Key takeaways
- Verify that calls and click-to-call actions are actually being measured.
- Review real search terms—not only the keywords you selected.
- Test the phone action and landing page on the devices customers use.
- Combine campaign data with call quality and sales feedback.
1. Confirm that the phone number and call action work
Open the ad and landing page on multiple mobile devices. Tap every phone button and confirm that the correct number appears, the tel link opens the dialler and no overlay blocks the action. A small technical error can make a campaign look like it has a demand problem when the problem is simply the contact button.
- Check the header, sticky bar, footer and pop-up phone links.
- Confirm the number shown in ads matches the business number.
- Test during business hours and outside business hours.
2. Validate conversion tracking
A campaign can receive calls that are not reported, or it can count button taps that never become calls. Understand whether the conversion is a call from an ad, a website call click, a call lasting a minimum duration or an imported CRM outcome.
- Do not optimise only to a generic page view.
- Separate call clicks from completed lead forms where possible.
- Use consistent conversion names and primary/secondary settings.
3. Read the search terms report
Keywords define targeting rules; search terms show what people actually typed. Broad or phrase matching can bring jobs, training, free services, unrelated cities and informational queries unless negatives and structure are actively maintained.
- Add negative keywords based on real irrelevant intent.
- Separate brand, generic service and competitor-related queries.
- Look for ambiguous words that have multiple meanings.
4. Check location and presence settings
A local business may pay for users interested in a location rather than physically present in or regularly in that area, depending on campaign settings. Review user locations and whether the business can realistically serve the targeted radius or cities.
- Compare targeted locations with matched locations.
- Exclude areas producing irrelevant or unserviceable leads.
- Do not expand geography simply to increase clicks.
5. Evaluate mobile landing-page friction
Most local-service clicks may arrive on mobile. Slow loading, intrusive pop-ups, hidden pricing, unclear location, weak trust or a form with too many fields can reduce calls. The message on the page must also match the exact service promised in the ad.
- Place call and WhatsApp actions near the first screen.
- Show location, business hours and service context clearly.
- Use readable type and avoid buttons that shift while loading.
6. Review the offer and customer confidence
A searcher may click because the ad is relevant but hesitate when the website gives no price direction, proof, process or reason to act now. A stronger offer is not necessarily a large discount; it can be a clear consultation, audit, availability check or transparent starting point.
- Explain what happens after the customer calls.
- Use only genuine reviews and verified proof.
- Address common objections through concise FAQs.
7. Compare devices, hours and networks
Calls may concentrate on mobile, specific time periods or particular locations. Desktop clicks, late-night traffic or partner-network placements can behave differently. Segment the report before making account-wide decisions.
- Review mobile versus desktop conversion behaviour.
- Align schedule with staff availability where practical.
- Check whether low-quality traffic is concentrated in one network or segment.
8. Use lead feedback, not assumptions
The marketing team needs to know whether calls were relevant, answered, qualified and converted. Without this feedback, automated bidding may learn from weak actions. A CRM or a simple lead status process can provide the missing signal.
- Record source, enquiry type, location and status.
- Separate missed calls from irrelevant calls.
- Review sales response time and repeated follow-up.