can be cost-effective compared to traditional search ads where you pay for clicks that may not result in a phone call.
• Better for certain industries: Some industries, such as healthcare or legal services, require a phone consultation before a transaction can take place. Call-only ads are particularly effective for these industries since they cater directly to customers who are looking for immediate phone support.

Cons of Call-Only Ads

Here are some of the cons associated with call-only ads:

• They can be more expensive than other types of ads, as they often require higher bids to get the desired results.
• They are only available on devices that can make phone calls, so you may miss out on potential customers who don’t have access to these devices.

How to set up call-only ads

In the video, I go over how to set up a call-only ad, but here are the main steps on how to get started:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. Click the New campaign button and select Leads, click on Search and select the Phone call option.
3. Enter the details of your ad, including the headline, description, and destination URL.
4. Set up conversion tracking so you can measure the success of your campaign.
5. Change your campaign settings to ensure that your ad only displays when you're open for business.
6. Set your target locations so that your ad reaches the right audience.

Call ad conversion tracking in Google Ads

To get the extra data we talked about at the beginning of the article, you need to set up conversion tracking within Google Ads. Here are the steps to follow:

1. At the end of the setup process, within the Conversion action segment, click Calls from ads.
2. Selecting this will automatically set up the tracking that you can access from the Reports section - also shown in the video step-by-step.