How to Get More Phone Calls from Google Ads

For many service businesses in Ireland, calls beat clicks. A call is a live lead with buying intent, and a chance to book work right away. The trick is to build Google Ads around phone behaviour, then optimise for call quality rather than traffic volume. This guide shows you how to do that, step by step.

Why calls matter more than clicks

• Calls convert faster for urgent services such as plumbing, towing, and repairs.
• Calls shorten the sales cycle and reveal real objections.
• Call data lets you prioritise the keywords and hours that produce booked jobs, not just visits.

Step 1. Track every type of call correctly

You can only scale what you can measure.

Set up two conversion actions

1. Calls from ads
   Attach call assets or run Call Ads. Use Google forwarding numbers so each call is attributed.
2. Calls from your website
   Install the Google tag. Enable website call tracking so Google swaps your number for a forwarding number on eligible visits.

Configure the conversion

• Count: One per call
• Include in Conversions: On
• Call length threshold: Start at 60 to 120 seconds to filter misdials
• Attribution: Data-driven where eligible

Test with Tag Assistant and make a real test call from a mobile search.

Step 2. Choose ad formats that invite calls

• Call Assets: Add to all Search campaigns. They show your number and increase call propensity.
• Call Ads: Ideal for urgent intent. Headlines focus on phoning rather than visiting a page.
• Location Assets: Link your Google Business Profile. Seeing an address and local number builds trust.
• Sitelinks: Add “Call Now” and “Request Call Back” alongside service pages to present both options.

Pro tip: Set a separate asset schedule so call assets show only when you can answer.

Step 3. Structure campaigns for caller intent

Keep it simple and relevant.

• Group keywords by service theme.
• Create a dedicated ad group with Call Ads for highest urgency searches.
• Use exact and phrase match to control relevance and protect budget.
• Write ad copy that makes the phone the hero: “Call for fast help”, “Speak to a local expert today”.

Step 4. Build a strong negative keyword list

Protect your budget from time wasters. Block terms such as jobs, salary, DIY, how to, free, PDF, training, course, second hand, parts only. Review search terms daily in week one, then weekly.

Step 5. Target the right places and people

• Use Presence targeting so ads show to people in your service area.
• Start with a tight radius or selected towns, then expand once you see profitable call data.
• Exclude regions that never convert.
• Layer audiences such as in-market segments and your remarketing lists. This nudges automation toward better callers.

Step 6. Bid for call outcomes, not clicks

• Begin with Maximise Conversions using your call conversion as Primary.
• Once you have steady volume, move to Target CPA based on the value of a qualified call.
• Use Value Rules to upweight calls from premium postcodes or repeat-customer lists.
• Apply a mobile bid adjustment if mobile callers are more valuable in your data.

Step 7. Align ad schedule with answer times

If nobody answers, you are paying for frustration.

• Run ads only when you can pick up or when a reliable call-answering service is active.
• Increase bids for proven peak hours and days.
• If you offer after-hours help, route calls to an on-call phone and tag those outcomes separately.

Step 8. Make your website effortless to call

Some users will still click through before phoning. Remove friction.

• Put a click to call button in the header and a sticky bar on mobile.
• Use a clear tel: link that works across devices.
• Repeat the number near your top proof points and above the fold on key pages.
• Show trust signals: reviews, accreditations, photo ID of staff, service areas, and quick FAQs.
• Keep pages fast and lightweight. Speed affects bounce and call propensity.

Step 9. Qualify calls and learn from them

• Track answer rate, time to answer, and call length by campaign and keyword.
• Tag calls in your CRM: booked, price check, wrong service, no answer.
• Identify the keywords that produce booked jobs and shift budget there.
• Reduce bids or add negatives for keywords that produce short or low-quality calls.

Step 10. Troubleshoot common blockers

• Forwarding number not swapping: Your number is in an image or not consistent across the page. Use text and keep it formatted consistently.
• Call asset low impressions: Policy issues or asset scheduling outside your ad schedule. Check status and overlap.
• Too many unqualified calls: Tighten match types, add negatives, adjust copy to be specific about price, service area, or who you serve.
• Conversions counting all calls: Increase the duration threshold and exclude repeated short calls from the same number.

Example ad copy you can adapt

Headlines

• Call Now for Fast Help
• Local Emergency Service
• Talk to a Technician Today

Descriptions

• Speak to a local expert and get a price in minutes. Same-day callouts available.
• Licensed team serving County Louth. Call now for a quick quote and rapid dispatch.

Reporting that drives action

Create a simple weekly sheet that shows:

• Calls by campaign, ad group, and keyword
• Answer rate and average duration
• Cost per qualified call
• Booked jobs and revenue by source
  Use it to make one change per week. That cadence compounds.

Quick launch checklist

• Call conversions for ads and website set with sensible duration threshold
• Search campaign with call assets and a Call Ads ad group
• Tight locations with Presence targeting and smart exclusions
• Ad schedule mirrors answerable hours
• Mobile click to call tested on multiple phones
• Exact and phrase match only at launch, negatives in place
• Bidding on Maximise Conversions, moving to Target CPA once stable
• Weekly review of search terms, call quality, and answer rate

• Plumbing Business – Discover how plumbers can get more calls from Google Ads: Read here
• Towing & Recovery Services – Learn how breakdown and towing businesses can win more customers with Google Ads: Read here
• Phone Call Campaigns – A step by step guide to setting up Google Ads for calls only, a powerful way to bring more leads straight to your business: Read here

Ready to turn calls into booked jobs?

Book a free strategy session and we will map quick wins for your account, then set up tracking that proves the value.

Free strategy session: tidycal.com/astory/free-strategy-consultation

Astory Media: www.astory.pro